What happened?!

With that temperature and weight, I would have figured in the neighborhood of 5 hours. How did you come up with ten?

T

Have to agree with Mr. T. I put in a brine 20lb turkey in my Amerique this morning outside temp at 33deg in a cold smoker set at 250deg in at 7:00am. It is noon now and just done with probe hitting 165deg.

I got my timing from the blue Cookshack "Smoking at Home" that came with my smoker. 35 min/lb for brined and 45 min/lb for unbrined. My first bird was brined, the second wasn't.

Maybe I've been out of school too long. I figured 14# X 35 min = 490 minutes divided by 60 = 8.16 hrs. I used the same, except 45 min/lb., for the unbrined bird. Maybe I'm not figuring that right.

That was your mistake. Owners manual hasn't been update for many many moons. Your best bet is to use forum on smoking anything you can think of. The find feature is a godsend for searching anything that the members ever tried and if need additional info just ask. Many experts will chime in.

Well I'm no expert, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express. But yeah, I think even Smokin Okie said to ignore everything in that book. Your best bet is reading the various Turkey Reports.

My 16lber was done in just under 4 hours today.

Ok, I'll try reading more in the forum. Is that how you and Mr. T came up with 5 hrs.? That's really closer to how long it took. I think in 5 hrs., they'd have been perfect.

Thanks.
Bart

My 5 hrs for turkey to be done was with thermometer setpoint using amerique setpoint of 165 deg on breast to stop cooking and going into default holding temp of 140 deg. The best feature of amerique is to set it and forget it mode. Also the experts on this forum is to always go with temp and not with time in smoking anything.

Agree with G Que, its done when the temp says it is, I went a little over initially input my custom temps wrong went back in and adjusted.

Experience and most importantly by keeping good notes. I used to smoke turkey's at 225°, but since have increased the temp to 300° to avoid rubbery skin. Yesterday, I smoked a 13# bird in my preheated AQ at 300°. The bird was at 170°in 4 hours.

T

here is a post by SmokinOkie back in 2010 hope he doesn't mind

SmokinOkie
On a Permanent vacation, seeing America by RV

posted November 18, 2010 03:25 PM
Probably the # on question I get. In class, in the forum, in emails, in person.

We've heard it for years (it's even on the turkey you buy).

Here's why. Read this list, just did a quick list of temp, time, pounds and you'll see the variations.

As I say all the time, there are too many variations in turkey size, shape, brining, smokers, methods, etc to just give a set time.

Now I did a QUICK (read that to mean I probably had a math error)
but there are rough times per # and I group them roughly

CONCLUSION? Cook on internal bird temp, not on time:

325-350 to 2 ½ to 3 hours (no weight listed)
325-360 for 2 ½ hours (17#) (8.8 min per #)
325-350 300 for 4 ¼ hours (13#) (19.2 min per #)
325 for 2 ½ to 3 hours (12#) (15 min per #)
325 for 4 hours (18#) (13.3 min per #)
325 for 6 ½ to 7 hours (21#) (20 min per #)
From 8.8 to 20 min per #

300 2 ¾ hours (17.5#) (9.1 min per #)
300 for 3 hours (15#) (12 min per #)
300 for 2 ½ hours (8# breast) (18.7 min per #)
300-335 for 4 ½ to 5 hours (no weight listed)
300 for 4 ½ hours (15# breast) (16.6 min per #)
From 9.1 to 18.7 min per #

275 for 7 ¾ hours (22#) (20.4 min per #)
275 for 3 hours (14#) (12.8 min per #)
275-280 for 3 hours (9.3#) (19.3 min per #)
275 for 2 ¾ (9# breast) (17.7 min per #)
275 for 2 ½ hours (13.72#) (10.9 min per #)
From 10.9 to 20.4 min per #

250 for 3 ½ hours (13#) (16.1 min per #)
250 for 6 hours and 220 for 3 hours (13#) (41 min per #)
250 for 3 hours and 325 for 1 ½ hours (16#) (15 min per #)
250 for 3 ½ hours (14#)250 for 3 ¾ hours (7 lb breast) (31.4 min per #)
250 for 4 hours (12.5#) (19.2 min per #)
250 for 6 hours (14½#) (24.8 min per #)
250 for 1.5 hours (11#) (8 min per #)
From 8 to 41 min per #

235 for 6 hours (8# breast) (45 min per #)
230 for 2 ¾ hours (13#) (12.3 min per #)
225-250 for 6 hours (12#) (30 min per #)
225-250 for 3.5 to 4 hours (10# bird and 6# breast) (24 min and 40 min per #)
225-275 for 3 ½ to 4 hours (no weight listed)
225 for 8-10 hrs (was partially frozen on purpose) (no weight listed)
225 for 4 hours and 350 for 1 ½ hours (21#) (15.7 min per #)
From 12.3 to 40 min per #

I found the owners manual to be worthless. use the forum and the 101's page.

That's interesting, thanks.

Even more interesting, I just told my wife that the main thing that I've learned from this thread is that I need to upgrade to the next model. Set the oven temp, set the internal temp to whatever temp you want, and it cuts the oven temp back to 140* all by itself when it reaches that temp.

Her comment: "Sell this one and get the next better model!"

I have the SMO45, anyone looking for one of those?!