Post-Thanksgiving Smoked Turkey

[SpottedCow]

Just want to let you know Im doing a 12.25 pounder this weekend and Ive got it sitting in your brine right how. Very similar to my typical poultry brine except you don't add sugar and thyme.

1 cup kosher salt to 2 gallons water. My bird is 8% injected but after doing some research I found that quite a few people use that same salt ratio with birds already pre-injected with that amount or more. Its going to be sitting in the brine around 48 hours so I hope Im alright in that regard.

Ill let you know how it turns out.

Kevin

 

[SconnieQ]

Hey Spotted Cow! Knew from your handle that you had to be from Wisconsin. I have been brining pre-injected turkeys for 15+ years, and have never ONCE had a turkey turn out too salty. I worried about it many times...that's what everyone says...it will be too salty...but never is. I don't know if there is really not that much sodium in the pre-injections in relation to the full mass of the bird, or if it doesn't really distribute through the meat, or both. It's all about achieving equilibrium anyway. And I wonder if the pre-injections are really more about adding water/weight, so the turkey will cost more.

 

[SpottedCow]

Hey Spotted Cow! Knew from your handle that you had to be from Wisconsin. I have been brining pre-injected turkeys for 15+ years, and have never ONCE had a turkey turn out too salty. I worried about it many times...that's what everyone says...it will be too salty...but never is. I don't know if there is really not that much sodium in the pre-injections in relation to the full mass of the bird, or if it doesn't really distribute through the meat, or both. It's all about achieving equilibrium anyway. And I wonder if the pre-injections are
really more about adding water/weight, so the turkey will cost more.

Absolutely 8) born and raised. I actually bow hunt pretty close to madtown....over in Rio but Im from the Fox Valley. I think you're spot on about the salt content. Other forums have said that the injection is saltier than any brine you're going to make so if anything it evens out the salt content in the bird. This one was free from work last year but given that my wife had purchased a 20lb giant already, this one has been sitting in the deep freeze ever since.

Pulled it out and had it sitting in the fridge since Monday and Ive used almost this exact method before for whole chickens so Im expecting some good results.

Kevin

 

[DivotMaker]

my wife had purchased a 20lb giant already, this one has been sitting in the deep freeze ever since.

Pulled it out and had it sitting in the fridge since Monday and Ive used almost this exact method before for whole chickens so Im expecting some good results.

Kevin

WAY too big for the smoker, Kevin, unless you are smoking in a bypassed unit higher than 250.  Otherwise, put that behemoth in the oven...NOT safe to smoke a turkey that large at low temp.  Way too much time in the "danger zone," between 40 and 140°.  About 14 lbs is the MAX you can safely smoke at low temp.

 

[SconnieQ]

my wife had purchased a 20lb giant already, this one has been sitting in the deep freeze ever since.

Pulled it out and had it sitting in the fridge since Monday and Ive used almost this exact method before for whole chickens so Im expecting some good results.

Kevin

WAY too big for the smoker, Kevin, unless you are smoking in a bypassed unit higher than 250.  Otherwise, put that behemoth in the oven...NOT safe to smoke a turkey that large at low temp.  Way too much time in the "danger zone," between 40 and 140°.  About 14 lbs is the MAX you can safely smoke at low temp.

I think the turkey Kevin speaks of putting on the smoker this weekend is the 12.25 lb one he mentioned in the previous post from 10/22? That size is perfect. The 20 lb one would be too large, but I don't think that is the one Kevin was putting on the smoker.

 

[SpottedCow]

Yup 12 pounder is going in the smoker. The 20# I mentioned was Thanksgiving last year (oven).

 

[DivotMaker]

:-[  Sorry guys...missed the post about the 12 pounder.  Got distracted by the 20 lb bird!  That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!

 

[SconnieQ]

:-[  Sorry guys...missed the post about the 12 pounder.  Got distracted by the 20 lb bird!  That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!

You were hyp..mo..tized!

 

[DivotMaker]

That's it, Kari!  Actually, I was grieving that our Pack is taking a week off, and was blinded by the depression.

 

[SconnieQ]

That's it, Kari!  Actually, I was grieving that our Pack is taking a week off, and was blinded by the depression.

The bye is always a weekend for me to get some things done. Can't do anything other than football, and football related activities and football food on Packer Sundays! ;D

 

[Booray]

I don't have an auber, so can I smoke at 250?

 

[DivotMaker]

I don't have an auber, so can I smoke at 250?

You bet!

 

[Booray]

How much time do you think it would add?

 

[DivotMaker]

How much time do you think it would add?

I always smoke turkeys at 250, but tried 275 on this one.  I've tried the higher temps since then, but have decided I like 250.  It should only add about 30 minutes (in reference to this smoke).  I usually count on 4 - 4.5 hours for a bird this size.

 

[pugs]

13 hours in, I removed the turkey and rinsed it well.  It then sat on a rack in the fridge, uncovered, for the next 4 hours.  I filled the cavity with chopped onion, celery and carrots, rubbed with olive oil and McCormick's Roasting Rub.

I know this is an older post but just wondering if the McCormick's Roasting Rub is still an available product.  I searched their website for it(which is not the greatest) and came up empty.

 

[DivotMaker]

Not sure if McCormick's still makes the roasting rub, Marty...I haven't seen it lately, either!  I have a big bottle of Lawry's Chicken & Poultry Rub I bought at Sam's, and it works great, too!  Any poultry rub that has the "Thanksgiving" ingredients, like sage/Rosemary/thyme, will be great!