GMG Smoked turkey help!!!????

[CoryTDF]

Ok guys I know this is beat to death buuuuuuut........ I have done nothing but read smoking turkey recipes for the past week and my head is spinning. I think I’m over thinking it. I have a GMG DB. I am smoking two 13lb. Birds. Of the million recipes that i have seen I decided to kinda mix up a few of them as far as the ingredients go but use the same cook time for both birds as they will be in at the same time. I'm using the recipe that is on the GMG site that calls for smoking temp of 185 for 8 hours and then bumping it up to 275 for 10-12 min per pound after that. The problem that i see is that this is the ONLY recipe that I can find that has temps and times like this. I have followed a few of the other GMG recipes with great success but this one makes me nervous as I had to put it in before i left for work. i'll get off at the 8 hour mark and be able to do the flipping and temp bump then. The question is this. Has anybody ever done a turkey like this? Any advice??

[boneaddict]

I tried my first one last week.   15 pounds.   It was at 250 for 6 hours.  7 would have been perfect I think.   I had to leave to go to soccer for 3 hours.   I had to choose, shoe leather or raw.  I turned it way low for 3 hours.  It worked out just fine.   It forms a seal from the smoke and such and held the moisture in the meat.     Complete newbie myself but that was my experience.

[olsy]

I smoked a turkey for the first time this week as well.  13b turkey took just under 6 hours smoked right around 245 degrees.  I will for sure be doing this again, turned out great.

[lamrith]

I have not done a turkey per the GMG site.  I know some people question cooking poultry that long and slow..  My 1st in a pellet grill was 2 days ago.  Turned out ok, though visually not great.  skin was black looking not golden, and split in 2 places.

I ran 180 for 1.5hrs, then full std 325* like in an oven.  I also used a supplemental smoke device, but next time I probably will not.  One family member said it had to much smoke.  I brined 12hrs before also, cooked to 165* internal.  Meat was excellent.  Mine was a 20#.

[Halo]

I did another turkey in my Traeger this year. I started out with a 22 pound bird at 325 and after an hour I figured it was cooking too fast for my schedule and I turned it down to smoke, (180) for a couple hours then back up to 325. Turned out awesome, good 1/2" smoke ring, tender, juicy, golden brown and delicious. I think I will do it the same way next time.

[CoryTDF]

I have not done a turkey per the GMG site.  I know some people question cooking poultry that long and slow..  My 1st in a pellet grill was 2 days ago.  Turned out ok, though visually not great.  skin was black looking not golden, and split in 2 places.

I ran 180 for 1.5hrs, then full std 325* like in an oven.  I also used a supplemental smoke device, but next time I probably will not.  One family member said it had to much smoke.  I brined 12hrs before also, cooked to 165* internal.  Meat was excellent.  Mine was a 20#.

Mine is in the smoker now. I used an AMAZIN 12'' smoke tube as well. I am so nervous that this is going to be a disaster. O well wont know till I try it I guess. I did cover it with foil for the fist hour as they say that will help with the sooting. been on since 5 so i'll be calling the wife for an update shortly.

[butcher98951]

Make sure the turkey is dry to the touch, and you will not get the dark color and cracked skin.
You can run one temp 225-275
at 275 and a 19 pound turkey you are looking at about 5.5hrs (18 minutes a pound)
at 225 and a 19 pound you are looking at about 9.5 hours (30 minutes per pound)
we used to smoked hundreds of birds for the holiday seasons and would run our smoker at 275 for average weight birds and it would take around 5.5hours.
also to much smoke will make the meat taste bitter.
Good luck.

[lamrith]

Thanks butcher!  My turkey was not 100% dry to the touch, so maybe that was the problem.  Guess I HAVE to try again and see right? 

[butcher98951]

yep try again whats the worst that will happen you have to eat it.

[boneaddict]

Make sure the turkey is dry to the touch, and you will not get the dark color and cracked skin.
You can run one temp 225-275
at 275 and a 19 pound turkey you are looking at about 5.5hrs (18 minutes a pound)
at 225 and a 19 pound you are looking at about 9.5 hours (30 minutes per pound)
we used to smoked hundreds of birds for the holiday seasons and would run our smoker at 275 for average weight birds and it would take around 5.5hours.
also to much smoke will make the meat taste bitter.
Good luck.

DANG, I should have asked you.  It would have saved me a lot of anxiety.     Thanks for the info

[butcher98951]

 
any help you need with smoking we got you taking care of, countless hours and very late nights when we had our custom smoke shop.

[lamrith]

flavor on this one I think was great and juicey.  We had to have one person on dam duty to keep the juices from  running onto floor.  Bad thing is I had to add lot of water to pan for drippings and the bird was holding it all in!

One word of caution, I roasted a bird a year ago, used some bbq rub (paprika, etc), DON'T do that if you plan to use drippings for gravy.  The spices and rub really altered the gravy and made it not usable.

[CoryTDF]

Ok just took temps in the thigh and one bird is at 135 the other is as 120 just at the 4 hour mark. I'm sure the breast is at least that as it is breast down in the pan as per the instructions. I brined both birds so I think i have a little wiggle room on the 4 to 140 rule. Going to have the wife take temps again in one hour when she sprays apple juice.

[mossy8352]

We have done a few in our Traeger with excellent results but I use a remote temperature probe and go by the internal temperature only (same with a great Prime rib this year). I start on smoke for two hours and then on to 225 until the bird is at the right temperature (we do not like the skin anymore) I also inject apple juice after the brine.

[Blacklab]

Brine 24 hrs pat dry set smoker 250-275. Pull when I T is 165 wrap in tinfoil for 30 mins, Amen dig in