1st WSM turkey smoke


 
T

tmfast

TVWBB Super Fan
Hey all,
Getting ready to smoke my 1st turkey on a new WSM, did 2 on a brinkman before, turned out better than I though. Got it brining since Wednesday night. Just looking for some advise. How long should a 12 lb turkey take? What is the best temperature. Should I tie the legs together, or let em flop out to the side.
I got all kinds of time if slower & lower is better. Gonna burn some apple wood. Should I rub some oil on it or not.
Basically, what would be the BEST way to carry on with this (etc: time, vents, and temperature).
 
I usually give the skin a light brush with oil, but it's probably a throwback from doing them in the oven. You can do turkey low and slow, but there's really no point in it-- no fat or connective tissue to speak of to render or break down like a butt or brisket. So why wait? Turkey can really soak up the smoke, so less wood is advisable. I try to hit between 325 and 350° for most of the cook-- a 12-pounder should take around 3½ hours at those temps. Fill up the charcoal ring and get it going good before assembling the cooker. Your vents will likely be wide open the entire cook-- crack the door a bit if you can't get over 300. Leave the legs untrussed-- it looks less elegant, but it assures the heat can circulate around the often troublesome thigh joint. Foiling the wingtips and leg ends will help.
 
Thanks Doug,
3 1/2 hrs just sounds pretty fast. My prior smokes on the ECB took about 7 hrs. The dark meat seemed to have more smoke penitration than the white. I got time, lots of time, and am in no hurry. I would like to get a good thorough smoke through out the bird.
 
The thing you have to consider is that we're not really smoking so much as we are barbecuing in the WSM-- cooking indirect over wood coals with the addition of smokewoods for flavor. In the case of poultry at 325-350°, we're "smoke roasting". Smoke doesn't really absorb into the meats we are cooking in this fashion-- it's merely being deposited on the meat. Cooking poultry low and slow risks two things-- drying out the meat by cooking too long at too low a temp, and allowing it to spend too much time in the "danger zone" between 40 and 140°F, where bacteria can produce the toxins that cause food-borne illness.
 
I cook all my Turkeys and Chicken in the hot zone. 350+ and like Doug said why wait. If you do it low and slow without it being brined or pumped you run the risk of it turning out dry. If it does come out dry then just make turkey sald out of it.
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And yes be carefull on the smoke wood. A little goes along way with poultry.
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the fact you've been brining since wednesday virtually guarantees you a moist bird. i cook mine in the hot zone and go easy on the smoke wood. if you use cherry the skins get a nice color to it.
 
Hey Rick,
Thanks for the pics. All looks like your a pro Just finished mine. Average temp 220 @ 7 hours. Was brined for 2 1/2 days. Turned out great. Pink through out the bird. That apple brine sounds pretty good. How do you make it?
 
Tmfast,

If you haven't checked out the cooking section yet, here it is. This is where the apple brined turkey recipe can be found also. Lots of great stuff on these pages.

Cooking Section

Enjoy!

Josh
 
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