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Question about smoking a turkey

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    Question about smoking a turkey

    Good evening all,
    Quick question. I am planning on smoking a 14 lb turkey on Thanksgiving and was going to try and smoke it at 275 instead of my normal 225ish in order to get a little bit crisper skin. Can anyone tell me about how long the smoke time should be per pound? I would appreciate any suggestions.
    Thanks in advance,
    Steve

    #2
    Hi there snadekow ... A few thoughts and input ... First, and most important, what equipment are you smoking your turkey on?

    Okay, that question out of the way, welcome to the Pit! Glad to have you here.

    Thoughts on turkey

    1. If at all possible, spatchcock it and put a gravy pan underneath the turkey.
    2. Cook it at 325-350 ... the hotter and faster, the better. Under 300, in my experience, turkey dries out before the breasts are done and the skin is crispy. This does depend on your equipment.
    3. 24 hours worth of dry brining and desiccating in the refrigerator makes a HUGE difference in outcome.

    Hope that helps :-)
    Last edited by ecowper; November 21, 2016, 02:24 PM.

    Comment


    • ecowper
      ecowper commented
      Editing a comment
      BriggsBBQ if I was cooking it on the Hasty-Bake, I'd go 350-375, I think. On the WSM, I have to work hard to get to 350. But yeah, could go up to 400 no problem.

    • BriggsBBQ
      BriggsBBQ commented
      Editing a comment
      ecowper that cook was on a Big Green Egg. Getting a WSM to 350 is tough work for sure.

    • snadekow
      snadekow commented
      Editing a comment
      My reply was too long so I posted at the end!!

    #3
    Totally agree with ecowper. At 325-350 you'll probably be looking at 2.5 - 3.5hrs, as a rough estimate, if spatchcocked. But most importantly is the temp, not the time. Do you have a digital thermometer? We recommend taking the breasts to 155-160, or 165 as an absolute max. The dark meat should be higher, which is good. Please don't use the popup that comes with many turkeys, they're set to pop at ~180-185 and that will be cardboard turkey breast.

    Comment


      #4
      What those two guys just said!

      Comment


        #5
        Yep! Same as above!

        Comment


          #6
          Exactly, what those two guys said. I have a buddy I told to cook couple hours at 250 (electric smoker max) then throw it in the oven at 400 to finish. He's not listening to me going to smoke it for 10 hours at 225 F....I am shaking my head. Going to be some sloppy skin on some dried breast. On another note I am thinking next time I have to cook a turkey trying 1 hour smoke then finish in the fryer just to try something new.

          Comment


          • BriggsBBQ
            BriggsBBQ commented
            Editing a comment
            hahah, I was telling my wife why does he ask my advice if he is just going to use some google recipe? He said he is doing one if the oven as a back up. shaking my head.

          • Ernest
            Ernest commented
            Editing a comment
            HAHAHAHA!! I think we misunderstand the point of low and slow BBQ. Turkey is not really a tough cut of meat. There's zero benefit to cooking it low and slow.

          • BriggsBBQ
            BriggsBBQ commented
            Editing a comment
            So my friend said he turkey was salty and good, but in the same sentence he said nobody commented about the turkey. I think he's not being honest with himself that cooking a turkey 250 for 10 hours is no bueno.

          #7
          Thanks. I am using a smoke hollow PS 4400. Going to brine it tomorrow night using salt, garlic, black pepper, brown sugar and worcestershire sauce, then pull it out of the brine Wed night, rinse it and let it dry till Thursday. Not planning on injecting it since I am using a brine. Never did one at 325-350 so I will try it and let you know how it comes out. Yes I have a digital thermometer I use a Redi Chek ET-732. Thanks everyone for all the advice!!
          Steve

          Comment


          • ecowper
            ecowper commented
            Editing a comment
            Definitely want to get your grate temp to 325 +/- ... cook indirect heat. Your skin will come out much crispier at that temp. 350 is even better.

          #8
          Sounds good. Let us see how it goes. Don't forget to enter it in the turkey beauty contest.

          Comment


            #9
            Just think of all the turkey that I have ate that my grandmother and mother have cook and I'm still here to talk about it.....amazing!

            Comment


            • Craigar
              Craigar commented
              Editing a comment
              BriggsBBQ I can relate to that one too. I think they were a product of their environment for the time. Back in the day they had to cook the ever living life out of everything just make sure everything was dead.

            • BriggsBBQ
              BriggsBBQ commented
              Editing a comment
              Almost took the life out of me and my teeth to eat it. Of course you never made a negative comment about grandma's food and ate it with a smile.

            • Craigar
              Craigar commented
              Editing a comment
              Oh I hear ya. If granny didn't get me, mom would. At least you didn't have to eat pan fried short ribs.

            #10
            I agree with the above suggestions, and we want photos.

            Comment


              #11
              Thanks, will post them on Thursday!!

              Comment


                #12
                My neighbor is insisting on 225F for his smoked bird. BGE. I saw it last year. It came out black but when you removed the skin it looked nice and brown... they drowned it in gravy and ate it. I use the MT recipe, go 330 on a pellet grill and come out with super juicy moist meat and almost but not quite crispy skin.

                Comment


                • BriggsBBQ
                  BriggsBBQ commented
                  Editing a comment
                  I think to get crisp skin you have to go 375+ in my experience

                • ecowper
                  ecowper commented
                  Editing a comment
                  At 340'ish on the WSM I get pretty crisp skin.

                #13
                Originally posted by DWCowles View Post
                Just think of all the turkey that I have ate that my grandmother and mother have cook and I'm still here to talk about it.....amazing!
                But all those dry turkeys have turned you into the angry bitter cuss you are today! (I joke of course)

                Comment


                • DWCowles
                  DWCowles commented
                  Editing a comment
                  Huskee I take that offensive! (I joke of course)

                #14
                Quick Question: If I leave the turkey uncovered in the fridge (per Meatheads recommendation) longer than 24 hours...will it dry out the skin too much?

                Comment


                  #15
                  I've left mine in the fridge for up to 48 hours with no ill effects. If anything, the skin is even more crispy at the end of the smoke.

                  I think Meathead's recommendation is the concern about the turkey absorbing some of the other fridge odors. I've never had that problem...so far. The salted turkey rub's odors far outweigh any others going on in there.

                  Kathryn

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