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Post by 1luckytexan on Mar 30, 2015 10:30:33 GMT -5
about a 9 lb turkey, cooked for maybe 1:45 hrs breast down - legs towards SN. Flipped for the final cook to 164 or so in the breast.
rested for about an hour under loose foil. The breast was perfect but the drums were jerky.
next time, I may protect the legs for a while with foil. They were up into the dome where it's hotter, plus, they probably are getting some direct radiation out the top of the SN.
not a bad experiment.
How large of a turkey can you get in there? Looks like much over 11-12 pounds would be pushing it.
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Post by ncsmoker on Mar 30, 2015 13:30:56 GMT -5
luckytexan I have done up to a 16.5 pound turkey. With the small 9lb. bird you did I would have done it all with the breast up toward the SN. I also keep the legs as far from the SN as possible. Also use a butter baste under the skin including the legs which has some herbs in it.
With a larger bird I will cook it the 1st. hour with the legs toward the SN and then turn it so breast is toward the SN and finish it that way, always breast up.
Turkey is one of our favorite things to smoke and we do breasts frequently whole turkeys occasionally. You can see my Thanksgiving and Christmas turkeys under S-view.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Tom
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Post by 1luckytexan on Mar 30, 2015 14:58:54 GMT -5
next time I will try breast up and just rotate as you suggest.
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Post by Larry T on Apr 4, 2015 1:37:08 GMT -5
1luckytexan,
I've had turkey duty for at least the past 3 years. Followed the directions in the User Manual ... I put my charcoal holders upside down on top of the charcoal grate and the turkey in it's pan on these. I hold the temp between 250-275 at the dome (should be around 200-225 mid-turkey by my reckoning). Every hour when I check the water pan & coals, I rotate the whole pan. I leave the breast up the entire cook. Normally, a 15-16 lb turkey takes me about 7-8 hours. The rule of thumb is 20 minutes per pound plus 1.5-2 extra hours. Use your thermapen to check for true doneness.
ncsmoker's advise on butter & spice is right-on, under the breast skin, under the skin as near the thighs as you can get. I usually foil wrap loosely to keep the skin from over-browning at about 4-5 hours. Since I'm looking at the girl every hour, its easy to see when you need to cover her for protection. Oh, I forgot, be sure to fasten the breast skin so the white meat is white when you serve it. Eight hours will definitely char any breast meat that's showing.
Larry T (aka Smoke'n Joe)
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Post by ncsmoker on Apr 4, 2015 16:06:18 GMT -5
Larry I am going to disagree with you a bit. There is no need to use the charcoal grate for small turkeys up to 16-17lbs. Go ahead and use the grill grate. The charcoal grate in the instructions is used for larger turkeys in the 20lbs range. Using the charcoal grate also reduces the temp another 20 degrees below the grill grate lengthening the smoke. The 16.77lb. turkey I did at 325 for Christmas was done in less than 6 hrs. Took it off when breast was 165 and thighs were 170.
I am not saying your way is wrong as there is all sorts of ways to do things, but smoking up on the main grill gets the bird up in the main smoke area and into a higher heat area reducing cooking time. As far as color of the bird it depends on the wood your use. I use cherry and it always gives a dark skin. See my Thanksgiving and Christmas turkeys in S-view.
Regards, ncsmoker
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Post by 1luckytexan on Nov 16, 2015 14:34:39 GMT -5
You guys run water with the turkeys? For the entire time?
Kinda wondering if I can leave the water out.
This turkey was much better - among the best I've ever Q-ed.
Iced the breast with a small-ish ziplock bag of ice water, maybe 30 minutes, used some foil booties to protect the lower half of the legs for about 1/2 the cook with legs towards the SN.. Pulled them off and rotated the bird, breast to SN. Pulled the bird when the dark meat hit 185*F - breast was 170 . Apple wood chunks smoking for the entire cook, dark skin but, very nicely smoked meat.
Ready to smoke another!
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Post by ncsmoker on Nov 17, 2015 14:24:38 GMT -5
I do 1luckytexan. It keeps the turkey moist. The other thing I do is put a butter herb mix under the skin. This helps crisp up the skin also. I will take the water away the last half hour or so to help crisp the skin. Also I only take the dark meat to 165, it will raise to 175 while under the tent and the white meat will end up at 170. This is for a larger bird. The larger the bird (14-16 lb.) you will need to smoke it parallel to the SN and turn it side to side just keep it as far from the SN as you can. Turn it when you stir the coals and add water, every hour to hour and 1/2.
Regards, Tom
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Post by 1luckytexan on Nov 17, 2015 14:53:14 GMT -5
thanx tom, your suggestions have been dead-on.
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Post by ncsmoker on Nov 17, 2015 16:01:35 GMT -5
1luckytexan your welcome. One thing I would like to point out is that doing a whole turkey under say under 13lbs is wasting a lot of meat to bone ratio. You would be better off smoking an 8 lb. breast. I believe this is part of your problems with the legs over cooking.
For your next smoke get a larger bird say 14lb or so and try the suggestions from above. The other wood I love for turkey is cherry, it is a very sweet wood even more so than apple.
Regards, Tom
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Post by 1luckytexan on Nov 18, 2015 0:08:13 GMT -5
interesting point - the second turkey was 13 lbs so, that confirms your thoughts!
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Post by ncsmoker on Nov 18, 2015 14:59:35 GMT -5
Yep I look for a 15.5 to 16.5 pound bird now and smoke it at 275 to 325 depending on weather. This takes around 6-6.5 hrs. The biggest I have ever done is a 16 and 3/4 pound one last Christmas. I never have to use foil doing these size birds when I turn them every hour or hour and 1/2 and keep moisture in the kettle. I use my ET732 in the thigh and shoot for 165-170, then I check the other thigh and both breasts with my Taylor 9842 they should read close to the same in the thigh and about 5 degrees cooler in the breasts. Then tightly wrap with foil and let it rest for 30 minutes. The temps will rise about 10 degrees. The biggest thing I hear is a dry breast. This is from to high a heat before taking the turkey off the heat. I like to plan ahead so I put the bird on early in the morning and when it is done wrap it in the foil and then towels and put in a cooler. It will stay warm for several hours that way.
Happy T-day
PS The better half just walked in the door with 16.38lb and 16.88lb turkeys at 47 cents a pound. I'll smoke one Thanksgiving and one Christmas.
Tom
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