Time to report. One of the common questions we/I get is "how long will it take"?<br /><br />So, you can help.<br /><br />When you do your bird this year, [b]please post a little report here[b] that tells us what you did and I'll add the information.<br /><br />Here's what will help.<br /><br />1. Size (weight)<br />2. Temp you cooked at<br />3. How long<br />4. Additional information; brined, injected, seasonsings, comments, etc<br /><br />Here the start of a list. I went through the forum looking for times just to start us out:<br /><br />

<br />
• 10 lb wild turkey Smoked for 5 hours 1 hour at 250then 225<br />
• 11 lb fresh bird, brined, 250 for 4:40 hours<br />
• 12 lb ("enhanced" 8% chicken broth) 250 for 4:00 hours<br />
• 12 lb (8%"enhanced") 250 for 4:00 hours<br />
• 12 lb, fresh turkey (brined) 250 for 4 hours<br />
• 12 lb, brined, 230 for 4 hours (30 min additional to crisp skin in oven)<br />
• 12 lb, brined, 250 for 4:30 hours<br />
• 12.38 lb, solution added, 250 for 5:00 hours<br />
• 2 12-lbers, brined, 275, done in about 3 1/2 hours.<br />
• 13 lb, brined, 250' for 4:00 hours<br />
• 13 lb, brined, 220 for 12 hours<br />
• 13 lb, brined, 250 for 3:30 hours<br />
• 13 lb, injected, 250 for 7:00 hours<br />
• 14 lb, brined, 225 for 4:00 to 4:30 hours<br />
• 17 lb 230 for 11 hours<br />
• 6 lb breast, brined, 235 for 9:00 hours<br />
• 6 lb turkey beast. 4 hours<br />
• 8 lb breast. 250 for 3:30 hours<br />
• 12 10-12 lb�ers turkeys & 2 huge turkey breasts, brined, 425 for 4 hours (overcooked)<br />

<br /><br /><br />Thanks for your help!<br /><br />Smokin'

Just did my test bird yesterday...13.5lb, brined in smokin's holiday brine(24hr), wrapped in butter-soaked cheesecloth, smoked with apple and cherry wood(3oz mixed) and needed only 2 1/2 hrs @ 275, pulled at thigh temp 175. An unbelievable tender bird! For the real Thanksgiving bird I will change the wood and amount..add hickory and a little more wood (needs more smoke flavor). Thanks for the tips, this was a great test bird! With the bones I made an awesome stock for Thanksgiving gravy.

Thanks Guys for the info on Turkey Stock and Gravy,

Moved your replies to the Recipe Forum.

Turkey Stock and Gravy

Appreciate it.

Smokin'

Did a 7.75# pre-injected breast yesterday (11/12/05) with Smokin's Holiday Brine. Used 1.3 oz hickory. Pulled it at the 4 hour mark - temp was 162. It was a hit at the church Thanksgiving luncheon today.

For me this was still a bit too much smoke. But! I am not big fan of smoked birds but the Mrs loved it!

For Thanksgiving we'll probbably do a brined bird in the traditional oven

Smokin - Do you think the injected stuff could have caused a bitter taste? It was different. Not like bitter "smoke" taste that I've had before. Just curious.

I have done 3- 12 pound turkeys in my Smokette since buying it new in Sep. '03. I never ended up with anything exceptional, so I will just say they were all done on 225* for 8 hours. If I do one this year, I will inject and cook at 250*. I don't know why I was so hard headed before!

One thought is to use as clear an injection as possible.

The injection can stay in pockets in the breast and be unsightly.

Some of the bottled cajun injections do this.

Doesn't bother my guests.

quote:

Originally posted by Wheelz:
[qb] Did a 7.75# pre-injected breast yesterday (11/12/05) with Smokin's Holiday Brine. Used 1.3 oz hickory. For me this was still a bit too much smoke. Smokin - Do you think the injected stuff could have caused a bitter taste? It was different. Not like bitter "smoke" taste that I've had before. Just curious. [/qb]

Brining injected birds can be weird. I do it and have no problems, but some injected birds have 10 to 15% injections and those are pretty high already.

For your next one, try real hard to find a fresh or non-injected one and see how that tastes. Sometimes, some brands just taste weird. But you did say you don't liked smoked birds, so maybe you're just the cook and everyone else eats it.

I smoked a 14 pound turkey two nights ago. I brined it for 24 hours and then put it in the smoker, which was set for 250. It took 11 hours to get to 165 and I took it off then. Everyone said that it was the best turkey they ever had. I am just wondering why it took so long to cook, when many people say that it only takes them about 20 minutes a pound. I never opened the door while smoking.

Steve - which model smoker were you using? thx

Thanks for the response L.A.BBQ. I was using the 008 model and had it all the way up to 250 for heat. Any ideas?

Stephen, have you checked the internal temps of your smoker? 11 hours at 250 sounds a little off.

Need to reports this week

Don't forget, post your turkey stories, needs some good times,temps and weights

Did 2 13'ers this weekend, brined for 48 hours, smoked in the FE at 330, tried a few different things. Best of which was the Turkey Stock suggestion (see the recipe forum) that worked GREAT. Everyone noticed the difference in the gravy. I'm adding Turkey Stock to Turkey 101 (thanks DLS)

Smokin'

I'm glad I logged on and read this... I'm doing my first turkey in a Smokette tonite/tomorrow, and the cookbook that came with the smoker said ~10 hours @ 225 for a 10-12 lb. bird.

Why the discrepancy with the above posted times? Also, would injecting the bird alter cooking time?

Last Thanksgiving I did a 12 lb bird in my model 55. I brined it for 24 hours using Smokin's recipe. Covered with butter soaked cheese cloth. Smoked it with 2 Oz. of Hickory at 250 degrees. Took 4.5 hrs to get the breast to 160. Plan to do the same thing this year. We also did a bird in the oven. No leftovers from the smoked bird. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. Roger

PJ, do NOT go with those times, go with what you get from the forum. Hard to explain the difference, that's one reason I'm asking for reports, to get some real #'s for folks.