Smoking a Turkey Sunday

HogFan · Mar 28, 2013

Put a turkey in the fridge last weekend to thaw and smoke on Easter Sunday. My wife bought it last Nov. before Thanksgiving and I just now noticed it has 8% solution already injected (chicken stock, saline solution, phosphorus, etc.)

I was planning to brine today......should I go ahead and brine or just run with what has already been added?

First time I've tried smoking a turkey. Debating wheather to use my UDS or my Acorn. I'm leaning toward the Acorn, thoughts?

Johnny_Crunch · Mar 28, 2013

You can still brine just don't go crazy with the salt and rinse it off before you cook it. I spatchcock mine and cook them on the drum at 325-350. Good luck. Smoked turkey is my fave.

dadsr4 · Mar 28, 2013

Just cut the brine's salt in half and go for it. I cook roughly one every other month to cut up for the freezer and usually just rub the skin with sesame oil and herbs. Many people inject an enhanced bird with herbed butter but I've never tried that.

Cack · Mar 28, 2013

Smoked my first Turkey for Thanksgiving and it was AMAZING. As for your question ... I don't know ... but good luck with the cook

Thermal Mass · Mar 28, 2013

I just did a turkey (oven roasted :icon_shy) on Monday. I had intended to brine it but ran into a schedule issue so I just roasted it.
It turned out very good (better than I expected) and tasted like it HAD been brined.
It was a Butter Ball turkey and I am glad I did not brine it because it WAS previously injected.
Had I brined it, I think it would have been way too much...

BTW, I love smoked turkey, wish I could have finished it in the smoker.

rifraf · Mar 28, 2013

I agree with what the guys above have said just use a less salt in your brine. I always use the enhanced frozen turkeys because i can get a better price on them at thanksgiving time lol. i usually do about 3 24-30 pound turkeys for thanksgiving and a 20 pounder for Christmas. my brine calls for about 2 cups of kosher or sea salt so i use a little under a 1.5 cups. have never had a salty bird yet. Plus I dont think I could ever eat turkey out of the oven it again. Smoked turkey is so juice and yummy.

Good Luck!!!:biggrin1: :biggrin1:

HogFan · Mar 28, 2013

If I cut the salt in half in the brine and per chance the concentration of salt in the bird is higher.......wouldn't it pull salt out of the bird?

dadsr4 said:
Just cut the brine's salt in half and go for it. I cook roughly one every other month to cut up for the freezer and usually just rub the skin with sesame oil and herbs. Many people inject an enhanced bird with herbed butter but I've never tried that.

Gnaws on Pigs · Mar 28, 2013

With a store-treated bird, there is no need to brine. I've cooked several pre-brined birds, I usually don't brine again. I inject it with some melted butter with some cajun seasoning mixed in, rub the outside and under the skin with olive oil or butter and cajun seasoning, and smoke upright (beer-can style) on the Akorn. They turn out great. Crisp skin, tender and juicy inside with good flavor. Let's just say that nobody else is allowed to cook the turkeys for the family T-giving get-together now.

And definitely use the Akorn, smoke at about 325-350.

DirtyChurro · Mar 28, 2013

I like your turkey's b00bies!

Thermal Mass · Mar 28, 2013

DirtyChurro said:
I like your turkey's b00bies!

Just caught that...

ound:

There is a thread going somewhere about that too..:shocked:

Nice bird!

oifmarine2003 · Mar 28, 2013

I have smoked turkeys and there is nothing like it. They are awesome. In the future, if you buy a Butterball Turkey, you don't have to worry about doing the brine.

Pyle's BBQ · Mar 28, 2013

One hint for your first time. Place a bag Ziplock bag on the breast or about 30 minutes before you put it on the smoker. This will bring down the temp of the breast lower than the thighs. Your breast and thighs should be done close to the same time and your breast won't dry out.

Wampus · Mar 28, 2013

I've brined birds that were already injected with solution and they turned out great.

You'll probably be fine without brining too though.

TALKIN TURKEY, eh....?

Gnaws on Pigs · Mar 28, 2013

DirtyChurro said:
I like your turkey's b00bies!

I think they're putting too many hormones in poultry these days.. :shock:

I got that idea from an old chicken throwdown thread on here. Everybody got a kick out of it when I brought it out to carve it.

funugy · Mar 28, 2013

I don't know why, but I have only smoked one turkey, and that was this last Thanksgiving. It was arguably the best turkey I have ever made. It was a pre-brined bird, but I brined it anyway following one of the brine recipies on this site. It was not too salty at all. It was great I must say myself.

New on the list of things to do soon..TURKEY:grin:

dadsr4 · Mar 28, 2013

HogFan said:
If I cut the salt in half in the brine and per chance the concentration of salt in the bird is higher.......wouldn't it pull salt out of the bird?

I do not worry about it. I'm after the flavor of the spices on the bird. In about 20 years of smoking turkeys, I think I've only bothered with a brine about 3 times because I wanted to try Patio Daddio's brine. Like I said, I usually just rub the skin with sesame oil and herbs.If you just do whatever you have done to a turkey in the past indoors, cooking outdoors is better.

HogFan · Mar 28, 2013

Gnaws on Pigs, that turkey looks great!

How did you get it to sit in that upright position like that? Seems something must be holding it.

Gnaws on Pigs · Mar 28, 2013

HogFan said:
Gnaws on Pigs, that turkey looks great!

How did you get it to sit in that upright position like that? Seems something must be holding it.

Thanks, it tasted great, too-it was gone in minutes. I actually cooked it upright on a quart can of Foster's beer (the only beer in a quart can I can find here) with about an inch of beer and cajun seasoning left in the can. The can was pretty much dry when the turkey was done-so much for the Other Site's controversial beer-can-chicken debunking.

oifmarine2003 · Mar 28, 2013

Here is a picture of the turkey I made on Thanksgiving. It was a major hit. I will never make a turkey any other way....

93vpmod · Mar 28, 2013

Today's Turkey!

I smoked a turkey on the UDS today and it turned out great. I bought a cheap turkey for .99/lb.brined overnight and smoked at 250-275 till temp. Breast 165, leg 180.

Like others above, I think smoking is the only way to cook turkey.

Smoking a Turkey Sunday

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