3 turkey breast (24LBS)

[JT-MO]

What is an estimate time I should be expecting if I put in 24LBS of turkey breast? I will pull them when they reach 170IT, but I am just wondering when I should put them in so they will be done tomorrow on the 25th around lunch/dinner time (1pm to 5pm). I put a 13LB turkey in at 3AM on thanksgiving morning and it got done at around 1PM that day. I am thinking I may need almost 20 to 22hours for 3 breast at 24LBS.

You would think I would know this by now since I had this smoker since 09 :).

[TedEbear]

I smoked a 13 lb whole turkey for Thanksgiving.  The entire process took 5 hours.  I had it in the Bradley at 230*F for the first 4 hours and then moved it to the oven at 325*F for the final hour to make the skin crisp until the internal temp reached 165*F.  I don't know why your 13 lb turkey took 10 hours.  What was the chamber temp?  I have dual 500W elements and when I set something to cook at 230*F it really does cook at that temp and not take 1/2 day to get there.

Are you trying to fit three turkey breasts in the Bradley all at once?  That sounds a bit crowded, although I've never tried it.  Anyway, don't think of it as one big 24 lb piece of meat, which would take way longer than three 8lb breasts. 

[beefmann]

What is an estimate time I should be expecting if I put in 24LBS of turkey breast? I will pull them when they reach 170IT, but I am just wondering when I should put them in so they will be done tomorrow on the 25th around lunch/dinner time (1pm to 5pm). I put a 13LB turkey in at 3AM on thanksgiving morning and it got done at around 1PM that day. I am thinking I may need almost 20 to 22hours for 3 breast at 24LBS.

You would think I would know this by now since I had this smoker since 09 :).

1 hr to 1 hr 15 per lb is about normal in a  smoker at  215 to 225, and yes in a over at 350 will take less time

[Habanero Smoker]

You don't have to bring turkey beast up that high. Turkey breast only needs to be cooked to 155?F, or if you don't feel that is safe take it to 160?F. Even the USDA states that whole turkey is fully cooked at 165?F.

[JT-MO]

That is what I was guessing as well, about 1hr per pound. I put them in at 1PM today, (about 5 hours ago). They are already at 137IT, so they may be done way before eating time :(... oh well.

It is a little crowded but they fit. I never done just the breast before, usually I do a whole turkey. So this is a learning experience.

[KyNola]

You have 3 turkey breasts that weigh 24 lbs total right?  Or approximately 8 lbs each.  At 1 hour per pound that would make the cooking time around 8 hours, not 24 hours.

[JT-MO]

Just to recap on how it went, the 24LB's of breast (3 - 8LB'ers) got done at around 23 hours. I figured out why it started off cooking fast (got to 137IT in 5 hours). The pucks builted up and started a little camp fire in the waterbowl. Which caused my heat to spike higher than it should of (over 250). I smothered the pucks out in the water, put in more water, left the smoker set to 225, turned of the SG, and by noon the next day the IT was around 165 or so on all 3 breast and ready to eat.



KyNola, I understand what you are saying but it never works out like that for me. It always seems to be about an hour per lb regardless if one hunk of meat or 5 smaller ones. Like for example I have done a 16LB butt and a 8LB brisket together (another 24LB example), it took over 24 hours total time. My bradley has a hard time ever reaching the set temp, for example if I set it to 220, it may only get to 180 and hold there until the meat IT starts climbing up, then the overall cooker temp starts going up awith it. By time I am done cooking the IT of the meat may be 160, and the smoker at around 200, never reaching that 220 mark. Been like that since I bought it, and I just assume that is the way it works. Food always turned out great.

[GusRobin]

Do you have the vent open?