Smoking a turkey for the first time. Advice please

Put bags of ice on the breasts for about 30 minutes before it goes on the smoker. This will even out the time it takes your breast to get to 160 and your thighs to 180.

Simply put: If you can smoke a pork butt then you can smoke a turkey.

Generation after generation, people have been putting turkeys into the oven and roasting for hours until done. They use different types of stuffing's and those little pop up timers (LOL). Guess what? Anyone can make a great turkey this way, but wouldn't it be great to go one step further...?

Smoked turkey is more flavorful and tender than one roasted in the oven. Breaking away from tradition can be hard, but The Brethren are here to guide you with your questions. You'll find pages upon pages of information and previously asked questions in our Official/Unofficial Talkin' Turkey Thead http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=120494

Smoking a turkey is really very simple, however most people tend to over think the process making something easy, more difficult.

Turkey, like most poultry has a lighter more delicate flavor. One does not want to lose the lighter flavor of the meat with an overpowering smoke flavor. The difference between a great turkey and a good turkey may be the type of wood you are using, the amount of wood, or possibly the temperature you are cooking at. Because of this careful consideration should be given to the smoking temperature, the type of wood you plan to use, as well as the amount of wood being used.

You will get many recommendations, but I prefer to smoke my turkeys at 325 degrees and I prefer apple wood chunks, or an apple/cherry wood chunk mixture.

I also feel one should really consider the benefit of using a brine, not only for moisture, but for imparting great flavors as well. If you plan to brine, make sure you do not select an "Enhanced" turkey as these birds have already been brined by the processor. If the bird is "Enhanced" and you brine it, you may end up with a slightly over-salty flavored turkey, and it may also effect the texture of the meat.

I prefer the flavors imparted by Patio Daddio's Ultimate Thanksgiving Brine.... The flavor is truly awesome!!!!
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1087814&postcount=1

Here is a guide to smoking the turkey by the same person.
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1450009&postcount=1

There is also a good article in Smoke Signals Magazine starting on page 26...
http://issue13.smokesignalsmagazine.com/

From the archives - Wampus Smokes a Turkey.....This mirrors the article in Smoke signals.
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=176618

and of course the Brethren Unofficial Turkey Thread....
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=120494

The last 15lb turkey I smoked @ 300 took me 3hours 20 mins. So your close time wise.
When my skin got enough color I covered with foil.

The Wampus method rocks!!

Pssst it's a big chicken cook it like one:doh:

For the past few years I have brined, spatchcocked, and smoked every turkey I've cooked at around 325 until done. At that temp I haven't had issues with the skin getting too dark or ending up too rubbery.

I smoke turkeys with a mix of Kingsford and maskete lump I don't brine or season. The smoke does the flavoring I just watch the fire and temps and rotate the turkey because I have hot spots in my grill and a turkey fills it up. It always comes out moist I use a drip pan because the drippings make awasume smoked gravy.

So how did the cook go?

What I learned:

1. Read the sticky, it has a ton of information.
2. Turkey will take smoke quickly
3. Spatchcock it
4. It's really, really good