Turkey for tomorrow

[es1025]

Just pulled the 6.37# breast from the brine.  Looks good.  Going to rest in the fridge until tomorrow morning.  Will add some olive oil and spread on my rub.  240, 1.5oz of wood, smoke to IT of 165.  We are actually cooking another bird in the oven as well.  We know whose will be better.

I'll post some pictures tomorrow.

Happy Thanksgiving to all members

Ed

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[swthorpe]

Ed,  I am doing the same thing, and I plan to eat more of the TB from the smoker!

[DivotMaker]

Sounds good, Ed & Steve!  I just stuffed a 12 1/2 lb bird with celery, onions, carrots, apples and lemon juice, olive oiled and rubbed with Emerill's chicken rub, and put in the fridge until morning.  I'm going to smoke with cherry.  Should be a good day tomorrow for all!!

[benjammn]

you are going to smoke with it stuffed? I have read that it isn't a good idea. Read that it will take much longer to get the bird up to temp...

[DivotMaker]

Benjamin, it's not "stuffing."  You're right about cooking a bird with dressing in it that you plan to eat.  Mirepoix is equal amounts of chopped celery, carrots, onion and apple.  When the bird is done, it discard it.  This type of filler in the bird does 2 things (in my experience): adds really good flavor to the meat, and makes the bird cook evenly (it makes the breast meat cook slower, so the dark meat is done at the same time).

Here's a great post by Pigsmoke that goes more into this:

http://smokinitforums.com/index.php?topic=1002.0

I thought the same thing as you, but realize now that dressing and vegies are very different in this usage. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

[es1025]

Just put the bird on, it's 32 degrees in Northern NJ.

The smoker is taking much longer to get to temperature.  I would suggest adding at least a 1/2 to an hour for the cooking & resting time.

Updates to follow....

[DivotMaker]

12 1/2 pounder just went in at 9 am!  33 degrees here, so I'm adding a little extra time, too, Ed!  Got a little wind, too, which doesn't help.    Set to 240 with 2.5 oz of cherry!

[es1025]

1 hour in, bird temperature is 30 degrees up at 70.

Temp inside box is around 230 even though maxed at 250.  Could be the placement of the probe.  I am hoping the sun will start to warm the box.

[rickne]

I threw mine on at 830.  Glad I did.  23 degrees and a stiff north wind this morning.  IT temp is 70 degrees seventy minutes into the cook.  My smoker temp is struggling to hit 220 but I'm sure its my probe placement.

[DivotMaker]

70 minutes in, and my IT is only 51!  Gonna take another 6 hours at this rate!  It should start cooking faster, so I'm not worried.

[rickne]

My probe placement must be horrible.  My cooker can't stay above 200.  But the meat is cooking.  110 minutes in and my TB is 87 and my bird is 90.

I don't want to open it up to fix the probe and risk delaying the cooking.  I want to make sure I'm at 140 at the 4 hour mark.  I have the cooker cranked up.

I think I will be okay.

[es1025]

2:15 minutes into the smoke.

IT 115, temp around 235.

Looks good so far.  The cold weather is definitely impacting the process.  I think next time my water pan will have boiling water...

[rickne]

Three hours in I'm at 111 & 112 internal breast temp.

Looks like the breast and bird are on the same page, albeit the wrong page.  Looks like a 5hr plus cook.

The smoker temp is pegged at 189.  It doesn't move much.  Its gotta be the probe or probe placement...  doesn't it?

[es1025]

3.5 hours into the smoke.

IT 142.

Temperature has yet to go over 235. I am thinking about creating a blanket for the smoker...

I figure at least another hour or so. Shooting for 165.

The oven roasted turkey is done.  Darn good tasting as well.

This bird better hit a home run.

[Horsepowerfarm]

4 hours and 10 min ambient temp at 8:00am 34' now 47' my #3 is at 196' the bird is 153'. Looks like a 5 1/2 hour smoke.