TURKEY REPORTS:
1: Which smoker - SM055
2. Turkey Size - 21+ pounds
3. Preps - Smokin's Holiday Turkey Brine (36 hours). Put 3 quartered oranges and some rosemary into cavity prior to smoking. Cheesecloth coated with 2 sticks of melted butter placed over turkey.
4. Smoker temp - 250 (max on 055)
5. Total Time - 3.5 hours - breast was 155. Leg/Thigh was 165. Foiled for two hours prior to serving. It was perfect.
6. Comments - I made several bonehead moves and this was considered by all who ate it the best turkey ever. My daugher has not eaten turkey for at least the last 12 years. I smoke chicken breast the day before for her. This year, after tasting the turkey, she told my wife not to put the chicken out.
My bonehead moves:
1. I did not truss the turkey.
2. Trying to separate the skin, I tore some of it so the turkey was not completely covered
3. I can field dress a deer, but I put one thermometer in the top of the turkey and one not quite in the best spot on the leg. I had forgotten to put the thermometers in at first, opened up the smoker and inserted them as best I could.
4. The turkey breast was down the entire time. I had wanted to smoke it breast side up, but had messed that up as I had never cooked a turkey before and never carved one. My wife carves them and all meat beautifully and I never touch them.
5. Due to my poor placement of the thermometers, they ran hot the whole time so I did not pay much attention to them. Tried to re-insert to no avail. I took turkey out when the thermometer in the back read 171 and the leg thermometer was over 200.
The cookshack and Okie's brine really made this foolproof, as I did the best I could to be a fool and mess up.
My wife said she will never cook another turkey again.