Pellet smoke Turkeynoob 🙀

[smokenoob]

Yes, you read that right. I’ve never pellet smoked a turkey, heck I’ve never cooked a turkey! My extended family always got together on Thanksgiving and since we came from far away the Turkey cook was done by others. This year it is just my bride and I so my turn to step up! My Broinlaw Mark usually did the turkey cook on an electric smoker or a pellet smoker.
My plan (suggested by Mark):
10 pound butterball
no brine, I think it is pre brined
inject with Tony Chacheres garlic and herb marinade (could not find creole marinade ☹️)
sprinkle creole seasoning on skin (my idea)
smoke approximately 30 minutes per pound
place on grill over water pan in pellet smoker @ 225° for 2 hours
raise heat to 350° for 3 hours / until done breast 160°
rest covered 45 minutes
carve and eat!

any suggestions appreciated!

a pic of my setup in the smoker included:

[captainlee]

First, hope all is well with both of you. So far a mild start to winter here in BV. Weather heading in on Friday. Hope this helps out for your smoke. I've always done the smoke fry method, never smoked one straight through.

pFyRYCprhh8&

[captainlee]

Oops, try this.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pFyRYCprhh8&pp=ygUZc21va2VkIHR1cmtleSBtYWxjb20gcmVlZA%3D%3D

[smokenoob]

Thanks Lee! Got lots of ideas from that video!

[Purc]

Step #1 Hold my beer.......

Step #2...

[smokenoob]

I was hoping I could hold my beer and cook this!

[Panhead John]

smokenoob Good plan! Do yourself a favor, using regular Tony Chachere’s seasoning, sprinkle the bird all over, inside and out with the Tony’s……you’re welcome.

[smokenoob]

I think I got some of that in the Herb cabinet. I’ll give it a try.

[Panhead John]

Just an FYI, but 3 hours or so at 350, mine is done. If you do 2 hours at 225, it’s gonna be done sooner than 5 hours.

[Jim White]

I'm sorry, but that setup is far too clean. How do expect to get any smoky flavor with such an antiseptic environment?

Kidding aside, smoke on and enjoy. Happy holidays to you and yours.

[smokenoob]

I was hoping the smoky flavor came from the smoke. But what does noob know? 😂😂😂

[Jim White]

Well, that's fresh smoke. I like my smoke well-aged.

[Bad Hat BBQ]

Spatchcock???

[bmillin]

+1 for Spatchcock, also I don't look at this like a smoking session. Higher temp, less smoke particularly if you want anything from the drippings. Your 5 hour cook would be more like 60-90 minutes.

[ecowper]

I am cooking a 13 lb bird on the SnS Kettle for T-Day. Here's my game plan

Weds around 1 PM for prep
Spatchcock bird
Get salt on for dry brine - 5 tsp for this bird, in the cavity, under the skin, and a bit on top of the skin
Prep my gravy stock
Prep my dressing, minus the chicken stock and butter
Prep anything else I can do the day ahead

Thurs around 1:30 PM
Fire up SnS
Add rub to my bird (I'm using Hank's KC Royale this year)
Once SnS is ready to run at 325F, get gravy stock on bottom grate
Position Turkey on top grate
When breast is about 130F, pull the gravy stock
Prepare gravy
Make sure you have remember to cook your mashed taters, dressing, etc
When breast is 160F, pull the turkey (this is probably 90 minutes with a spatchcocked 13 lb bird)
Let turkey rest for about 20 min while cooking any veggies (brussels sprouts here)
Carve turkey
Pour wine
Enjoy!

It will take 30 min to get SnS right, 90 min to cook turkey, 30 min to finish everything and carve. We will be eating around 4 PM and then sitting on couch watching holiday movies!

[bmillin]

Good plan

[DaveD]

Eric, do you find that spatchcocking results in less carry-over cooking? How much carry-over do you typically get when you pull at 160/71?

[ecowper]

DaveD If I spatchcock and pull at 160F, when I carve 20 minutes later my wife is very pleased with the breast ..... I've never checked, but I think it cooks another 5 degrees

[smokenoob]

any good video on how to spatchcock (hurts me to even say that…… 😂)

[Santamarina]

Check out this thread from a couple days ago…

https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/forum/the-pit-mastery-program/chicken-turkey-and-duck-recipes/1507414-the-full-spatch-spatchcocking-with-a-few-easy-extra-steps-for-a-better-bird

[DaveD]

We're totally in the same boat, except that I've cooked all of two turkeys, plus a breast by itself, and my lovely bride is showing significant confidence in me (and not a small amount of setting aside decades of preferences) by asking me to handle the fowl play this year. I'm honored! (and I better not screw up!)

I'll dry brine mine tomorrow morning, and will be relying heavily on Meathead's writeup from the free side, https://amazingribs.com/tested-recip...turkey-recipe/ Likely going with Simon & Garfunkel rub a while before cooking in my Pit Boss vertical pellet smoker (currently loaded with Bear Mountain 100% hickory pellets) at 300/150. No injections or other gimcrackery, just the straight seasoned bird. Going to leave it untrussed and unstuffed, run it on one of the grate shelves and collect drippings, which my lovely bride will use to make gravy - and every other thing for the meal, I'm doing just the turkey.

I plan to pull the bird with the breast not much above 150/65 provided the thighs are several degrees warmer, expecting to see 10F of carryover from my vanishingly thin prior experience. It will be just four of us, and my lovely bride has a range of killer sides for such meals: mashed taters, gravy, fresh green bean casserole, stuffing (outside the bird in this case), glazed carrots, dinner rolls, cranberries, and a chocolate cheesecake for dessert. Wine fridge is stocked, weather will be pleasant once today's storms pass through, and we'll reflect in gratitude on our good fortune.

[DaveD]

ecowper Eric, do you mean for safety or for how it eats? Clearly the safety part can be handled with a combo of a couple of minutes of time at, say, 160F, bugs will be dead in less than a minute or two. Do you mean the texture etc needs to get to that temp? I really don't want to dry this bird out by overshooting...

[ecowper]

I mean the combination of safety and how it eats. I have found that chicken, or turkey, the breast is not super appetizing at final temps below 165F. I don’t think you’re at risk of drying out the breast if you go to 155 or 160 F ….. Note that Chef Jean-Pierre says pull the turkey at 155F and Meathead says 160F …. Both highly respected and neither one likes dry turkey breast.

[DaveD]

Yep, that's my game plan, pull about 155F. Just spooked after getting that ten degrees of carryover last time...

[smokenoob]

Well my predictive thermometer just came in so I have some studying to do, gonna stick it to my turkey!!!

[Donw]

Recent thread, good video within https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/fo...-a-better-bird

[smokenoob]

Thanks! Beary nice of you!

[glitchy]

I spatchcock and roll around 350° for entire cook. Just make sure to use poultry shears or really heavy duty scissors. I broke our kitchen scissors on the first one I tried and had to more dangerously finish with a chefs knife. Also, don’t be afraid to through something like Lumberjack 100% hickory pellets in the hopper, at 350° you won’t over smoke anything.

[ecowper]

Get yourself a set of garden shears. They work great!

[Santamarina]

My recommendations - after years of “no complaints” from family…

Spatchcock! The bird comes out moist and tender, no parts overdone, and it cooks in far less time.

Higher temp the whole time. I do mine at 325°F. Still gets plenty of smoke, and the skin will be more crispy. And again…cooks quicker!

I've based my turkey cooks on Meatheads article on the free site. It’s my “Thanksgiving Bible” that I read every year. Some things I change for preference, but it’s a great place to start. Simon & Garfunkel rub is my favorite for a traditional turkey.

https://amazingribs.com/tested-recipes/turkey-recipes/ultimate-bbq-turkey-recipe/

[DaveD]

I'm running pretty much this playbook too...