TALKIN' TURKEY!! (The official/unofficial turkey thread)

I usually buy the poultry herb package from the grocery store, remove the thyme, rosemary and sage from the stems, chop it pretty fine and mix it with a stick of softened butter.

I then just shmear it onto the bird and under the skin of the breast before it goes on the cooker.
 
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BruceB said:
I usually buy the poultry herb package from the grocery store, remove the thyme, rosemary and sage from the stems, chop it pretty fine and mix it with a stick of softened butter.

I then just shmear it onto the bird and under the skin of the breast before it goes on the cooker.
Click to expand...

That's pretty much what I do as well.
I also add a little garlic sometimes too.
Don't forget to add some kosher salt & fresh cracked pepper too!
 
If I am going to smoke 2 turkey breasts at the same time (same weight), do I allow time for one or double it??

I will use internal temp for the exact doneness.

I am getting confused thinking about it!!
 
This post is great and helped me tremendously last year. Quick question, what size bird was this? I'm doing a pretty big bird this year (20 lbs.) and am curious what kind of cook time to expect at a temperature of 300-325. Thanks again! Still gathering my own info to be able to make my tweaks.
 
deerslayer8153 said:
If I am going to smoke 2 turkey breasts at the same time (same weight), do I allow time for one or double it??

I will use internal temp for the exact doneness.

I am getting confused thinking about it!!
Click to expand...

I don't think you need to add much time at all just because you're doing two.
If you think about it, the smoker is at a certain temp and whether you have one or 2 or 18 breasts in the smoker, they'll each, individually, cook at the same rate, independent upon each other.

It's the same thing with briskets or butts or whatever.
If I fire my big smoker to 250 and I put one butt on there, it will take about 10 hours to cook. If I put 6 on the smoker, they'll all still take about 10 hours, providing the air and heat movement in the smoker is unchanged.
 
PanchR103 said:
This post is great and helped me tremendously last year. Quick question, what size bird was this? I'm doing a pretty big bird this year (20 lbs.) and am curious what kind of cook time to expect at a temperature of 300-325. Thanks again! Still gathering my own info to be able to make my tweaks.
Click to expand...

If you just google "cook times for a turkey at _____ degrees" you'll get all kinds of stuff.

I just got the following chart from such a search from THIS SITE:

Cook times for a turkey at 325 degrees:

Unstuffed
4 to 8 pounds (breast) 1 1/2 to 3 1/4 hours
8 to 12 pounds 2 3/4 to 3 hours
12 to 14 pounds 3 to 3 3/4 hours
14 to 18 pounds 3 3/4 to 4 1/4 hours
18 to 20 pounds 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 hours
20 to 24 pounds 4 1/2 to 5 hours

Stuffed
4 to 6 pounds (breast) Not usually applicable
6 to 8 pounds (breast) 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours
8 to 12 pounds 3 to 3 1/2 hours
12 to 14 pounds 3 1/2 to 4 hours
14 to 18 pounds 4 to 4 1/4 hours
18 to 20 pounds 4 1/4 to 4 3/4 hours
20 to 24 pounds 4 3/4 to 5 1/4 hours





Most searches will yield results based on OVEN cooking times and temps, but a smoker is just an oven with live fire and smoke, so these results will be the same.

Keep in mind, these aren't exact times, but they're a good start. From my experience, these are pretty accurate and will give you a good place to plan from. Also keep in mind that if the bird gets done a little before you're ready to carve, a whole turkey (especially one that big) will hold temp for a good while on the counter. I usually plan for my turkeys to be done at least one hour prior to dinner time. I'll just cover it in the pan with foil and sit it on the counter while I make gravy, finish up sides, etc. Then I unwrap it and carve it just before we eat. Even sitting for an hour, it's still usually too hot to touch.

Good luck!
 
I've got questions about gravy.

I'm doing a dry brine and cooking on my kettle. I'm then going to rest/hold for what is expected to be not more than an hour when we meet at a friend's house for an "orphan's" dinner.

Anyone have experience with holding gravy for that hour? Can I do the bulk of preparation at home and finish it up at the friend's house? What's the best way of working with the drippings that remain in a disposable aluminum roasting pan? Can it be done on the stove top? Do I try to release all those goodies in the oven? Or scrape what I can into another vessel? Would love to hear other's experiences/suggestions.
 
I'm embarrassed asking, but....

Can I brine a turkey in a new, clean trash bag?
They seem like they'd be sanitary, but obviously wouldn't need to be for their intended purpose.
 
Thanks Wampus, great thread!

I have a 21.4 pound turkey in a brine right now. My first time brining. Gonna pull it tonight and let it tighten up over night.

My question is about injecting butter. Do you just melt it and inject it all over? Do you add any spices too it? Any tips would be appreciated...
 
My quick question - my turkey is still mostly frozen (even after 5 days in the fridge). I put it in the apple brine anyway. Has anyone else gone through this?
 
Just BS said:
Thanks Wampus, great thread!

I have a 21.4 pound turkey in a brine right now. My first time brining. Gonna pull it tonight and let it tighten up over night.

My question is about injecting butter. Do you just melt it and inject it all over? Do you add any spices too it? Any tips would be appreciated...
Click to expand...

I have added stuff to the butter, but don't any more.
I just melt a stick of butter and inject it all over.
I've chopped up herbs and I've added rub to the butter. The biggest pain for me was that the herbs would clog the injector.

I always figure that I'm getting the biggest boost in flavor and moisture by the brine and whatever seasoning I'm using on the turkey. The butter is mainly for texture and fat, so I just stick with straight butter.
 
Strike BBQ said:
My quick question - my turkey is still mostly frozen (even after 5 days in the fridge). I put it in the apple brine anyway. Has anyone else gone through this?
Click to expand...

Yep...just last night.

I started thawing my turkeys (I'm doing two, each about 13.5 lbs) on Saturday. When I unwrapped em last night, the insides were still a bit frozen. In fact, I had to really work to get the neck and giblet packet out because it was iced in place.

I always just figured that the brine will help finish the thaw. I just use cold water and don't add ice to it. The turkey will cool the brine down and since it's always going straight back to the fridge, I don't worry a lot about the brine being ice cold.

You can run cold water over and through the cavity of the turkey to accelerate the thawing just before dunking it in the brine, but if you didn't, I wouldn't worry about it at all.
 
Wampus said:
Yep...just last night.

I started thawing my turkeys (I'm doing two, each about 13.5 lbs) on Saturday. When I unwrapped em last night, the insides were still a bit frozen. In fact, I had to really work to get the neck and giblet packet out because it was iced in place.

I always just figured that the brine will help finish the thaw. I just use cold water and don't add ice to it. The turkey will cool the brine down and since it's always going straight back to the fridge, I don't worry a lot about the brine being ice cold.

You can run cold water over and through the cavity of the turkey to accelerate the thawing just before dunking it in the brine, but if you didn't, I wouldn't worry about it at all.
Click to expand...

I could not even get the neck and giblets out. I hope the brine works it way into the cavity as it thaws.
 
Schooly D said:
Any dorks like me who have a salometer and measure the brine strength? I've seen conflicting thoughts on a good strength - some say 21 degrees others say upwards of 30 degrees.

Also, anyone ever have issues with the meat being "watery" and flavorless?
Click to expand...

Doesn't make you a dork if you have one, but if it does I'm a dork too. Salinometer are a must if you're going to do any of the real deep science of brining or even fermentation.

Here's a page I use all the time, it explains below the table how to use the information, look for the suggestion on "strength of brine."

http://www.meatsandsausages.com/sausage-making/curing/making-brine

Hope that helps.

Mr. Brining :D
 
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