Smokin a Turkey, DESPERATE FOR SOME HELP!!!

[BillyG]

Hey Guys, and Gals....

I thought I'd give you an update since I finally got to smoke a whole Turkey this past Sunday

I did a ten pound bird.  I started it with the temp slider all the way up on high, and kept it there the entire time.  I don't have a meat thermeter that stays in from start to finish >:(  But I kept the bird in for pretty much exactly 5 hours.  The instand read in the thigh (drumstick) shot right to 180 so I figured it was done.  When I pulled it out and let it sit on a plate the juices were brown, no pink whatsoever.  When I sliced off the drum stick the juices were clear so I figured it was done.  And I'm still here so I think it was done.

Now that being said, last night when I sliced off some of the breast that went untouched some of the white meat had a hint of pink to it.  Any reason for this????

I used hickory for about 3 1/2 hours of smoke then during the last hour I put an aluminum pan with a little bit of Turkey Broth in it to collect the juices for the gravy.  Everything came out great, not to smokey but still had that perfect smoke taste to it. 

Any hints on what I might be able to do next time to make it even better???  It was juicy but could've been a little more.

[Habanero Smoker]

The internal meat temperature would have been to high for myself. At 180°F at the thigh, your turkey was fully cooked. I only take mine to 160°-165°F.

Seeing pink meat in poultry, is not an indication if it is done. There could be several reasons why you will still see pink meat next to the bone, especially around the joints; after poultry it is fully cooked. If the bird is slaughter at a very young age, and at 10 pounds it must have, can cause this; or if the bird is cooked at a low temperature. There are more reasons, but these two seem to fit your situation.

[Malc]

Yep, I also did a ten pounder.  Nothing to worry about there with the pink.  I used three hours of apple, and I also put some cut up Granny Smiths into the cavity for extra moisture.  The night before I injected with equal parts garlic oil and Yuengling Lager(I happened to be drinking "one" at the time) with some salt, pepper, cayenne.  I rubbed it down with a mix of Wild Willys and KC Rub from Smoke and Spice.  The family said next year I do the big bird.  One uncle was seen chewing on the bones later that day ;D  Thanks to all for the help.

Malc

[BillyG]

The Uncle is too funny Malc....I got caught at "The Capitol Grille" of all places knawing on the bone of a rib-eye, their cajun rib-eye is one of my favorite steaks on the planet.

As far as temp goes, I thought the breast should be at 160-165???  It was a (don't kill me) Butterball Turkey so the cooking guide they give says 180 in the thigh, 160 in the breast-government conserative I guess...it really was a last minute idea.  Thanksgiving is always at my Aunt's house and she doesn't give out any leftover Turkey, I was at the grocery store on a Saturday nite and thought to myself WTF...me and the wife are off tomorrow I'll roast a Turkey and have our own candelite Thanksgiving (no screaming kids, no bickering adults).  So as I'm lugging in the groceries my eyes peered up at my balcony and saw this beautiful piece of God given greatness covered in black and I thought to myself again, I'm gonna SMOKE THIS MOTHA!!!!  No computer access to hack into experts brains so I winged it. 

I guess next time I'll bring down the temp and cook smoke it longer. 

Now, can you guys PLEASE check out the tread I started about Deer....you think I needed help with this!!!!  I've never even had deer let alone done it myself, so PLEASE all the help in the world on that one.

[Habanero Smoker]

If I'm just cooking breast meat I will take that out at 150°F-155°F.

Sorry I can't help you with venison. Never smoked it, and haven't eaten it in ages.

[asa]

Since we're talkin' turkey, I'll report on my Thanksgiving. After brining a 20# turkey overnight as usual, I smoked it in the BS for ~80 minutes (4 pucks worth of apple), then finished it on the grill. It gave a nice light smoke flavor to the meat that was apparent but not overwhelming. Fed about a dozen people and had leftovers for everyone. Then Thursday night I stewed the carcass and on Friday made a Brunswick stew with the stock and leftover meat. I believe this is becoming a tradition, now that I've done it two years in a row. It's a good way to turn leftovers into a brand new, wonderful meal. Hope everyone had a great holiday.

So it goes,

[Smoked rookie]

I want to smoke a turkey for xmas, and I recently bought the BS, it is the first one I have every used, Ive never smoked anything before i bought it.  I had some success w/summer sausage and muscle meat deer Jerky.  After reading this post it looks like maybe i could try a turkey.

I have normally baked a turkey by rubbing it w/ honey & Teriaky (SP) sesoning, then injecting it w/ butter & Soy sauce, and baking it w/ onions, garlic, & celery stalks.

question #1 - Should I inject it or not?

Qusetion #2 - DO you use a pan or just a turkey bag or both?

Question #3 - it sounds like apple chips are favored on this post, are there any other reccomendations?

Question # 4 - Why do you check temp in the thigh/drumstick, can you check the breast.  And it is(breast or thigh) safe anywhere from 160-180?
So tell me if my game plan is correct:

Question #5 - Should the smoke be on the entire time? or only for a few hours?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.  Sorry if they questions sound dumb?  I am a smoking Rookie

[Gizmo]

#1 - Depends on the flavor you want to achieve but I would say yes.  You can also brine.  Brine and injection will add moisture and flavor.
#2 - Turkey Bag is a NO.  You want the smoke to penetrate.  Pan - optional, most would put a pan on a rack underneath the bird to catch drippings for gravey.
#3 - Most find lighter flavor woods to be better tasting on poultry.  Again, your taste.
#4 - Temps can be tested from thigh or breast.  Different temperatures for each area.  The higher the temperature you take any meat, the more chance it will be dryer.  Cook only to the highest temperature (for the area you are monitoring) necessary for safe food and don't forget to compensate for the carry over cooking (internal temperature rises 5 to 10 degrees while at rest).  Allow the bird to rest to redistribute the juices.  Use (FTC) Foil, Towel, preheated Cooler or pre-warmed oven for the rest and give you additional prep time for other dishes as necessary.
#5 - Only for a few hours (depends on your taste for the smokey flavor).  IMHO - If you were to smoke for the entire time you would end up with a very bitter tasting bird.  Smoke (and additional seasonings) should enhance the flavor of a dish, not be the dish.  Now if you were serving smoke with the little turkey.... ;D ;)  Gotta luv the smoke!

[Habanero Smoker]

Smoked Rookie, welcome to the forum.

#1- A lot of members inject. If I want to inject or brine a turkey, I look for one that has not already been injected with a solution, such as the self-basting birds.

#2- I agree with Gizmo; a bag is a No! No!. You could use a pan, but a lot of drippings will collect inside the bird cavity, so you need to be careful taking the bird out of the smoker. If you do use a pan, place it on a separate shelf below the turkey.

#3- As Gizmo states it a matter of taste. If you are new to smoking here is what I use. I often use maple or pecan . For me these woods give poultry a good flavor and at times I will blend to two flavors. Either by alternating the pucks, or starting off with one flavor and finishing off with the other. Hickory is also a good choice if you like a stronger smoke flavor.
     Go to this site for a description of woods. While there you should check out the entire site.
http://susan.rminor.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26&highlight=wood

#4- If I'm doing a whole poultry I always check the temperature at the thickest part of the thigh. The dark meat cooks much slower then the breast. I like my dark meat to get up to 160°F-165°F, or else the texture is too tough and has a "slimy" feel to it. Testing the meat temperature at the thigh, will mean that the breast meat will be higher, but you ensure that the dark meat is done. When I do breast and dark meat separate, I will take the breast meat out at 150°F-155°F. My experience is that when cooking in the smoker; using cabinet temperatures of 230°F or less, the food will only rise about 5°F when it is resting. You may want to consider taking it out of the smoker early, and "crisping" up the skin in a hot oven. I do not FTC poultry. To me it creates a steam bath and makes the texture of the skin rubbery. If you need to hold the bird at a safe temperature for a while, I generally tent foil it, and keep it in a preheated 150°F oven.

#5- I only apply about 3 hours of smoke, sometimes less.


Also, make sure that your vent 1/4 to 1/2 open. Poultry with skin has a lot of moisture, and you want that moisture to escape. If you keep the vent opening too small, moisture will collect inside the BS. This will make the skin leathery, and worse the moisture will run out of the bottom of the door. This is a problem with the original BS's, because the thermostat circuit is located in that area and the moisture could short out your system.

[Smoked rookie]

thanks for the advice!

What is a good brine?

I am in a small town and I can not get the pre-basted turkeys so I have to wing it?  What are some reccomendations for a brine?  what should it consist of?

[Habanero Smoker]

Any of the poultry brines listed on the recipe site should work well. Take a look, and choose one that has the ingredients you like.

http://susan.rminor.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=13

[BillyG]

Any of the poultry brines listed on the recipe site should work well. Take a look, and choose one that has the ingredients you like.

http://susan.rminor.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=13

Hab's.... I just wanted to tell you that you are a blessing to us new guys.  I don't know if you're down South or up North but I'm in NJ and it just seems that if someone knows how to make something good they take their secret to the grave!!!  If you would've seen the look on my Aunt's face when my cousin (her step-daughter who's in the restaurant biz) told me where my Aunt gets her "New Year's seasoned pork loin" you'd know what I'm talking about, it was priceless, like she gave me her ATM card and pin number LOL!!! 

I really want to that you for all your advice, it seems every thread I go in you've been there and given your two cents.  Happy Holiday's to you and your family.

Happy smokin' everyone!!!

[Habanero Smoker]

Any of the poultry brines listed on the recipe site should work well. Take a look, and choose one that has the ingredients you like.

http://susan.rminor.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=13

Hab's.... I just wanted to tell you that you are a blessing to us new guys.  I don't know if you're down South or up North but I'm in NJ and it just seems that if someone knows how to make something good they take their secret to the grave!!!  If you would've seen the look on my Aunt's face when my cousin (her step-daughter who's in the restaurant biz) told me where my Aunt gets her "New Year's seasoned pork loin" you'd know what I'm talking about, it was priceless, like she gave me her ATM card and pin number LOL!!! 

I really want to that you for all your advice, it seems every thread I go in you've been there and given your two cents.  Happy Holiday's to you and your family.

Happy smokin' everyone!!!

If you get the PIN of your ATM card I'll tell you were I live. :D

Seriously, there are many on this forum that provide more help then I do. This is a great forum with great people who love to share.

I live in New York about 95 miles above the City. I am just fortunate to live within 25 miles of the Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, NY. Talk about people who love to share information. If you every get the opportunity, you should enroll in one of their Food Enthusiasts classes. They are the classes generally held on Saturday's which are open to the public. They are not cheap $185 for a six hour class, but the meal you make is excellent and often there is a food buffet prepared by professional chefs and students set out. Remember to take some Tupperware, what food is left over from the meals your class prepared can be taken home, and there is always plenty left over.

[manxman]

Hab's.... I just wanted to tell you that you are a blessing to us new guys. 

Not just the new guys, HS is someone everyone sits up and listens to and always offers sound advice.  ;) 

Seriously, there are many on this forum that provide more help then I do.

Would disagree with you there Habs, there are a few who perhaps are on a par because various people have different areas of expertise but you do take some beating!! Just sit back and accept praise where praise is due.....  ;) ;) :D :D

This is a great forum with great people who love to share.

No argument there!!  :)

[Habanero Smoker]

......but you do take some beating!! Just sit back and accept praise where praise is due.....  ;) ;) :D :D

Oh Yeah! I do recall a few thumping ;D