Smoking Meat Questions and Discussion

[JM4CY]

Alright, experts. I feel like I bring this up every year because I only do it annually and never write down the damn way I do it. Please correct or give feedback on the following:

TIA!

- Bought a 19 lb turkey Saturday at Fareway
- Going to smoke it Saturday (still somewhat frozen to the touch but thawing faster than last year I believe, is this a concern? )
- Friday night = dry brine. I will pat dry, then put a salt, course pepper combo between the skin and meat and where possible on the inner cavity. Should I do this Thursday night if she's thawed completely?
- Saturday (very early, hoping to get it done before I need to leave for Ames for the game) I will put homemade poultry seasoning mixed with melted butter inbetween the skin and meat AND inject the **** out of it.
- put on pellet smoker at 275, will butter baste about ever 90 min or so and more often at the end. I'm thinking it will take me 5 to 6 hours to get it to 165??????

This is for Turkey Day but long story short, I need to cook it now and refreeze so I can take it on a long road trip.

 

[Gonzo]

Alright, experts. I feel like I bring this up every year because I only do it annually and never write down the damn way I do it. Please correct or give feedback on the following:

TIA!

- Bought a 19 lb turkey Saturday at Fareway
- Going to smoke it Saturday (still somewhat frozen to the touch but thawing faster than last year I believe, is this a concern? )
- Friday night = dry brine. I will pat dry, then put a salt, course pepper combo between the skin and meat and where possible on the inner cavity. Should I do this Thursday night if she's thawed completely?
- Saturday (very early, hoping to get it done before I need to leave for Ames for the game) I will put homemade poultry seasoning mixed with melted butter inbetween the skin and meat AND inject the **** out of it.
- put on pellet smoker at 275, will butter baste about ever 90 min or so and more often at the end. I'm thinking it will take me 5 to 6 hours to get it to 165??????

This is for Turkey Day but long story short, I need to cook it now and refreeze so I can take it on a long road trip.

I'm no expert but I've been dry brining for several years now and have left it in the fridge, uncovered, for over 36 hours without any issue other than it looks a little freaky. I also put the salt/pepper over the top of the skin as well as under.

 

[Acylum]

 

[JP4CY]

Alright, experts. I feel like I bring this up every year because I only do it annually and never write down the damn way I do it. Please correct or give feedback on the following:

TIA!

- Bought a 19 lb turkey Saturday at Fareway
- Going to smoke it Saturday (still somewhat frozen to the touch but thawing faster than last year I believe, is this a concern? )
- Friday night = dry brine. I will pat dry, then put a salt, course pepper combo between the skin and meat and where possible on the inner cavity. Should I do this Thursday night if she's thawed completely?
- Saturday (very early, hoping to get it done before I need to leave for Ames for the game) I will put homemade poultry seasoning mixed with melted butter inbetween the skin and meat AND inject the **** out of it.
- put on pellet smoker at 275, will butter baste about ever 90 min or so and more often at the end. I'm thinking it will take me 5 to 6 hours to get it to 165??????

This is for Turkey Day but long story short, I need to cook it now and refreeze so I can take it on a long road trip.

Was watching a Malcom Reed turkey video. He actually says to smoke at 350f.

 

[Stormin]

Alright, experts. I feel like I bring this up every year because I only do it annually and never write down the damn way I do it. Please correct or give feedback on the following:

TIA!

- Bought a 19 lb turkey Saturday at Fareway
- Going to smoke it Saturday (still somewhat frozen to the touch but thawing faster than last year I believe, is this a concern? )
- Friday night = dry brine. I will pat dry, then put a salt, course pepper combo between the skin and meat and where possible on the inner cavity. Should I do this Thursday night if she's thawed completely?
- Saturday (very early, hoping to get it done before I need to leave for Ames for the game) I will put homemade poultry seasoning mixed with melted butter inbetween the skin and meat AND inject the **** out of it.
- put on pellet smoker at 275, will butter baste about ever 90 min or so and more often at the end. I'm thinking it will take me 5 to 6 hours to get it to 165??????

This is for Turkey Day but long story short, I need to cook it now and refreeze so I can take it on a long road trip.

Cooking time might be greater than you think. Breast might take 4 to 5 but a 20 lb Turkey takes much longer. Better check it out.

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So if you’re just smoking a turkey breast on a pellet grill… It will take 2-5 hours to cook.

Or if you’re smoking a 20lb turkey on a pellet grill… It will take 10-13 hours in total.

 

[JM4CY]

Was watching a Malcom Reed turkey video. He actually says to smoke at 350f.

What’s the rationale there? I’m going to spatchcock it too so going that hot makes me a little nervous.

Also, I modified my method and hopefully I didn’t go heavy on the sodium. Did a little more salt than normal and injected it already with butter. Then I realized I think I used unsalted butter in the past because it was a pre brined bird in that solution fareway puts them in. Any concerns with that?

Anyway my daughter decided this 19 pounder needed a name and dubbed it “Stevo”, so I’ve got that going for me.

 

[JM4CY]

Cooking time might be greater than you think. Breast might take 4 to 5 but a 20 lb Turkey takes much longer. Better check it out.

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So if you’re just smoking a turkey breast on a pellet grill… It will take 2-5 hours to cook.

Or if you’re smoking a 20lb turkey on a pellet grill… It will take 10-13 hours in total.

I’ve done breasts and 4 to 5 hours seems nuts.

 

[JP4CY]

What’s the rationale there? I’m going to spatchcock it too so going that hot makes me a little nervous.

Also, I modified my method and hopefully I didn’t go heavy on the sodium. Did a little more salt than normal and injected it already with butter. Then I realized I think I used unsalted butter in the past because it was a pre brined bird in that solution fareway puts them in. Any concerns with that?

Anyway my daughter decided this 19 pounder needed a name and dubbed it “Stevo”, so I’ve got that going for me.

 

[Stormin]

I’ve done breasts and 4 to 5 hours seems nuts.

I cook a 20 lb turkey in a bag in the oven @ 350 and it takes 4 to 5 hours. Pellet grill at 275 takes the same time? 20 lbs is huge. It’s your cook and I have never done one. Just thought I would caution you it might take more time. Good luck.

 

[Chelseaczech]

I need guidance here. He brined it which is basically salt, sugar and seasonings. He then put on two different rubs which both are salty to some extent. When I brine I have to rinse the pieces and use a rub w/o salt or it is a salt lick. What am I missing?

 

[Gonzo]

I need guidance here. He brined it which is basically salt, sugar and seasonings. He then put on two different rubs which both are salty to some extent. When I brine I have to rinse the pieces and use a rub w/o salt or it is a salt lick. What am I missing?

I dry brine with salt and pepper for 24-36 hours, rinse it, and put another round of salt and pepper with olive oil over the bird before oven roasting and have never had issues with it being too salty.

Do you wet brine or dry brine?

 

[Chelseaczech]

I dry brine with salt and pepper for 24-36 hours, rinse it, and put another round of salt and pepper with olive oil over the bird before oven roasting and have never had issues with it being too salty.

Do you wet brine or dry brine?

Wet like Malcolm did. I use a basic internet brine recipe.

 

[Gonzo]

Wet like Malcolm did. I use a basic internet brine recipe.

Huh. I used to wet brine but still never had an issue with it being too salty. But I've never smoked our turkey, I always oven roast. Wish I had better info for you.

 

[BACyclone]

I’ve done breasts and 4 to 5 hours seems nuts.

Never really done turkey, but I've done chicken breasts, thighs, legs -- almost always at 225-240 and at most it's 3 hours.

Whole bird is a different ball of wax, but 350F isn't smoking, it's roasting.

Anyway, a whole bird of anything is going to take 8 hours or more to smoke at 250F, depending completely upon how big that bird is...I would think a spatchcock style would be the most efficient.

With poultry I've done a wet brine for a few hours at one time or another, salt/brown sugar/water. Rinse it off and still use some rub that does have salt in it for smoking...albeit not a LOT of rub. Family goes nuts over it and my wife is very sensitive to salt, so I don't think it would be overboard to do both.

 

[Acylum]

Wet like Malcolm did. I use a basic internet brine recipe.

I don’t brine anything if it’s already injected with a solution. I just pull back the skin, lay bacon across the breast, pull the skin back down, quarter an onion, an apple, an orange (or lemon, and place them in the cavity. Brush skin with peanut oil. I usually cook between 250° and 375° depending on wind and ambient temperature.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

I cook a 20 lb turkey in a bag in the oven @ 350 and it takes 4 to 5 hours. Pellet grill at 275 takes the same time? 20 lbs is huge. It’s your cook and I have never done one. Just thought I would caution you it might take more time. Good luck.

Yeah 13-15 lb's is about as big of a bird that you want to smoke.

 

[ScottyP]

I cook a 20 lb turkey in a bag in the oven @ 350 and it takes 4 to 5 hours. Pellet grill at 275 takes the same time? 20 lbs is huge. It’s your cook and I have never done one. Just thought I would caution you it might take more time. Good luck.

Every time I think of cooking a turkey in a bag, I think of this clip.

 

[JM4CY]

4 hours at 300. Turned it down at the end a little. Legs got hotter than I wanted but to be expected

 

[JP4CY]

View attachment 138001
4 hours at 300. Turned it down at the end a little. Legs got hotter than I wanted but to be expected

Save the neck for me.

 

[JM4CY]

Save the neck for me.

Ok. But you’re not getting butter for the weird **** you do with it.