Sorry guys. Most of this thread is people showing their cooking skills
I have a technique question
I have a 25lb. turkey to smoke
What temp should I use and how long to cook?
I’m thinking 300* for 5 hours?
Thanks
Well, since you asked... With humble intension, I submit my unedited, unredacted, raw, and highly unorganized "t-day turkey smoke notepad".
These are my notes to myself (and nobody else) meant to make my family the perfect turkey.
The notes suck, there's a lot of missing info from year to year.
But, I've had rave reviews every year.
Please remember, this is my "diary", which allows me to learn and grow every time. Seems last year I was lazy and didn't take notes. :roll:
Enjoy.
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2019
21# bird. Bag of Kingsford, rainy, slight breeze (5mph). 40 degrees ambient.
Bird on at 9am breast temp 40 degrees.
9:00... "GO!!!"
11:00 grate temp 275, IT 110, ambient 47.
11:30 grate temp 300, IT 127, ambient 48.
1:00 grate temp 277, IT 160, ambient 50.
1:45 grate temp 275, IT 165, ambient 51.
Pulled bird. Put into large cooler with two towels as a "nest" lined with heavy duty foil (three layers)
laid bird upside down in order to juices to flow back into "top" (breast).
One more towel on top. Lid on.
By 3:00, IT went to 167, then back down to 165.
It 'rested' for over an hour and held temp.
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2018
20# bird. On at 11am. Ambient is 50, grate temp is 250.
Cherry wood and Kingsford.
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= Brined about 14 hours:
1.5 cups Kosher
1.5 cups brown sugar
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= Drip pans:
Kosher
Butter
Onion
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11:00am bird on.
IT = 42
Pit = ?
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12:00pm
IT = 63
Pit = 252
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1:30pm
IT = 111
Pit 284
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2:30
IT = 129
Pit = 260
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Weather: 47 degrees, fairly breezy and heavy rain.
Opened lower valves in attempt to slightly to raise pit temp.
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3:10
IT = 142
Pit = 275 Have been adding handfuls of cherry 'flavor' to keep the fuel going and raise pit temp..
Cools temps, steady rain, and slightly breezy wind is consuming fuel.
May have over-smoked meat adding cherry chips to fire. Wasn't enough to raise pit temp much.
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4:00 -- crunch time. Dinner is scheduled to be at 5:00.
IT - 147 - Brought turkey into house, and set oven at 300. dammit.
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5:00 -- bird has been in the oven at 350 "pit" {oven}. (cause 300 wasn't enough)
IT - 158
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Taken out of oven about 5:30. 'rested' upside down in cooler.
6.5 hours is a bit long, but tasted great and looked great.
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2017
50 degree ambient
18# bird
16# bag Kingford, two handfuls of cherry chunks
16 hour brine:
- 2 gallons water
- One 'twig' of rosemary
- 1.5 cups Kosher
- 1.5 cups brown sugar
- One head garlic
Drip pan:
- Half gallon water
- 1/4 cup bacon grease
- 1/2 stick butter
- One onion, quartered
- One head garlic
- TBS ground pepper
Bird on at 10:00
Grate temp at 280 bird at 39 degrees
12:00 - Two hours in.
IT is 98, grate is 289, ambient is 58
Foiled the wings and "hind section" to stop browning.
3:30, IT is 165, ambient is 61, grate is 309.
5 hours, 30 minutes. Done.
Based on color, it should have been foiled halfway through. It looks good, but a bit too dark (for my taste).
TASTED VERY GOOD!!!
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2016;
- 50 ambient temp, no wind. - 11# turkey
- One 16# bag cheap charcoal. Occasional handfuls of hickory chunks.
- WSM vents at about 10% top vent 100% - running at 250.
- Bird on at 12:30
- At 3:00 the breast I.T. is 138, pit at 275
- 4:45 breast temp is 165.
- loosely foiled, and pulled from pit. Pit temp was 250.
- Done. Tasted great. Tina said it was perfect, not "too much" smoke.
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2015;
45 degree ambient temp, slight breeze, raining entire time.
One 16# bag cheapo charcoal. Two pounds cherry wood 'flavor'.
Lit fire at 5:45am, turkey on at 7:00am. Pit temp steady at 250.
Didn't mention what the bird weighs!?!?!
- Smoker temp swung to 320 in first two hours (was trying to compensate for weather). Don't do it like that again!
- Shut down bottom vents to 10% and top vent to 50%.
- Pit temp steady at 190 for the remainder of cook. (Meal time WAAAYY far away, trying to go very slow)
- Skin is perfect color. Foiled entire bird at 11:00am.
- 165 in thigh, 160 in breast, six hours exactly. Done.
It's 1:00pm. Meal time goal is 5:00pm (obviously done way too soon).
- Pulled. Put into pre-warmed large cooler with four beach towels in a 'nest' shape.
- Lay bird upside down in foil 'nest', wrap foil over top.
- Put three beach towels on top. Close lid. Temp probes still in thigh and breast and ambient cooler temp.
- 4:30 and breast temp is still @ 132.
- Ate at 6:00, forgot to check the internal temp, but it was warm enough to serve. Surprisingly pink inside...must have faith in the thermometer.
