12 lb. Brined Turkey for the holidays

[gregbooras]

Got a great deal on a 12 lb. bird, so tomorrow its turkey dinner. I put the bird in the brine this morning and remove this evening for tomorrows smoke.

Ingredients:
1 12 lb. Butterball turkey all natural (smoke 250 degrees)

Brine:
2.5 gallons water
2.5 cups kosher salt
2.5 T garlic powder
2.5 T onion powder
1 T Italian seasoning
1 cup orange juice
1.5 cup apple juice

Wood:
1.9 oz. apple
.49 oz. cherry

Stuffing (used for flavoring):
Apple cut up
Lemon
Sweet Onion cut up

Brine turkey for 12 hours, remove the turkey from the refrigerator, drain rinse and then pat dry. Coat with yellow mustard and sprinkle with poultry seasoning. Place back in the refrigerator until you are ready to smoke.

Best Greg

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[gregbooras]

Pulled the turkey out of the brine last night, rinsed and patted dry. Covered with mustard and then sprinkled with some poultry seasoning. Covered and back into the refrigerator until noon.


Best Greg

[SuperDave]

Greg, raised from the dead!  Good to see you post.  Nice looking bird.  We've got a couple extras rom Thanksgiving in the freezer waiting for smoker time. 

[gregbooras]

Greg, raised from the dead!  Good to see you post.  Nice looking bird.  We've got a couple extras rom Thanksgiving in the freezer waiting for smoker time.

I'm Back

I was going to add some brown sugar to the brine (DM's brine recipe) but forgot.... Oh well.

Best Greg

[DivotMaker]

How'd the bird turn out, Greg?

[gregbooras]

Well I would never had thought I would be posting this, but this was the worst bird I have ever done!

I bought the turkey at Costco and I noticed that when I put it in the brine the skin seemed tough, but I didn't think to much about it. But when I pulled this baby out of the smoker at 163 degrees there was little moisture. I cover the bird and let it rest for 20 minutes before slicing and I was surprised how dry the bird was.

Now I won't say it tasted bad, but it will make fine turkey soup, just glad I was not having guests over. Anyways, not sure where Costco got this bird, but maybe it was road kill

Best Greg

[SuperDave]

Greg, maybe it was frozen, thawed and re-frozen?  Or I've left them in the brine a little too long and the meat texture got a little rubbery. 

[gregbooras]

Greg, maybe it was frozen, thawed and re-frozen?  Or I've left them in the brine a little too long and the meat texture got a little rubbery.

Hey Dave,

I have not idea, like you I have been doing this for years...

Bad bird, bad bird........

The good news it that I used the leftovers for turkey soup and it was great.

Best Greg

[DivotMaker]

That IS a first, Greg!  I've smoked/cooked a lot of chickens and turkeys, and have never run into that!  Bet it was either old, or had maybe been thawed and refrozen.  I don't know either!  Sounds like you got the one-in-a-million bird!

[gregbooras]

That IS a first, Greg!  I've smoked/cooked a lot of chickens and turkeys, and have never run into that!  Bet it was either old, or had maybe been thawed and refrozen.  I don't know either!  Sounds like you got the one-in-a-million bird!

Dave,

I was shocked that the bird turned out like it did. But sh.. happens, it did make great turkey soup!

Best Greg