15 lbs Turkey for a Turkey Virgin

[SuperDave]

Well, I'm starting the night before festivities for my first turkey smoke.  I've got some brine simmering on the stove.  After 3 days in the garage, the turkey is still frozen in the core to the point that I'm have a WWF wresting match with it to get the giblets out.  Not a lot to see yet but I will be updating by phase as things progress.

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[SuperDave]

Brine ready to cool:


Bird taking a bath:


Starting my butter medallions, 1 cube of butter, poultry seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt & pepper:

[NDKoze]

Looks like you are well on your way to an awesome turkey smoke. I love the butter medallion idea.

[DivotMaker]

Dave - I know you're no BBQ rookie, but 2 things kind of jump out at me on your plan.  First, you're brining before the bird is thawed.  You want to make sure it is completely thawed before smoking it!  Also, the size is pushing the limit of safety.  12-13 lbs is ideal, but up to 14 is even pushing it a bit.  The problem is the time the bird stays between 40° and 140°.  If the bird is too big, you risk growing some added "side items" you didn't plan on.  I think a 15 pounder will be alright, if you smoke at 250°, but I recommend trying to keep your turkeys 14 # and under.

One recommendation on the thaw - keep it in the bag, and thaw in cold water in the sink, changing the water every 30-min.  You can finish thawing one pretty quick, and that way it's completely thawed before taking a swim in the brine.

[SuperDave]

Sorry, it has been a super busy day so let's get caught up.

Start by breaking the skin membrane with your fingers and slide your hand as far forward on the breast as you can.  If your wife will help, her small hands come in handy here:


Slice seasoned butter that has beem chilled:


Slide seasoned butter under the skin:


Cavity filled with onion, carrots, celery and fresh poultry herbs and coated with rub:


In the box and ready to rock and roll:


My wood choices were apple, cherry and pecan.  Cook temp is 275 degrees, which took approximately 1:15 to hit program temp. 

[SuperDave]

Just pulled it and wrapping with foil for a short rest.

[SuperDave]

On the carving board:


And on the plate:


Served it with oven roasted vegetables and apple Waldorf salad.

[Barrel99]

Hey Dave,
 Looks fantastic. I am curious as to why you cooked the turkey in a pan and not just on the rack.

[SuperDave]

I smoke it the way I'd cook it in the oven.  Can you see the gallon of drippings in the pan, I love that for making smoked gravy.  Also, my chef's delight is getting to eat the carrots that have cooked in the juices at the bottom of the pan.  The results were most excellent for my first smoked turkey.  My adjustments to perfect will be very small. 

[BedouinBob]

Thanksgiving in January. What's not to like? 

[DivotMaker]

Nice job, Dave!  Looks terrific!

[Libohunden]

Dave, how do you make your gravy with the left over juices?  I'm planning on doing a smoke very similar to yours next weekend.

[SuperDave]

Dave, how do you make your gravy with the left over juices?  I'm planning on doing a smoke very similar to yours next weekend.

The same way as if you oven roasted it.  I skim as much fat off the top as possible, using a couple tablespoons for my rue or slurry, whichever you prefer, and then use a couple cups of the pan juices.  I like cornstarch over flour as a thickening agent.  When the gravy has thickened, I add just a couple drops of Kitchen Bouquet for color. 

[Limey]

Dave, looks great. I'm happy that somebody besides me cooks in a pan in these smokers. Saves a lot of cleanup and provides great pan juices. The prevailing wisdom is that you cannot use pans/sheet pans etc. I continue to experiment. Have had great and consistent results with poultry, less so with ribs. Will post once I have an opinion.

[Libohunden]

I'm curious on your butter.. when you say 1 cube do you mean 4 sticks?  Also, did you melt the butter or just let it get real soft in order to mix it and then put it back in the fridge?