First PBC Turkey Cook Post Mortem

[budbrew2]

I just did a test run turkey on the PBC today (will try to attach a pic below). Cooked it at work for lunch for the crew. The results were ok, but would like to share my experience to see what one or two changes I could make in order to improve. I should apologize up front as I tend to be a little long winded, but I figure the more info you have, the better you can provide instruction.

So... from the beginning: 12.5 lb frozen turkey w/a 9.5% solution added. Thawed in the fridge. No add’l brining. Unpackaged in fridge for 24 hours to help skin dry out a bit. Injected w/a butter & stock mixture, but not as much as I wanted (spilled half of it), rubbed w/canola oil and Weber’s Kickin’ Chicken. Used the PBC turkey hanger.

Kingsford using 15-10-10 lighting method and added 2 chunks of pecan. 45 degrees outside & PBC was running at 410 degrees when the bird went on. Temp dropped to 330s in pretty short order. Cracked the lid a couple times thru the cook to try and keep temps in the high 200s/low 300s. Breast read 160 after 2 1/4 hours. Pulled and rested for 1/2 hour before carving.

The results: the skin was quite good, breast was bland, tough and a bit dry but not terrible, thighs and legs were moist and the wing flats were jerky.

One last note...the turkey was provided by my boss and I found out after lunch that the turkey had been in his deep freeze since last Thanksgiving.

So...I’m wanting to improve the texture/taste/moisture of the breast and have edible wings...as their my favorite part. Not sure if I should have incorporated some type of brining, should have pulled it sooner and let it carry over cook to the 160-165 window, injected more, not lifted the lid and just let it run, or spatchcocked the turkey instead of using a hanger. Should I remove the wings and cook separately or foil them at some point? Or could it all be related to being an old bird? Looking to make one or two changes that would give the best chance of improved results. Thanks in advance for your insights and know they are greatly appreciated.

[HawkerXP]

I slide the hangar right over one of the rebar. Leave the other one out. This helps keep temps up. Here is how I do it. I just did two eight lb chicken on one rebar and just barely fit shoulder to shoulder.

[budbrew2]

How do you use the turkey hanger on just one rebar? Do you run the rebar thru the loop in the hanger? Can you hang two turkeys on one rebar? ( I’m doing two for Thanksgiving.)

[grantgallagher]

I try to stay at 350 or above for birds otherwise i find the breasts dry out. Also, you need to get some seasoning under the skin if you want to impart anything but the salt to the meat. Poultry skin is like a rain coat and i believe meathead has some documented tests about the penetrations of spices (not salt) through skin and into the meat that are not encouraging.

I dont own a PBC so im speaking from kettle experience but ive always found hot and fast to be ideal for a bird. I would also recommend spachcocking but again, take that with the knowledge i havent cooked on a PBC.

[beez64]

So I'm gonna be trying to smoke a turkey for Thanksgiving. Don't worry, I'll also be deep frying one as a backup plan . Would love to get any recipes and/or suggestions, tips that anybody has to make a turkey that will come out moist inside and crispy outside. I've got an electric smoker that goes up to 275 degrees. Do I need to wet brine the bird or stick with a dry brine? I plan to inject the bird with seasoning. Best wood chips to use for a turkey? Any particular rub anyone recommends? Thanks for any and all input.

[budbrew2]

I’m not sure how I missed that. I knew higher temps were important for helping the skin to render and fall somewhere between bite thru and crispy. But somehow I did not know that cooking at higher temps helps keep the poultry from drying out. And I thought temps in the low 300s would be sufficient. I should shoot for over 350...ok...I will give that a try.

I considered putting a seasoned butter under the skin, but thought injecting would be better. Looks like I was wrong on that one too. So if you put some seasoning under the skin, do you put any seasoning on the outside of the bird too...or would that be too much?

[Ahumadora]

Hot n fast and cover where ever you can with seasoning. Turkey can be bland.

[mnavarre]

beez64 First read this. Twice. Dry brine, separate the skin from the meat and get some rub underneath the skin. You're not going to get crispy skin at 275, but you can nuke it in a hot (450) oven right before serving to help crisp things up. Go easy on the wood, poultry picks ups smoke pretty easily. If your turkey is injected with brine or Koshered watch it with the dry brine & injection, you don't want to go too salty. And read that article again.

[jfmorris]

I've got a question for you - did you hang the turkey legs up or legs down? Looking at the turkey hanger, looks like legs down? Is that the normal way in the PBC? On my offset or kettle, I always have the legs (dark meat) towards the heat.

[budbrew2]

I considered hanging trying it legs down, but watched several videos using the turkey hangers (including Noah’s) & they were all breast down...so that is what I did.

[cashelton]

When I've used the hanger, it's been legs up...that.s how the PBC site shows it being used. This year I'll be hanging from hooks to get the legs down.

[Bobmcgahan]

I have to think the quality of the turkey was your primary culprit. I’ve never been able to cook any meat decently that had been sitting in a freezer for close to a year.

[mountainsmoker]

After having done birds going back 40 years, I always pull when the breast meat is 150-155 and the dark is 160-165. This meant legs down on a PBC or toward the coals on a Webber, I switch to breast toward coals after an hour or so. As a rub under the skin I use s/f butter and a Simon and Garfunkel herb blend which I make the night before and leve set on the counter for the flavors to meld.. I smoke at 350 a whole bird of about 16-17 lbs.

PS: There was a PBS show here in NC which grows around 1/2 the turkeys, and they pointed out that harvest season starts in the spring with most birds in the freezers and ready for shipping by the beginning of October. After that they will switch over to fresh and heritage birds. Some turkeys may be left over from last year.

[SipIt]

I'm with you on this. Most think you need to bring the breast to 160-165, but when you look at the science 150 is more than enough, considering it will stay at that temp past the time needed to pasteurize.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2016/11/23/how-science-can-save-your-thanksgiving/

[mountainsmoker]

SipIt I also did not mention that carry over cooking would raise the temp 10 degrees or more.

[FishTalesNC]

I spatchcock (very key IMHO) and dry brine mine for 24 hours or so, ensuring I get it under the skin especially directly on the breast (this will keep it juicy), as well as on top of the skin. I hang it on the PBC with the legs down, this helps cook the dark meat to a higher temp. I also try to keep the PBC temp between 350-400 to achieve crispier skin, which should be fine as long as you don't have a lot of sugar in your rub. Using one rebar diagonally will help keep temps up and keep the bird centered over the charcoal basket. I use a thermapen to check various parts of the breast, and I pull at 160F because my extended family prefers it this way. When I do this, PBC birds turn out delicious and moist.

[fzxdoc]

Has anyone used the PBC turkey hanger successfully with the legs down? Is it even possible? I personally wouldn't want to PBC a turkey over a super hot poultry-worthy fire with the legs up. I have a turkey hanger, but only use the bar part of it for extra hanging space when I load up the PBC to the gills and need a bit more hanging room. I've never used the hanger for a turkey. My birds get spatchcocked, hooked through the armpits and hung.

• Spatchcock
• Overnight dry brine, uncovered, with a salt-containing rub under and over the skin.
• Inject breast with melted butter, place greased foil booties on the turkey's ankles, and hook through armpits into ribs just before hanging in the PBC
• 15-10-10 lit Kingsford Professional with a chunk of fruitwood added
• Single rebar placed on the diagonal
• Smoke at 350°+ to 155-160° in the breast (by this time the legs are 180ish)
• Remove, rest (you and the bird), and enjoy.

Kathryn

[Huskee]

I impatiently have not read the advice from my more-skilled-than-me comrades above, but yeah, spatchcocking will help you achieve more even cooking, aka quicker cooking of the dark meat vs breast meat to avoid the overcooked breasts when the dark meat is done. Breast meat is best at 150,155, 160* max. Dark meat can take 160, 170, 180, 190. Wings, to avoid jerky, foil them either at the start of the cook or the 2nd half of the cook. A fresh turkey will of course turn out better, and one frozen less than 1yr will likely too, lol.

One other thing, and I like to stress this often- the 9.5% "solution", do you know how much salt was in that "solution"? Most likely not. It's not 9.5% salt by any means. The solution could be 1% salt or 80% salt, who knows. Sometimes we err on the side of safety and skip brining turkey that has been injected with a "solution", but that could be a mistake. FWIW, take a peek at the Nutrition Facts label, and if it's 200-300mg sodium, brine as if it weren't salted at all. If it's 300-400mg sodium, brine lightly. If it's 400+mg, maybe skip brining. You can always add salt from the shaker at the table at chow time.

Hope at least one tid-bit of info helps!

[mountainsmoker]

fzxdoc I only had my PBC a few years, but I would recommend the following for you since you already know the spatchcock method, go ahead and use it. Try a whole one on a less important day I smoke at 350 also..

Take the spatchcocockedd bird off at f50-155 no more in the breast, carry over cooking will increase it 10 degrees or more, depending how you wrap it.

For the dark meat let's treat it a little different. We want to keep it cooler at first and then have it finish hotter at the end. So less wrap the legs with HD foil for the first 30-40 min. to prevent direct heat. Take the foil off and check the temp and see if your pretty equal and all should be well. Remember you are shooting for 150-155 breast and 160-165 thigh..

I now use 2 probes 1 thigh, 1 breast to measure the meat. I ;also use a Mk4 instant probe to check the opposite breast/thigh.

Hope you have Wonderful Thanksgiving.

I like a butter herb blend under the skin.

You know the PBC better than I do for re-bar placement as well as heat control. I like a little cherry smoke.

[fzxdoc]

Thanks, mountainsmoker . I know from your several posts here that you smoke a lot of turkeys. Interesting technique for the legs. I may give that a try on my next cook, although keeping foil on a vertically hanging bird's legs might be a bit of a challenge. But hey, nothing ventured nothing gained. Happy Turkey Day to you as well.

Kathryn

[mountainsmoker]

Just use some toothpicks. Nip them close to the bird.

[budbrew2]

I want to take a moment in this week of Thanksgiving as say thanks to all of you!! Seriously...I am smiling as I type this b/c how awesome this community is!! In the 3 years or so that I’ve been a member, I have posted less than 10 times. I’m not an active communicator here...not b/c I don’t wish to participate and develop the camaraderie that many of you have. As a wrench for Harley Davidson with a two hour daily commute & with the normal familial obligations that comes with of an older in-law in the twilight of her life..I feel like I get to see my wife for 15 min a day...let alone get to spend time doing anything that is "Bud-Centric". I try to get (as my wife calls it) my "food porn" fix a few times a week...just check in and see what is new.

Yet each time I have reached out to ask questions (questions to which the answers are peppered throughout this site if I just could take the time and search a bit) there has been someone (or several someone’s) who has reached out to help. Provided answers to me w/o making me feel like an idiot for asking. I learn something each time a come here and read and I am humbled by the willingness of so many to share their experiences in order to help and to teach.

I hope this comes across in the genuine nature from which I mean it. Thank you again to all of you who offer to help and I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

[TerryDowdy]

I second your comments. The Pitmaster Club and community has been a tremendous help to me and my smoking/grilling skillset, and I too am grateful (as my family will be when I smoke the Thanksgiving bird). Hope to see many of you in Memphis next year.