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Community => Butchering, Cooking, Recipes => Topic started by: Wea300mag on December 18, 2011, 07:20:01 PM

Title: Smoking a turkey (Cured)
Post by: Wea300mag on December 18, 2011, 07:20:01 PM: Has anyone ever used the low temp smoking process? Brine/cure turkey for 4 to 5 days in water with seasonings and instacure #1. Dry the turkey in smoker at 130 F for an hour, smoke at 140 F for several hours then raise smoker temp to 165 F until the turkey reaches 155 F. I have always smoked at a 225 F mainly due to fear of cooking poultry at the lower temp. I just put a turkey in my brine/cure bucket and plan to smoke at the lower temps this year. I'm curious to know others opinions of low temp smoking of turkey.
Title: Re: Smoking a turkey (Cured)
Post by: dogtuk on December 18, 2011, 09:07:49 PM: I have only done turkey at the higher temps for the same reasons you have I think you should inject it so it dont dry out to much good luck let us know how it turns out and that your still alive :-) J/K
according to Rytek you are doing right by the book and it should be fine you should inject the cure into the turkey
My experience with cured poultry is it always gives the bird a ham flavor
Title: Re: Smoking a turkey (Cured)
Post by: Wea300mag on December 18, 2011, 09:24:12 PM: Quote from: dogtuk on December 18, 2011, 09:07:49 PM
let us know how it turns out and that your still alive :-) J/K

Haha, thanks Huey. I think Bucky Covington best describes my up-bringing, I should be just fine. :chuckle:

Quote
We were born to mothers who smoked and drank
Our cribs were covered in lead based paint
No child proof lids no seat belts in cars
Rode bikes with no helmets and still here we are, still here we are
We got daddy’s belt when we misbehaved
Had three TV channels you got up to change
No video games and no satellite
All we had were friends and they were outside, playin’ outside

No bottled water, we drank from a garden hose
And every Sunday, all the stores were closed
Title: Re: Smoking a turkey (Cured)
Post by: Blacklab on December 19, 2011, 06:33:49 AM: :yeah: :brew:

Same here brined 24 hrs then smoked at around 250.
Title: Re: Smoking a turkey (Cured)
Post by: rasbo on December 19, 2011, 06:42:08 AM: me also brine it and smoke it at 250,it is great on wild turkey also..
Title: Re: Smoking a turkey (Cured)
Post by: Wea300mag on December 26, 2011, 07:56:06 PM: Just to follow up on this thread. I smoked the turkey as planned. I did take it up to 158 F internal temp. Total smoker time was 13 hours. It looked, smelt, and tasted great. It was by far the most moist turkey I've ever had, ever better than deep frying.

As dogtuk suggested, the dark meat did have a slight ham flavor but the turkey flavor dominated. The breast meat was all turkey flavor. It was much less salty than ham.

This will be my new preffered way to prepare turkey from now on. I plan to get several turkey breasts the next time I find them on sale and do a large batch of them and vacuum pack them for quick meals/lunchmeat. :drool:
Title: Re: Smoking a turkey (Cured)
Post by: dogtuk on December 26, 2011, 08:01:49 PM: Looks Great Dan you sure have a great looking smoker what you got for heat in that thing propane or electric?
Title: Re: Smoking a turkey (Cured)
Post by: Wea300mag on December 26, 2011, 08:06:30 PM: I'm still using propane Huey, I haven't converted it over to electric yet.

After hundreds and hundreds of pounds of sausages, buckboard bacon, and ham, the internal walls are well seasoned. :chuckle:
Title: Re: Smoking a turkey (Cured)
Post by: WCTaxidermy on December 26, 2011, 08:31:28 PM: Now that looks and sounds great. I might have to try that recipe. That is one nice looking smoker. What does the outside look like? thanks.........John
Title: Re: Smoking a turkey (Cured)
Post by: Wea300mag on December 26, 2011, 09:17:49 PM: Quote from: WCTaxidermy on December 26, 2011, 08:31:28 PM
Now that looks and sounds great. I might have to try that recipe. That is one nice looking smoker. What does the outside look like? thanks.........John

John, here the info on the smoker.

http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,63501.0.html (http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,63501.0.html)
Title: Re: Smoking a turkey (Cured)
Post by: deadyote on December 27, 2011, 02:37:25 AM: My Dad and I smoke turkeys for our friends for Christmas presents. He has been doing that for about 30 years. I have always helped, but the last 10 years I have been giving them as gifts as well. This year, we smoked 45 birds, which is less than we normally do. We brine them over night (12-14 hours) and then smoke them at about 200 degrees until they hit the 165 mark and pull them out. We haven't had any complaints, yet. We start on a Thursday night and are done buy Saturday night.

We built a smoke house that can do ~ 35 birds at a time, so we have to do two batches. It is an awesome tradition my Dad started. I don't get into the Christmas mood until the smoke starts. That smell reminds me of Christmas every time. Plus it is just fun to hang out with my Dad for 3 straight days and my 3 little boys are starting to help out too, which makes it fun. 3 generations of smoking turkeys is pretty cool.