Hey there everybody, been a while since I've been on the forum, good to see the community is still nice and active.
Considering the success of basically everything else I've been smoking in the SI #2 (thank you to the forum specifically for this, you're help has been invaluable) my wife has trusted me with Thanksgiving turkey this year. Below is my plan, please let me know if you have any feedback on any obvious issues or miscalculations.
Brine recipe
- 1/2c kosher salt (halved so I can brine overnight with the 8% solution bird)
- 1c brown sugar
- 1g water
My chicken rub (a variation / combination of rubs I found on the forum)
- 1/2 Cup paprika
- 1/4 Cup lemon pepper
- 1/4 Cup brown sugar
- 3 Tbsp kosher salt
- 3 Tbsp garlic powder
- 2 Tbsp onion powder
- 1 Tbsp dried oregano
- 1 Tsp dried mustard
- 1 Tsp dried thyme
- 1 Tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 Tsp cumin
The turkey is a 14lb whole frozen turkey with 8% solution.
Process / plan
- Thaw turkey (giving it 4 days in the garage, we're barely hitting a high of 40 degrees lately)
- Brine overnight (updated to reflect the lower salt solution brine)
- Rinse thoroughly, pat dry inside and out
- Rub inside cavity with olive oil and dry rub
- Stuff with mire poix (even parts celery, onion, carrot, green apple)
- Rub skin with olive oil and dry rub
- Place breast up in large foil casserole pan, but raised off the bottom just slightly with a rack topped with smoker mesh (so I can catch drippings while still allowing full air circulation around the bird)
- Put a water tray next to the fire box, probably just use water and no more spices or seasoning liquid
- Put ~2oz hickory and ~2oz cherry wood in the fire box
- Set Auber to 250 until IT of breast reaches 165 (updated from 225 per recommendation)
- Tent the turkey and place back in smoker at 120 degrees to hold until ready to carve (won't be more than an hour or two)
- When we're ready to eat I'll set the mire poix and any additional drippings/trimmings to the side for stock
- Carve and serve
Specific questions
- Is 4hrs brine about right for a turkey which is already 8% from the store?
- I've had great success at 225 with chicken so figured I'd do the same for turkey, but I've seen people cook as hot as 275, is 225 too low and a waste of time?
- Does ~6hrs sound about right for a 14lb turkey at 225? I figure if it is going too long I can always crank up the heat at the end and speed things up a bit.
- Is there any use for the mire poix after cooking or is it a health risk due to the low temp and needs to be discarded?
Thanks in advance for any feedback, I think I've got this one figured out but it can't hurt to get some feedback.
As usual I'll treat this as a diary and take pictures of the progress and final product. Once all done and I know what I did right/wrong I'll post up a link to this thread in the sticky. Being we're doing Thanksgiving a week early at our place, it'll be good reference material before everybody else does their smokes.
Considering the success of basically everything else I've been smoking in the SI #2 (thank you to the forum specifically for this, you're help has been invaluable) my wife has trusted me with Thanksgiving turkey this year. Below is my plan, please let me know if you have any feedback on any obvious issues or miscalculations.
Brine recipe
- 1/2c kosher salt (halved so I can brine overnight with the 8% solution bird)
- 1c brown sugar
- 1g water
My chicken rub (a variation / combination of rubs I found on the forum)
- 1/2 Cup paprika
- 1/4 Cup lemon pepper
- 1/4 Cup brown sugar
- 3 Tbsp kosher salt
- 3 Tbsp garlic powder
- 2 Tbsp onion powder
- 1 Tbsp dried oregano
- 1 Tsp dried mustard
- 1 Tsp dried thyme
- 1 Tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 Tsp cumin
The turkey is a 14lb whole frozen turkey with 8% solution.
Process / plan
- Thaw turkey (giving it 4 days in the garage, we're barely hitting a high of 40 degrees lately)
- Brine overnight (updated to reflect the lower salt solution brine)
- Rinse thoroughly, pat dry inside and out
- Rub inside cavity with olive oil and dry rub
- Stuff with mire poix (even parts celery, onion, carrot, green apple)
- Rub skin with olive oil and dry rub
- Place breast up in large foil casserole pan, but raised off the bottom just slightly with a rack topped with smoker mesh (so I can catch drippings while still allowing full air circulation around the bird)
- Put a water tray next to the fire box, probably just use water and no more spices or seasoning liquid
- Put ~2oz hickory and ~2oz cherry wood in the fire box
- Set Auber to 250 until IT of breast reaches 165 (updated from 225 per recommendation)
- Tent the turkey and place back in smoker at 120 degrees to hold until ready to carve (won't be more than an hour or two)
- When we're ready to eat I'll set the mire poix and any additional drippings/trimmings to the side for stock
- Carve and serve
Specific questions
- Is 4hrs brine about right for a turkey which is already 8% from the store?
- I've had great success at 225 with chicken so figured I'd do the same for turkey, but I've seen people cook as hot as 275, is 225 too low and a waste of time?
- Does ~6hrs sound about right for a 14lb turkey at 225? I figure if it is going too long I can always crank up the heat at the end and speed things up a bit.
- Is there any use for the mire poix after cooking or is it a health risk due to the low temp and needs to be discarded?
Thanks in advance for any feedback, I think I've got this one figured out but it can't hurt to get some feedback.
As usual I'll treat this as a diary and take pictures of the progress and final product. Once all done and I know what I did right/wrong I'll post up a link to this thread in the sticky. Being we're doing Thanksgiving a week early at our place, it'll be good reference material before everybody else does their smokes.