Smoking Meat Questions and Discussion

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snowcraig2.0

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Feels like it won’t take that long. I’m gonna budget 5 hours for 16 lber. On the pit at 6am, off at 11, rest, and eat around noon. Thought I had a 19 lber but like everything in my life, my meat wasn’t quite as big as I thought it was.
Everything I see online says 30 or 40 min per pound at 225? You don't think so?
 
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MLawrence

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Everything I see online says 30 or 40 min per pound at 225? You don't think so?

I say this as someone who has little/no experience smoking turkeys, but I personally think 225 is too low to cook turkey for a couple of different reasons:

1. I would worry about the texture of the skin being too rubbery during a low and slow cook.
2. I don't think a turkey would have the fat content to sustain that long of a cooking a process.

The videos that I have been watching have the temperatures at least 275 (Aaron Franklin, How To BBQ Right, Chuds BBQ) . For me, I think I am going to run my smoker at between 300-325 but wouldn't bat an eye if it got up to 350.
 
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JM4CY

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I say this as someone who has little/no experience smoking turkeys, but I personally think 225 is too low to cook turkey for a couple of different reasons:

1. I would worry about the texture of the skin being too rubbery during a low and slow cook.
2. I don't think a turkey would have the fat content to sustain that long of a cooking a process.

The videos that I have been watching have the temperatures at least 275 (Aaron Franklin, How To BBQ Right, Chuds BBQ) . For me, I think I am going to run my smoker at between 300-325 but wouldn't bat an eye if it got up to 350.
This. I’m gonna go 250 to 275 for 2 or 3 hours to get the smoke then crank it up I think. I’m gonna baste it with butter and garlic salt a few times. should get get the skin nice and tight
 
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Tailg8er

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Everything I see online says 30 or 40 min per pound at 225? You don't think so?

Imo, you don’t wanna do it that low and that long,
This will be my 3rd year smoking a spatch-cocked bird, I'm hardly no expert but here's what I've done with success:

1) wet brine for 12-18 hours
2) herb butter under and on the skin, plus some basic dry rub (I usually use the traeger brand)
3) IIRC, my past ones have been ~17-18 lbs and taken about 3-4 hours smoking at ~275

Obviously keep a thermometer on it and pull around 160 (in the breast) - the time is definitely fluid. I haven't basted while cooking, and usually let rest 20-30 minutes. Has turned out perfect each time, with lots of compliments.
 

ScottyP

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This will be my 3rd year smoking a spatch-cocked bird, I'm hardly no expert but here's what I've done with success:

1) wet brine for 12-18 hours
2) herb butter under and on the skin, plus some basic dry rub (I usually use the traeger brand)
3) IIRC, my past ones have been ~17-18 lbs and taken about 3-4 hours smoking at ~275

Obviously keep a thermometer on it and pull around 160 (in the breast) - the time is definitely fluid. I haven't basted while cooking, and usually let rest 20-30 minutes. Has turned out perfect each time, with lots of compliments.
Getting the dry rub under the skin is something a lot of people miss.
 

clone4life82

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That will be dry. Similar to old school pork thoughts of 165 or 170, when reality is 145 for a chop is safe and delecious.

Watched a video last night where the guy described that it’s mainly a time and temperature thing. Supposedly the 165 temp is the temp that it will instantly kill the things like e-coli, salmonella, etc… every video I’ve watched they note you want the white meat at 160F when you pull it and the dark meat in the neighborhood of 175-180.
 

cycloner29

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Everything I see online says 30 or 40 min per pound at 225? You don't think so?
I’m going with 250 temp. Already did a temp check today as I had to put a new controller on my Daniel Boone and wanted to have it dialed in. Hopefully 6 hours at 250 will do it.

Made up some compound butter (butter with chopped up sage, rosemary, and thyme along with black pepper and some poultry seasoning) to stick under the skin.
 

snowcraig2.0

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I’m going with 250 temp. Already did a temp check today as I had to put a new controller on my Daniel Boone and wanted to have it dialed in. Hopefully 6 hours at 250 will do it.

Made up some compound butter (butter with chopped up sage, rosemary, and thyme along with black pepper and some poultry seasoning) to stick under the skin.
After watching several videos, I am going to go with the cook in stages strategy, 2 hours at 225, then 2 at 275, and then finish at 300 to get a nice skin. Hopefully it works.
 

JM4CY

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Initial thoughts based on how the temp is going up is that a spatchcocked bird is in fact closer to 10 min a lb vs 25. We might be eating early.
 
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CY88CE11

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Initial thoughts based on how the temp is going up is that a spatchcocked bird is in fact closer to 10 min a lb vs 25. We might be eating early.
Yep. I'm planning on 2-2.25 hours for my 17 #er. Have a little time built in for safety, but I don't think I'll need it.
 
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cycloner29

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On at 2 am at 248. Just turned it around at 5 am. Here it is 7 am and it is done thigh was at 177 and breast was 161. I will leave it on at 150 for a bit. Dark squares are the herbs from the compound butter. Skin is crisp. Now to keep it hot until noon.

FD714130-D215-4C02-B9A8-A3DE0DCE5D9D.jpeg
 

JM4CY

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I hope that c*ck fit in there okay. Looks a little tight.
Oh yeah that phenomenon happens a lot with with my c*ck.































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