Smoking a Turkey

[petite tête de chou]

The turkey breast after about 5 hours. It was pretty good. I think that it will make great sandwiches but I'm less sure about pairing it as I did with other "traditional" Thanksgiving fare- cornbread stuffing, mashed russets/sweet potatoes, gravy, salad etc. But I love knowing that I can actually smoke something. Bring on the butts n- briskets!

[twobrain]

375 for 5 hours!?

did you brine it?

[petite tête de chou]

375 for 5 hours!?

did you brine it?

←

Yikes and whoops! I meant to say 275. Boy, that would've been one tough breast, huh? I brined it for a few hours then let it dry out a bit in the refrigerator. Rubbed it real good with lots of pepper and called it good. I didn't want to to add too much in the way of seasonings because I wanted to see how the smoked meat tasted au natural. Very moist except for the parts without the skin. I can wait to try out beef, pork and salmon. Smoked salmon, mmmm.

[Marlene]

Happy Easter everyone. It's a beautiful day for smoking here. Quick question. On the WSM, should I put the bird on the top grate or the lower one? Is 4 hours about right for a 9lb bird?

[snowangel]

I can't answer any of your questions, Marlene, but my turkey is on. Went on just before 9:00 am.

Tending to the bird, making pies and getting the gratin ready. My house is spotless!

[lancastermike]

Happy Easter everyone.  It's a beautiful day for smoking here.  Quick question.  On the WSM, should I put the bird on the top grate or the lower one?  Is 4 hours about right for a 9lb  bird?

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Top grate Marlene. You two have a nice day of smoking. Sorry I am missing this one.

[Marlene]

Don't worry Mike, you'll have lots of opportunity to smoke with us!

So what's the best way to make turkey gravy when one doesn't have any drippings?

[petite tête de chou]

My market sells packages of turkey parts that I have used in the past for making gravy. I either roast them in the oven or on the stove top with onions, celery, carrots and herbs. Either way has given me lots of caramelized goodies for gravy making. And since I usually make a Thanksgiving-type of meal a few times a year (one of my husbands favorites) I usually have turkey stock in the freezer which I think is key to a good gravy.

[Marlene]

I'll rmember that for next time! In the meantime, the turkey has been on the smoker for about 3 hours and it's looking really good. The temp is holding at around 280, I'm having trouble getting it up higher, but it doesn't seem to matter. The breast is sitting at 160 now so we should be on target for a 7-7:30 p.m. dinner. I'm doing traditional sides, glazed carrots, mashed potatoes, I did manage to make a gravy from turkey stock and the giblets, cranberry sauce. Chocolate souffles for dessert.

[Marlene]

The turkey was a success. Moist and tender. But I'm not convinced yet that I like it better this way than roasted!

We pulled it from the smoker at 177 at the breast, and let it sit for 10 minutes. At that, after 4 hours it was just done, I'd say. We probably could have left it for another half hour on the smoker and it would have been fine. Still and all, extremely moist.

[snowangel]

Whew. I'm absolutely exhausted. I got to bed last night at almost 1:00 pm, and made it to the sunrise church service (5:50 am, meaning getting up at 5:00 am).

The bird just before we took it off the grill. Note the "high tech" temp monitoring equipment.

The breast came off about an hour later. Note that my bird's skin is considerably darker than Marlene's.

I took the bird off when the breast was 155 degrees. It rested for about an hour as the guests arrived and we shared a pre-meal cocktail or glass of wine.

There was a mess of extra fat in the cavity of the bird which I stuffed beneath the breast skin of both the whole bird and the breast.

Also, please note that I got maximum real estate space off the trusty old Kettle.

I smell slightly smoky and the bird, oh, that bird. The right amount of smoke and unbelievably juicy!

I just love smoking meat and poulty. It was a magical day. The weather, which was forecast to be overcast and drizzly was sunny and warm and in honor of the day, my maple trees went from buds to tiny leaves providing that first green blush of summer.

[BBQ Brian]

Great looking birds!

How did the raw weight of the bird(s) work out for number of guests and how much leftover did you have?

Thanks

Brian

[A Patric]

Hello all,

I have a new smoker and so I've been smoking everything I can find. So far I've done a pork butt for pulled pork, pork and beef ribs, jerky, etc. Now I want to do a huge turkey breast tomorrow.

As I've been looking around on line I've noticed that people seem to be smoking their turkey at different temperatures than pork butt or ribs. What I was going to do was shoot for a temperature between 200-225 F and smoke the breast for three hours and then wrap it. My smoker is a water smoker, so the breast shouldn't dry out in the first three hours. Then I was going to smoke it until the internal hit about 195 F.

Am I going to run into some unforseen trouble here? I'm seeing temps for turkey running at 260 F and instructions to pull the bird once it hits 165F. It doesn't seem to me that this would make it very tender...

Isn't low and slow to a higher temperature better? Is there something I'm missing?

Thanks for tips.

Alan

[snowangel]

I've smoked many a turkey and turkey breast (in fact, on the Trusty Old Kettle, a butt and a breast fit very nicely!). I usually do them low and slow because I'm usually smoking something else, but on the occasion when it's just been a turkey, I may goose up the heat a bit. And, I put them on as cold as possible, just like I do when I'm smoking butts or brisket. I just like the fiddling, the process. But, I do think that poultry is more forgiving, and will be on for far less time because of the lack of connective tissue.

But, as to temp, we usually pull breasts when they get to about 155 degrees. Foil them, and they come up to temp. There is nothing worse than dried out poultry.

What kind of wood are you going to use?

[A Patric]

What kind of wood are you going to use?

←

Well, all I have is hickory, so I was going to use that. I've been wanting to experiment with apple for pork, but haven't gotten around to buying any yet.

Thanks for the tip.

Alan

[Daddy-A]

My smoker is a water smoker, so the breast shouldn't dry out in the first three hours.  Then I was going to smoke it until the internal hit about 195 F.

Am I going to run into some unforseen trouble here?  I'm seeing temps for turkey running at 260 F and instructions to pull the bird once it hits 165F.  It doesn't seem to me that this would make it very tender...

You're cooking to done-ness, not a temperature. Turkey's done at 165F. More than that and it WILL get dry. You should also consider brining the breast. Turkey breast is not known as a moist meat, so anything you can do to add moisture is going to help. Any time I've done turkey (whole bird only for me so far) I brine it for 12 hours or so, and then smoke it. I'm a dark meat guy, but the turkey breast done this way was really nice.

A.

[Chris Amirault]

Yep: brine it, smoke it at 200-225 until it hits 155-160, then pull it. Poifeck.

[Uncle Jim]

I go about 250-260 degrees and take it off at 165 and I like the results. I always brine mine though and it's never dry.

[Daniel]

I brine mine and wrap mine in bacon..

[Chris Amirault]

Of course you do! What an idea.... Now there's something to do with those one-piece rinds you cut off after smoking your own bacon!

[lancastermike]

Turkey breast requires brining or it will be dry. You can smoke turkey at higher temps than pork if you choose to. I have had WSM temps over 300 for turkey and it comes out fine. There just is not all that fat and connective tissue in turkey that needs to break down.

Arne said,

You're cooking to done-ness, not a temperature.

He is 100% correct. If you cook that turkey to 195 it will be really tough. Unlike pork, the real long slow low heat smoke is not necessary. I would encourage you to seek out some fruit woods. The hickory may be a bit much for a turkey breast.

Brine for sure. Just be sure it does not dry out. 155 or 160 internal is what you want with turkey. My wife loves smoked turkey much more than pork.

[lancastermike]

(in fact, on the Trusty Old Kettle, a butt and a breast fit very nicely!).

Susan,

I have several comments, however I will defer in the interest of E-Gullet decorum.

I'll only say that context is very important

[lcdm]

Hello all,

I have a new smoker and so I've been smoking everything I can find.  So far I've done a pork butt for pulled pork, pork and beef ribs, jerky, etc.  Now I want to do a huge turkey breast tomorrow.

As I've been looking around on line I've noticed that people seem to be smoking their turkey at different temperatures than pork butt or ribs.  What I was going to do was shoot for a temperature between 200-225 F and smoke the breast for three hours and then wrap it.  My smoker is a water smoker, so the breast shouldn't dry out in the first three hours.  Then I was going to smoke it until the internal hit about 195 F.

Am I going to run into some unforseen trouble here?  I'm seeing temps for turkey running at 260 F and instructions to pull the bird once it hits 165F.  It doesn't seem to me that this would make it very tender...

Isn't low and slow to a higher temperature better?  Is there something I'm missing? 

Thanks for tips.

Alan

←

When I did a whole Turkey for Thanksgiving I smoked at 325-350F to 160F in the breast, approximately 3 hours. I used cherry and apple wood chunks. Cover loosely with foil and let rest 30 minutes before carving. I did not brine because I used a Butterball turkey. If your turkey breast is not "enhanced" I would brine it.

For the more smoking tips visit: http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/

[A Patric]

Dear All,

Thanks for the tips. I'll smoke it to 160 F and pull it then. I'll run the temperature at around 250 F. It's just getting going right now. I didn't brine because when I read up on it on line it said not to brine if you have a self-basting turkey (packed in a sodium solution). Mine says that it is a self-basting breast with 3% sodium solution, so I didn't brine. I just pulled it this morning, patted dry, rubbed with a carolina rub, and threw it in. I didn't have time to buy the apple wood, but next time I'll use that instead.

Thanks for all the tips.

[Daddy-A]

I didn't brine because when I read up on it on line it said not to brine if you have a self-basting turkey (packed in a sodium solution).  Mine says that it is a self-basting breast with 3% sodium solution, so I didn't brine.

Good catch! Absolutely right ... don't brine a self-basting bird. (Does anyone know why not? Is this just a case of guilding the lily or is there a more scientific reason?)

The whole bird technique lcdm mentioned ^ is awesome! There's a thread in this forum somewhere where a number of us used it ... not gonna search right now. World Cup's on.

A.