Question to all you Turkey Smokers...

[DawnPatrol]

Got a real nice smoker unit a couple of weeks ago. Going to smoke a couple of 12# Turkeys for Thanksgiving.
2 questions:

Do you like to use a brine to soak them in the night before, and if so what kind of brine? Or do you need a brine at all?

I have also heard that when you are smoking the turkeys, you should cover the legs with foil about 1 or 2 hours in so they won't dry out?

Thanks in advance, I am all set to go. Will be using apple chips and a rub and will have my pan with vino/beer/orange...

Alan

[Stanley]

Do a search on the Food and Beverage Forum on BD. This has been discussed excessively and there's a lot of good info here.

[roxfisher]

Couple of tips--

I do not brine. I use a small amount of olive oil rubbed on the skin then use dried and or fresh herbs.
Loosely fill the cavity with cut fruit and veggies--Apple, Orange, a few stalks of celery perhaps an onion

Smoke over a water tray with apple juice instead of water.

Do not use "pre basted" butterball turkeys. Just cover the tips of the legs and wings with a little foil.

Smoke on medium low for 4-6 hours (depending upon the size, use your guide for your smoker)
Do NOT crowd the turkeys.

[Duffy]

Smoking turkeys? I’ve been out of circulation for way too long.

Had no idea they made Zig-Zag papers that big.

(um...sorry. Time for another cup of java)

[peptobiz]

Originally Posted by roxfisher

Couple of tips--

I do not brine. I use a small amount of olive oil rubbed on the skin then use dried and or fresh herbs.
Loosely fill the cavity with cut fruit and veggies--Apple, Orange, a few stalks of celery perhaps an onion

Smoke over a water tray with apple juice instead of water.

Do not use "pre basted" butterball turkeys. Just cover the tips of the legs and wings with a little foil.

Smoke on medium low for 4-6 hours (depending upon the size, use your guide for your smoker)
Do NOT crowd the turkeys.

What Roxfisher said, good advice here.

I use beer instead of apple juice.

Something else you can try. I take a full stick of butter and let get to room temp. You can nuke for 10-15 seconds if in a hurry, but you want it soft, not melted. I put the butter in a bowl. I grill a whole head of garlic, add that to the bowl when the garlic has cooled. Add salt (kosher or sea), pepper, fresh fine chopped thyme and rosemary. Mix that up real good. Then take your fingers/hand and seperate the skin from the bird by sliding your fingers/hand under the skin. Get everywhere you can. Then take some of the butter mixture and put it under the skin. Everywhere you can get it. Keep shoving it in all over the bird. Then smoke.

[Hithard]

I brine just about everything I smoke. The process will keep the turkey or any meat for that matter moist even beyond the ideal temp.

Plus it adds flavor evenly throughout the bird.

[Dust Devil]

I smoked a 13 pound bird using a recipie from Steve Raichlen's BBQ bible....

Cajun Injected (homeade sauce) it was by far and wide the best bird I have ever eaten, moist juicy white meat and the dark meat was fully cooked and falling off the bone.

I used my Weber Kettle.

[MikeyLikesIt]

Originally Posted by Duffy

Smoking turkeys? I’ve been out of circulation for way too long.

Had no idea they made Zig-Zag papers that big.

(um...sorry. Time for another cup of java)

what, you dont have Cheech and Chongs "Big Bamboo" album?

(for you younger folks, it had a rolling paper the size of the album jacket).

I still have the album somewhere.........minus the rolling paper..... )


on a serious note, Turkey is one of the few things that I smoke WITHOUT any special treatment. (brining, stuffing, injecting, etc. ) It comes out great every time!

[HeatherLynn]

Originally Posted by Dust Devil

I smoked a 13 pound bird using a recipie from Steve Raichlen's BBQ bible....

Cajun Injected (homeade sauce) it was by far and wide the best bird I have ever eaten, moist juicy white meat and the dark meat was fully cooked and falling off the bone.

I used my Weber Kettle.

Weber's are the best!

I've smoked turkeys, rib roasts, albacore, veggies.......