# Smoking a turkey



## mario8402 (Apr 15, 2010)

Thinking about smoking a turkey on one of my days off coming up. any tips? plan to inject it and then rub it down with some poultry seasoning. any temp advice, wood slection, placement etc?


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## SetDaHook (Oct 21, 2010)

I've done it exactly that way several times and turned out fantastic. I always set mine breast side down for the first hour, then put in an aluminum pan breast side up and away from the direct heat for the remainder. Temp is usually about 275 to 300. I generally use pecan wood and cover the bird with foil for the last couple of hours to keep the skin from turning too dark. I baste with a mopping sauce and I stuff with onions, herbs and maybe an apple.


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## redspeck (Jul 3, 2012)

Im thinking of smoking one too. My temp will stay around 200-225. How long should I smoke it per pound? I also will inject it with my own butter and spices. I will place it in a baking foil pan with no cover first, Thinking 2 hours. Then place foil around top to cover turkey. How much more time should I leave it in the smoker?


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## kweber (Sep 20, 2005)

been using an old Brinkman water smoker for years. slightly modified to make access to the waterpan and charcoal easier.
we just stuff the cavities w/onion, celery and apple, rub w/olive oil, s&p and put it on for about 10hrs.
refil the water pan as needed and add some charcoal about half way thru.


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## Muddskipper (Dec 29, 2004)

I just got tapped to do a 10- 12lber. ... 

I need any basic details ... 

wood
seasons
time & temp

thx


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## stdreb27 (Aug 15, 2011)

I stuff the turkey with garlic onion and lemons. Rub with salt and pepper. Put it in a pan with a smudge of water breast down. And smoke till done around 225-250 ish.


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## kweber (Sep 20, 2005)

Muddskipper said:


> I just got tapped to do a 10- 12lber. ...
> 
> I need any basic details ...
> 
> ...


all above coments are good...
most important, IMO, is to keep a water pan under the bird.
the humidity will keep the bird moist.
turkey will dry out easy in a dry oven or smoker.


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## Gfish (Aug 31, 2009)

I do mine at about 100-150 degrees with mesquite for 14-16 hours. They come out so juicy.


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## Muddskipper (Dec 29, 2004)

Muddskipper said:


> ...I need any basic details ...
> wood
> seasons
> time & temp...


I'm using the Weber upright smoker .... will the water in the bowl be OK?

Or will I need to use a pan as well?


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## redspeck (Jul 3, 2012)

So do you think if you smoke for a couple hours, then wrap it for some more time would keep the moist


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## mario8402 (Apr 15, 2010)

Ill probably use a combo of oak with a few pieces of pecan mixed
Im thinking i will inject with creole butter, rub with lawrys poultry seasoning and put directy on the grates on the far end at 225-250. maybe half way or 3 quarters wrap in foil and let it finish from there. should I put it in a pan to start off with to catch the juices or does this not help? does this sound like a good plan?

I have a chargriller pit so I flip the ash tray around to act as a baffle.


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## Brian10 (Sep 6, 2007)

I like to brine my turkey first, then add more seasoning and then smoke it. This is my favorite site for smoking foods: http://www.virtualweberbullet.com. All the recipes and principles apply regardless of your smoker type.


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## atcNick (Apr 7, 2005)

Brine your turkey. Google Alton brown turkey brine. Smoke at 350 til 170 in the leg/thigh joint. If the skin starts to get too dark then tent it wit foil.

225 for a turkey is crazy


-Nick


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## txbassnaholic (Oct 18, 2012)

whatever the temperature you are cooking at, use a "good" thermometer to ensure you get to 180 degrees, then its done. at some point wrap it to keep it moist. I usually smoke it three or four hours then wrap it...play with it and you'll find what you like..


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## MissingSTexas (Oct 3, 2007)

atcNick said:


> Brine your turkey. Google Alton brown turkey brine. Smoke at 350 til 170 in the leg/thigh joint. If the skin starts to get too dark then tent it wit foil.
> 
> 225 for a turkey is crazy
> 
> -Nick


X2- I used his brine last year for Christmas and it came out great. I did a 15lb bird and brined it for just over 2 days, and the dogs were mad at us because we picked it too clean!


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## kweber (Sep 20, 2005)

Muddskipper said:


> I'm using the Weber upright smoker .... will the water in the bowl be OK?
> 
> Or will I need to use a pan as well?


water in bowl/pan under bird... over heat source...

if I have time, I may do the brine and/or injection thing... never have done either before and the bird was always exellant...


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## Hotrod (Oct 11, 2006)

The best temperature to remove the turkey for perfectly cooked white meat is 155-160 degrees breast temperature. Be certain that the thermometer does not touch bone or the results will be inaccurate.  For perfectly cooked dark meat, add an additional 10 degrees, but you will be slightly sacrificing the quality of the white meat. At 180 degrees, the white meat will be overcooked.

http://www.cooks.com/rec/story/66/


4-8 pounds 325 degrees F 
2 - 3 hours 160 - 170

8-12 pounds 325 degrees F 
3 - 4 hours 160 - 170

12 - 16 pounds 325 degrees F 
4 - 5 hours 160 - 170

16 - 20 pounds 325 degrees F 
5 - 6 hours 160 - 170

20 - 24 pounds 325 degrees F 
6 - 7 hours 160 - 170 

*Whole Turkey* *Oven Temperature* *Cooking Time (hours)* *Temp*


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## Flatfisher6187 (Jun 21, 2007)

I smoked one Saturday. Soaked it in Applejuice for an hour or so then injected it with Stubbs chipotle butter and put it on the pit at around 200-225 degrees with a mix of mesquite and apple wood. Cooked it for about 6.5 hours (30 minutes per pound) and wrapped it in foil after about 4 hours. By far the best turkey I have ever eaten.


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## Gnfishin (Mar 20, 2006)

I cooked up a brine last night a la pioneer woman. last year I fried the bird after her brine but intend to smoke this year, i have bought three bags of apple wood chunks for smoking and included three apples in the brine. i like the idea of 300 to 325 degrees to speed it up a bit and avoid the drying out. was planning on a metal pan in the smoker and thought about pouring some chicken broth in the pan to help the moisture, or would ya"ll think separate pan.


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## mario8402 (Apr 15, 2010)

I did mine today.
injected with cajun injector creole butter, rubbed with beer can chicken rub from mccormick (I think) put a quartered lemon and quartered apple in the cavity and put apple juice in the pan. put the turkey in the pan and straight on the grill for 6hrs @ 225-250 using mostly oak with some pecan mixed in. charcoal bed with lump coal added in to keep the heat up. wrapped in foil at 3hrs to keep from getting to dark and unwrapped last hour. came out pretty moist; it was good


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## Dos_Curados (Oct 31, 2012)

i recommend brine to add some flavor and help prevent a dry turkey. i tried a new recipe for a cajun flavor on some turkey drums last saturday and they were a home run. 

1 gal water
1 cup kosher salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 TBS garlic powder
2 TBS onion powder
2 TBS red pepper flakes
2 TBS tony chacheres
2 TBS tabasco sauce
1 TBS poultry seasoning

mix all together bring to a boil then let it cool and place in fridge until cold. add turkey legs brine them for ~12 hours stiring occassionally then remove and wash off with cold water. brush on olive oil and lightly sprinkle on more tonys and smoke. i would do this for a turkey too just have to increase the brine volume for the turkey size.


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## MikeS2942 (Mar 5, 2010)

I am doing one today, a 12 lb bird for 8 hours at 250 or until done. I actually make a garlic butter sauce to baste the bird in order to keep it moist, it works well. I usually cover mine after about 2 hours after it has had time to get the smoke flavor into the meat.

I started mine this morning at 4:00 am, I just came in from covering the bird and the ham. I use pecan and a mix of mesquite wood, the pecan gives it a sweet flavor and I also like the mesquite wood so I add about 1/3 of it during the first couple of hours..

Good Luck


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## peckerwood (Jun 9, 2012)

Smoked 2 turkey breast yesterday evening.Put-em in a large foil pan and smoked around 275 for 2 hrs.,wrapped and cooked 3 hrs.,and smoked uncovered for maybe 45 minutes.I used pear wood with the bark knocked off.I got real good color and is way tender.I'm happy!


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## MikeS2942 (Mar 5, 2010)

Well mine was suppose to take 8-hours, I am not sure what happened since the temperature never got over 200. By 8:30 the turkey and the ham were both done. I taste tested the turkey and the garlic basting that I put over the bird cooked into the meat along with the pecan smoke flavor. 

It tastes great.


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## FishBurd27 (Sep 18, 2012)

*Wwooooww!!!*

I have yet to see the best way to tell if a bird is done yet on this whole thread hwell:. As long as you never get your temp over about 300+ for any decent period of time here's how to tell:

"when you can twist the leg and the joint just opens up or you can easily twists the bone (when you can feel the ligaments have become tender. Its done. I've never used a thermometer in my entire life for a bird, always used this, and has never failed. Ever, always perfectly done"


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## crawdaddct (Sep 14, 2011)

FishBurd27 said:


> "when you can twist the leg and the joint just opens up or you can easily twists the bone (when you can feel the ligaments have become tender. Its done. I've never used a thermometer in my entire life for a bird, always used this, and has never failed. Ever, always perfectly done"


I do that with chickens, never tried with turkey. thanks


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