Dennis Fraley
TVWBB Super Fan
I smoked a whole and half breast yesterday morning and it came out great! The guests all loved it and it was all gone halfway thru the night. Now my inlaw's want me to cook the turkey on thanksgiving this year.
The whole breast was enhanced with up to 12% solution containing salt, sugar, turkey broth among some other stuff. But I decided to brine it anyway. I brined both in 2 quarts of apple juice, 3 quarts of water, 1 cup kochser salt, 1 cup brown sugar, and about a 1/2 tsp vanila extract, and about 1/3 cup of honey. Flavor wise you could not tell the difference between the enhanced breast and the non enhanced half breast after cooking. There was no hammy or to salty flavor at all. I did rinse really good with cold water inside and out to make sure I got all the brine washed off the surface though. And I only brined them for about 17 hours.
I was planning on cooking at a higher temp to give my self enough time. But I could not get the smoker to get above 220f top rack. And it took a while just to get there. I fired it up standard method. One full chimney of lit and one whole chimney of unlit on top of that. Then waited till the top coals started getting a coat of ash on them. Then threw the turkey on and added the apple wood chunks. It was a little cooler out here yesterday, rainy, and windy. I'm sure that had something to do with the low temps. I had the water pan empty as well. And the vents were all the way open but the temps would not go any higher. Oh well I just cooked it like that.
But I think this was the best I've made so far. And it only took around 2 to 3 hours to cook. Took them off seperatly cause they did'nt get done at the same time, which is a given. Foiled both peices and let them sit for about a half an hour before carving. Then sliced and put in some gravy for sandwiches. The gravy was canned turkey gravy mixed with some seasonings, and drippings from the turkey. There it sat in the slow cooker on low for about 2 or 3 hours before we ate.
Wow was it good! Nice and sweet flavor and a nice sweet smoke flavor as well. Everyone loved it. They could'nt stop talking about it. I threw a lot more smoke then I usaully do when cooking turkey but it came out good. I'm thinking in the past I have'nt been using enough wood.
The whole breast was enhanced with up to 12% solution containing salt, sugar, turkey broth among some other stuff. But I decided to brine it anyway. I brined both in 2 quarts of apple juice, 3 quarts of water, 1 cup kochser salt, 1 cup brown sugar, and about a 1/2 tsp vanila extract, and about 1/3 cup of honey. Flavor wise you could not tell the difference between the enhanced breast and the non enhanced half breast after cooking. There was no hammy or to salty flavor at all. I did rinse really good with cold water inside and out to make sure I got all the brine washed off the surface though. And I only brined them for about 17 hours.
I was planning on cooking at a higher temp to give my self enough time. But I could not get the smoker to get above 220f top rack. And it took a while just to get there. I fired it up standard method. One full chimney of lit and one whole chimney of unlit on top of that. Then waited till the top coals started getting a coat of ash on them. Then threw the turkey on and added the apple wood chunks. It was a little cooler out here yesterday, rainy, and windy. I'm sure that had something to do with the low temps. I had the water pan empty as well. And the vents were all the way open but the temps would not go any higher. Oh well I just cooked it like that.
But I think this was the best I've made so far. And it only took around 2 to 3 hours to cook. Took them off seperatly cause they did'nt get done at the same time, which is a given. Foiled both peices and let them sit for about a half an hour before carving. Then sliced and put in some gravy for sandwiches. The gravy was canned turkey gravy mixed with some seasonings, and drippings from the turkey. There it sat in the slow cooker on low for about 2 or 3 hours before we ate.
Wow was it good! Nice and sweet flavor and a nice sweet smoke flavor as well. Everyone loved it. They could'nt stop talking about it. I threw a lot more smoke then I usaully do when cooking turkey but it came out good. I'm thinking in the past I have'nt been using enough wood.