Smoking Turkey

[cycloner29]

Kudos to all of you smoking a turkey. That sounds like a lot of work. I'm exhausted from just roasting our breast in the oven and all the sides.

If I step out and give it a try next year, what do you do for gravy?

Since I saved all the drippings off my 14 lb bird, probably over a cup along with all the brown bits and butter from basting. Wife had bought gravy mix but didn’t use it. Key is using the potato water in it. Got a lot of flavor from all the rosemary, thyme, and sage in the cavity along with the celery carrots, onions, and apple pieces. Put a lot of work into the turkey and probably the best one I’ve done. Great flavor and very
good!!

 

[CYdTracked]

Apparently my photos are too big to upload from my phone so will try to shrink them down later and post when I have a chance to edit them. Would give myself a B for first time trying this. Learned a lot and have ideas to improve for next time. Definitely not in my comfort zone as much as my staples of ribs and pork butt are. Wife and kids thought it was really good which is all that matters I guess. I didnt think it was a juicy as I had hoped but it definitely was not dried out either.

 

[cstrunk]

Happy Thanksgiving y'all!

 

[discydisc]

Kudos to all of you smoking a turkey. That sounds like a lot of work. I'm exhausted from just roasting our breast in the oven and all the sides.

If I step out and give it a try next year, what do you do for gravy?

Since I saved all the drippings off my 14 lb bird, probably over a cup along with all the brown bits and butter from basting. Wife had bought gravy mix but didn’t use it. Key is using the potato water in it. Got a lot of flavor from all the rosemary, thyme, and sage in the cavity along with the celery carrots, onions, and apple pieces. Put a lot of work into the turkey and probably the best one I’ve done. Great flavor and very
good!!

I used the turkey neck and giblets to make a stock for the stuffing as well as the gravy, turned out well. Used this fellas stuffing recipe, would recommend.

 

[cycoticfan]

Tried a dry brine breast this year and was amazing. 8 lb. breast dry brined with 1/2 kosher salt and 1/2 poultry rub. In the fridge over night. Injected with Northern Lights butter sauce. put some butter pats under the skin, rubbed butter on the skin. Smoked at 225 for 2 1/2 hours with a foil tent and then 1 hr at 350 uncovered. Turned out great. And I got the breast at Target on sale for $.79 /lb. so I have 3 more in the freezer.

 

[clonebb]

Smoked this bird yesterday. No brining, injected with a butter maple syrup combo. Onion, apple and orange in the cavity. Turned out moist and delicious.

 

[Dopey]

I don’t brine my whole chickens anymore. Injecting with just salt water makes them much better. I assume I’d do the same with a turkey. May try so next year.

 

[iahawks]

Mine turned out great on the WSM. About three hours at 300 degrees.

 

[Cyclone27inQC]

Did my 15# bird by removing the back bone and breast bone. Brined over night and used my Camp Chef WiFi with pecan pellets at 275 for 3 hours along with a smoke tube.
Turned out great and the key was catching the drippings and adding them back into the meat once I removed it from the bone.
Go Cyclones

 

[Lexclone]

Went Steaksgiving for The Meal this year instead. Beef tenderloin roast dry rubbed with salt, pepper and granulated garlic. Smoked over mesquite at 175 F to an internal temperature of 125 F and finish-seared on a hot grill.

With as amazing as the smoked turkeys OPs have posted, I almost regret not doing that this year. Well done y’all.

 

[cycloner29]

Mine turned out great on the WSM. About three hours at 300 degrees. View attachment 78442

Looks great! What did you use for seasoning? Nice crispy looking skin.

 

[CYdTracked]

Finally compressed my photos down enough to allow to be uploaded.