Anyone doing a Smoked Christmas turkey. ???

[fireram]

Good day fellow smokers.

Wondering if I should smoke the Christmas beast this year?
Seen @Red Hering post for his thanksgiving bird, looked awesome. This year one of the family members is converting from vegan to semi vegetarian, so will now eat poultry that was raised and killed kindly.
Whatever, if that’s what it takes to not have to cook pretend meat burgers, I’m happy to oblige. Found a free range turkey farm and ordered a fresh bird, cost as much as whole brisket, but again, happy to oblige.
We’re doing the meal for Christmas Eve, as everyone has to goto thier in-laws for Christmas dinner the next day. I suggested to do a prime rib and ham but everyone wants two nights of turkey, so, happy to oblige lol.

Thought I would mix it up, change the flavour a little and try it on the smoker so it’s a little different from the turkey meal they are all having the next day.
Never done a whole bird in the smoker tho, thighs and legs always turned out awesome. So. Do I convince my wife it’s a good idea, That it will be great and just shoot from the hip and cross my fingers ? She’s worried it won’t be moist.
If the bird wasn’t just shy of $100, I’d be less apprehensive.

Options ? Recipes ? Cook time / temp?

I have a pork belly that’s been soaking in brine for three weeks and need to fire up the smoker for that bacon anyway. Was gonna just do em both at the same time.

 

[hvyhaul]

Yup am so.

Well, I will be cooking it in the smoker but at an elevated temperature so the skin crisps up.

Low and slow will give a rubbery skin, so the temp will be more like in the oven.

 

[fireram]

Thanks Hvyhaul, Having given that some thoughts now, I think Ill do the bacon separately, low and slow, and then only have to worry about the bird on sunday.

 

[hvyhaul]

I'm not doing ours until the 28th so I'll be interested in hearing how others feel about their results.

 

[Porkpie]

How do you kill it kindly, that's the real question here... LOL

 

[fireram]

How do you kill it kindly, that's the real question here... LOL

Talk nice and chop off his head before he sees is coming?

When I was prob around 10, my teenage brothers thought it be a great idea to raise some turkeys.
I will never forget the day they slaughtered one in the garage.
One brother on axe duty, one to hold the head, one to hold the bird, I just got to watch...
They had the strongest brother on axe duty, he should have been the one holding the bird.
The saying "like a chicken with its head cut off" is REAL

No trauma, im good, honest......

 

[Crummybun]

We did ours on our kamado a few weeks ago. We cooked our bird(13lbs) at 275°f for 2hrs until it hit 158°f in the breast, 175-180°f in the legs. Did it spachcocked(cut out spine) so we would get a nice even cook. I think it looks nice too. Used a little bit of peach wood but kept it light. I find turkey can get really smokey fast, less is more. I wrote about it in a long winded post "meat church schooled me". It turned out amazing, best turkey I've ever had.

I've heard if you cook above 325°f you're risking the skin splitting if you don't baste regularly. I cook chickens at 400°f all the time but much shorter cook times...

Last year we did honey mustard turkeys on the traeger, also very good.

 

[rmsteve]

I have a 10lb fresh butterball and a 5-6lb prime rib to cook, My heads been going in circles trying to decide the best way to cook them at the same time on the smoker.

 

[Octavius Brine]

Everyone wants me to cook the turkey at each holiday. I’ve tried many things over the years, but people always prefer crispy skin and smoked turkey. It’s a pretty plain tasting beast, so a little smoke goes a long way.

Follow what Hvyhaul said- the higher temp like in the oven so it crisps the skin. And crummybun is right too- lots of good info in that last discussion too.

 

[Red Hering]

Good day fellow smokers.

Wondering if I should smoke the Christmas beast this year?
Seen @Red Hering post for his thanksgiving bird, looked awesome. This year one of the family members is converting from vegan to semi vegetarian, so will now eat poultry that was raised and killed kindly.
Whatever, if that’s what it takes to not have to cook pretend meat burgers, I’m happy to oblige. Found a free range turkey farm and ordered a fresh bird, cost as much as whole brisket, but again, happy to oblige.
We’re doing the meal for Christmas Eve, as everyone has to goto thier in-laws for Christmas dinner the next day. I suggested to do a prime rib and ham but everyone wants two nights of turkey, so, happy to oblige lol.

Thought I would mix it up, change the flavour a little and try it on the smoker so it’s a little different from the turkey meal they are all having the next day.
Never done a whole bird in the smoker tho, thighs and legs always turned out awesome. So. Do I convince my wife it’s a good idea, That it will be great and just shoot from the hip and cross my fingers ? She’s worried it won’t be moist.
If the bird wasn’t just shy of $100, I’d be less apprehensive.

Options ? Recipes ? Cook time / temp?

I have a pork belly that’s been soaking in brine for three weeks and need to fire up the smoker for that bacon anyway. Was gonna just do em both at the same time.

Thanks for your compliment @fireram and I will be putting our Christmas turkey in the smoker early tomorrow on Christmas day. Our turkey’s in the past,have always turned out moist,and we mostly use hickory wood chips for smoking our turkey’s. My “very old” smoker that I use has only 3 settings on it,which are: Low,Ideal,and Hot. For the turkey,it will be set at Hot,and it will take roughly up to 5 hour’s to smoke this 7-9 kg turkey. But first,some steelhead filet’s will be going in the smoker soon today,that have been on brine since yesterday morning.( 3rd photo ). The trout will be set on the “Ideal” setting on the smoker for a couple of hour’s,and with Cherry wood chips. We are looking forward to another smoked turkey dinner again,like many of the previous ones that we have had over the year’s. Hoping that everything will turn out well for you for smoking your turkey & the pork belly as well. The last 3 photo’s were from the Thanksgiving turkey . Merry Christmas to you and your family,etc., Health & Happiness & Tight lines in 2024!

 

[fireram]

Ok. Awesome stuff guys, thanks.
My Kid called me this am. He’s picking up the bird and let me know it dressed out to 23 lb. So. A little smaller than Red’s beast.
Wich is good, cause I wouldn’t have the time to cook a 30lb bird.

Putting everyone’s suggestions together, my plan so far:
Get home from work at 7:30, get smoker going and bacon on by 8am at 200deg.
At 1pm, swap the bacon for the turkey, turn up the heat to 300.
They wanna eat at 5, so at 4 if it’s not close to 160, I’ll cover with foil and turn up the heat some.

Thanks again, will post results.

 

[Red Hering]

Thanks for your compliment @fireram and I will be putting our Christmas turkey in the smoker early tomorrow on Christmas day. Our turkey’s in the past,have always turned out moist,and we mostly use hickory wood chips for smoking our turkey’s. My “very old” smoker that I use has only 3 settings on it,which are: Low,Ideal,and Hot. For the turkey,it will be set at Hot,and it will take roughly up to 5 hour’s to smoke this 7-9 kg turkey. But first,some steelhead filet’s will be going in the smoker soon today,that have been on brine since yesterday morning.( 3rd photo ). The trout will be set on the “Ideal” setting on the smoker for a couple of hour’s,and with Cherry wood chips. We are looking forward to another smoked turkey dinner again,like many of the previous ones that we have had over the year’s. Hoping that everything will turn out well for you for smoking your turkey & the pork belly as well. The last 3 photo’s were from the Thanksgiving turkey . Merry Christmas to you and your family,etc., Health & Happiness & Tight lines in 2024!

The steelhead filet’s in the smoker today turned out well again! The Christmas turkey will be going in the smoker on Christmas Day
View attachment IMG_2365.mov

 

[Octavius Brine]

Nice, guys! @Red Hering how did your smoked fish with cherry taste?

I did a batch yesterday, a couple smoked lakers, and I started with chunks of cherry but then I switched back to maple. Lol I was afraid to try a new wood on a few fish and not like it!

 

[Red Hering]

Nice, guys! @Red Hering how did your smoked fish with cherry taste?

I did a batch yesterday, a couple smoked lakers, and I started with chunks of cherry but then I switched back to maple. Lol I was afraid to try a new wood on a few fish and not like it!

Excellent @Octavius Brine the cherry wood chips gives the trout a bit of a sweeter taste. Don’t be afraid to try different wood chips for smoking. Just like in fishing,experiment with different colours such as twister tail’s for an example,to catch certain species of fish. Good luck!!

 

[fireram]

Success. Almost perfect aside from
Being a little late.

I Spatchcock’ed the bird at noon, rubbed some herbed butter under the skin, don’t really think that did much for the flavour tho. And got it in the 350deg smoker at 12:30.
Watched it for 30 min, all seamed good so went in to work on the fixins. Checke it an hour later and it was cold. Maybe had a power flicker and it shut down, not sure.
Fired it back up, and it chugged along at 350 till it was done, about an hour later than I was planning, at 5:30 I pulled it off at 165 deg in the breast.

Everyone loved it, very moist, just a little of smoke flavour, but smelled really good.

Next time I think I’ll start 6 hours before supper time, smoke at 200 deg for an hour, then crank to 350 for 3-4 hours, and have an hour to let it rest, and hopefully no mechanical errors, and that will get a bit more smoke flavour into the meat.
Sorry. The photo of the finished bird was rushed. It looked really good on the cutting board tho. The dark spots under the skin are the herbs from the butter rub that melted and pooled together.

Merry Christmas, thanks for a year of great conversations and open sharing.

 

[Crummybun]

Looks great!

My mother in law did turkey last night, amazing as always! That lady knows how to cook.

 

[Red Hering]

Success. Almost perfect aside from
Being a little late.

I Spatchcock’ed the bird at noon, rubbed some herbed butter under the skin, don’t really think that did much for the flavour tho. And got it in the 350deg smoker at 12:30.
Watched it for 30 min, all seamed good so went in to work on the fixins. Checke it an hour later and it was cold. Maybe had a power flicker and it shut down, not sure.
Fired it back up, and it chugged along at 350 till it was done, about an hour later than I was planning, at 5:30 I pulled it off at 165 deg in the breast.

Everyone loved it, very moist, just a little of smoke flavour, but smelled really good.

Next time I think I’ll start 6 hours before supper time, smoke at 200 deg for an hour, then crank to 350 for 3-4 hours, and have an hour to let it rest, and hopefully no mechanical errors, and that will get a bit more smoke flavour into the meat.
Sorry. The photo of the finished bird was rushed. It looked really good on the cutting board tho. The dark spots under the skin are the herbs from the butter rub that melted and pooled together.

Merry Christmas, thanks for a year of great conversations and open sharing.

View attachment 82931

Excellent job @fireram the turkey looks amazing!!

 

[Red Hering]

Thanks for your compliment @fireram and I will be putting our Christmas turkey in the smoker early tomorrow on Christmas day. Our turkey’s in the past,have always turned out moist,and we mostly use hickory wood chips for smoking our turkey’s. My “very old” smoker that I use has only 3 settings on it,which are: Low,Ideal,and Hot. For the turkey,it will be set at Hot,and it will take roughly up to 5 hour’s to smoke this 7-9 kg turkey. But first,some steelhead filet’s will be going in the smoker soon today,that have been on brine since yesterday morning.( 3rd photo ). The trout will be set on the “Ideal” setting on the smoker for a couple of hour’s,and with Cherry wood chips. We are looking forward to another smoked turkey dinner again,like many of the previous ones that we have had over the year’s. Hoping that everything will turn out well for you for smoking your turkey & the pork belly as well. The last 3 photo’s were from the Thanksgiving turkey . Merry Christmas to you and your family,etc., Health & Happiness & Tight lines in 2024!

Our Smoked Christmas turkey turned out well today. Hopefully,everyone also enjoyed their Christmas dinner over the holidays as well,whatever it may have been.
View attachment IMG_2409.mov