New owner of a SM025

For some reason all of my question didn't get posted.
Do I still need to do a brim soak or just go with it as is?

Welcome to the forum, life just don't get any better than smoking with a CS....please don't tell the wife how easy it is or you'll be doing chores while smoking!!!

Smokin' has been kind enough to share his knowledge of smoking turkeys with all of us, so enjoy.... Smokin's turkey 101

Myself, I use the 8% enhanced turkey and brine for 48hrs, works for me.

Actually Cal, the CS/Online version isn't current (takes a lot of manual work.

Check out the thread at the top of this forum for the latest PDF:

http://forum.cookshack.com/eve...1001264/m/6862980996

Welcome Olero,

If you want to baseline, you might do the first turkey straight up so we see how it goes, but then next time try brining.

I just like people to smoke it straight the first time so they see the benefits of brining.

THAT being said, I've had 100's of people do the Turkey 101 for their first cook and have zero issues and get a perfect bird.

Sorry Smokin' and THANKS, but I just have a terrible time keeping up with you.....

Let's see, since I've been around here,you have been a Teacher, author, retired, Pit Master for Coaches, on Facebook, Moderator for the forum.....I'm sure I'm missing something?...LOL!...Anyway, now that you are retired I guess we can expect some U-tubes/videos of the 101's??? Or did Mrs. Smokin' give you a long list of honey do's first?

Thanks again for all your help.

Thanks Smokin and Cal,
I am reading the forum and Smokin's 101s and trying to get a jump on Thanksgiving. I don't want to have the whole family home and the bird taste terrible.
What I get from the 101 is that one can over do the brim soak.

Russ

quote:

Originally posted by cal:
Sorry Smokin' and THANKS, but I just have a terrible time keeping up with you.....

Let's see, since I've been around here,you have been a Teacher, author, retired, Pit Master for Coaches, on Facebook, Moderator for the forum.....I'm sure I'm missing something?...LOL!...Anyway, now that you are retired I guess we can expect some U-tubes/videos of the 101's??? Or did Mrs. Smokin' give you a long list of honey do's first?

Thanks again for all your help.

Yeah, well, more news SOON

But I DO have on my list Photographer and Videographer. I'm learning Photoshop and Lightroom now and I have a couple of books on Food Photography I'm working on. Then of course I have something coming up in October, a press release soon, and who KNOWS what else. Check with me in a week... LOL

Dang. You starting this again?

quote:

Originally posted by Pags:
Dang. You starting this again?

Yes

Oh, and I haven't been much on FB or Twitter and I'll have some info on that reason, but basically you guessed it, I'm busy busy busy.

I smoked my 1st Turkey following Smokn Okie's 101 the best I could. Which was without a brim soak and using the Smokn Okie's homemade rub. It turned out as good as I could expect. The only thing was the dark parts wasn't done. The temp. probe said it was 195 degress and the white part was 160 degress. But when I cut into it, the dark parts wasn't done. So I had to finish it off in the oven.
Like I said it was as good as I expected.

Russ
from Muskogee, OK

quote:

Originally posted by Olero:
The only thing was the dark parts wasn't done. The temp. probe said it was 195 degress and the white part was 160 degress. But when I cut into it, the dark parts wasn't done. So I had to finish it off in the oven.

A couple questions about this....

Where did you take the temps at in the thigh and did you do both?

Did you give the turkey a little rest period and what temp were you smoking at?

Glad you got a practice cook in before Thanksgiving!

Thanks Cal for your reply.

I put the probe into the breast in a horizontal position so that it would be easier to cover it with the butter soaked cheese cloth.

I set the temp. to 280. At about 140 I opened the door and covered the bird with the cheese cloth. When the temp reached 160 I opened the door and stuck the probe into the leg and it read 195. Then I decided it needed to come out.

After a 20 minute rest I cut into the thigh and it didn't appear to be completely done. So I finished it off in the oven for about 30 min at 350.

It tasted as good as I have ever had. It wasn't dried out and the wife, son and I gobbled it down.

I am sure there is room for improvement though.

Russ

You need to use a thermometer, not the probe. You need something that updates fast enough you can push it in and move it around, not just measure in one spot. It could be 160° in one spot and an inch or two over be 145°.
That is why I like the Thermapen, it's instant read and you watch the temp change as you push it in the meat.

Wayne B

Olero:

Unhide your email address, or send me an email.

quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Mike:
Olero:

Unhide your email address, or send me an email.

Moderator note.

I do NOT recommend showing your email. Spammers have program that troll forums looking for emails.

I recommend you contact each other by IM OR hide your email in your profile (like I do).

quote:

Originally posted by Olero:
... The temp. probe said it was 195 degress and the white part was 160 degress. But when I cut into it, the dark parts wasn't done.
Russ
from Muskogee, OK

The devil is in the details.

What "probe" did you use? Have you tested it for accuracy?

Also, when you say the dark parts weren't done, how did you determine that? Raw? Undercooked?

You won't normally get a 35 degree difference. It usually is more like 160/165 in the breast and 170's in the dark (that's why you put the dark side down).

Give us a few more details and we'll help out.

quote:

Originally posted by Olero:
I put the probe into the breast in a horizontal position so that it would be easier to cover it with the butter soaked cheese cloth.

I set the temp. to 280. At about 140 I opened the door and covered the bird with the cheese cloth. When the temp reached 160 I opened the door and stuck the probe into the leg and it read 195. Then I decided it needed to come out.

There is no rule against just sticking the probe through the cheese clothe.

When you said you checked the temps in the leg, Smokin' taught me to check temp for dark meat in the upper inner part of the thigh. You have to be careful for the bone, don't get against it.