Post by: 206 on November 19, 2012, 04:39:28 PM
Looking for a proven brine that is not too salty or complicated.
Post by: ShaneTyTrey on November 19, 2012, 04:46:44 PM
1 cup sugar
1 cup salt
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 tablespoon thyme
soak for 24 hours
Post by: WDFW Hates ME!!! on November 19, 2012, 09:22:10 PM
Every year i smoke a turkey and it is the first thing gone. What i do is simple. I remove the neck and jibblets from the cavity and I take a 5 gallon bucket and line it with 2 garbage bags (unscented) don't ask. I do this wednesday night.
I mix up 1 quart apple juice with 1 cup non-iodized salt, 1 cup brown sugar, and 1 cup white sugar until all is dissolved. Then put mix in bucket, put 1 more quart of apple juice in the mix. Drop in the turkey, and twist the garbage bag so the liquid covers the turkey.
Thursday morning i take the turkey out of the brine and rinse it. I stuff the cavity with apples, it will steam in the cavity and keep the bird moist.
I have never had any complaints.
Post by: deadwoodbuck on November 20, 2012, 07:50:33 AM
Post by: WCTaxidermy on November 20, 2012, 08:26:18 AM
I take a 5 gallon bucket and line it with 2 garbage bags (unscented) don't ask.
Don't need to ask, been there done that. :chuckle: :chuckle:
Post by: WDFW Hates ME!!! on November 20, 2012, 09:37:33 AM
Post by: dscubame on November 20, 2012, 09:54:45 AM
Oven baked turkey and two racks of baby backs on the Traeger this year.
Post by: 206 on November 20, 2012, 10:57:47 AM
INGREDIENTS:
2 quarts apple juice
1 pound brown sugar
1 cup kosher salt
3 oranges, quartered
4 ounces fresh ginger, thinly sliced
15 whole cloves
6 bay leaves
6 cloves garlic, crushed
14 pounds turkey
vegetable oil, for brushing turkey
DIRECTIONS:
In a large saucepan over high heat, bring apple juice, brown sugar, and salt to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt. Cook for 1 minute, remove from heat, and skim off the foam. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
In a 5 gallon plastic bucket or other container large enough to easily hold the turkey, combine 3 quarts of water, the oranges, ginger, cloves, bay leaves, and garlic. Add the apple juice mixture and stir.
Remove and discard the fat from the turkey cavity. Reserve the neck and giblets for another use. Rinse the turkey inside and out, drain, and submerge the turkey in the brine. If necessary, top with a heavy weight to be sure it is completely immersed. Refrigerate for 24 hours.
Follow the grill's instructions for using wood chips (soak chips in water for at least 30 minutes prior). Set up the grill for indirect cooking over medium heat.
Remove the turkey from the brine and pat with paper towels until very dry. Tie the legs together with cotton string. Lightly brush the turkey with vegetable oil, and place on a roasting rack set inside a heavy-gauge foil pan. Cook indirectly over medium heat. When the wings are golden brown, about 40 minutes, wrap them in aluminum foil to prevent them from burning. Brush the rest of the turkey with vegetable oil. When the turkey breasts are golden brown, about one hour, cover the turkey with aluminum foil to prevent the skin from getting too brown. The turkey is done when its juices run clear, the internal temperature is bout 180 degrees F, and the internal temperature of the breast is about 165 degrees F. Figure 12 to 14 minutes per pound.
Transfer the turkey to a cutting board or platter, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest 20 minutes before carving. The pan drippings may be used to make gravy.
http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/258/AppleBrinedAndHickorySmoke72871.shtml (http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/258/AppleBrinedAndHickorySmoke72871.shtml)
Post by: WDFW Hates ME!!! on November 20, 2012, 05:26:24 PM
I also pull the bird out of the smoker when it has reached temp and wrap it in foil, then towels and them put it in a cooler for an hour before i cut it. I tried to cut it straight out of the smoker the first time and it just crumbled. I let it rest an hour and never had that problem since.
Also make sure you put it into the smoker when the smoker is hot. And do not put it into the brine when the brine is warm. For safety reasons you need to keep everything very cold.
Post by: Blacklab on November 20, 2012, 05:37:49 PM
Post by: 206 on November 20, 2012, 06:06:24 PM
Temps? I smoked a lot of stuff in the past and 225 degrees is not good for everything.
I'm thinking keeping it above 250 for 6 hours for the 12 pound bird. Will have a probe in it, but will it get there? The smoke shack will probably ignite at 300.
Smoke? Again...., smoked a lot of stuff in the past and smoke don't penetrate into meat once the meat temp is 140 degrees. Read some on the net and the word was don't over smoke turkey and no details. I do salmon and 2 hours is all I give it. I'm thinking 4 hours light apple smoke and the remaining 2 none.
Any input is welcome. Thansk!
Post by: WDFW Hates ME!!! on November 20, 2012, 09:17:14 PM
I smoke at 185 for 3 hours of so, and i only use alder chips, they are my favorite, really is a lighter smoke flavor... Then i turn it up to 300 to finish it off. I don't use the pop up toy they put in birds either. I smoke it untill i get the internal breast to 165. Then i let it rest it gets up even higher, but 165 is what i shoot for.
I also baste it with butter...
I never like the dark meat as much as i do now. Man that is all i eat now out of my smoked turkey.
Post by: 206 on November 21, 2012, 09:16:16 AM
Thanks
Post by: Helix on November 21, 2012, 07:10:24 PM
place turkey in a 5 gallon pot
cover with oil
Set house on fire
Wait 5 minutes per pound
Remove pot from burned down house (use oven mits)
Smoked turkey:
Skip steps 1 and 2
Post by: Huntbear on November 21, 2012, 07:13:35 PM
Post by: Kc_Kracker on November 21, 2012, 08:21:41 PM
Post by: 206 on November 23, 2012, 09:32:17 AM
Cranked up the heat the last 45 minutes after the first 6.5 hours to finish. Pulled when breast was 165 and bird was very moist throughout after sitting in cooler for a half hour or so.
All the extras used in the brine are a waste of time. From now on salt, sugar, and water for a brine is all need.
No ham taste. Years ago I brined chickens for the smoker and I believe the brine included a meat cure. I think the meat cure creates a ham flavor.