Food Smokers and Smoking Tips/Tricks/Techniques

Thinking about smoking a Turkey for the first time. Any idea how long it'll take, plus tips and tricks?

 

Low and slow, it would depend on how big the turkey is. You got to post pics and let me know how it turns out. I want to smoke one just havent yet.

 

Brine it for 24 hours, then smoke it fairly hot. You don't want that bird to sit in the TDZ too long and you will have a nice crisp skin.

 

Biggest tip would be to try a breast first. It'll give you several lbs of great meat and be easier to smoke since it's smaller and one consistency. If you buy a frozen, pre-brined bird, be ready to brine for more like 48 or 36 hours to displace the salt in the factory brine. Otherwise you might as well not brine at all.

 

Still just a thought yet though. I'm a little to scared to try this for the first time on TG. If I do, for sure, I'll post pics and method used. The idea of sectioning it would probably work best for the first time.

 

Finally got my smoker I went with a Brinkmann Trailmaster. Last weekend I smoke a 6.5lb pork shoulder for 10.5 hours. It turned out pretty good but it definitely could have gotten to a higher temp to help with the 'pull'. This weekend I'm going to take on a chicken and a fatty.

Thanks for all the tips people have put into this thread, some great ideas!

Here is a pic of my friend, it needs a couple mods but thats part of the fun right?

 

Thats nice, I think I am already due for an upgrade. I think I would keep the old little one though. I just need a bigger one for when I do parties. We will see.

 

Actually I might save the money and put in an outside kitchen instead. I have been planning on the for a while now!!!!

 

Any of you guys ever cold smoke? I worked at a lodge and we had a 40' pipe run underground for the smoke to cool before it got to the meat. Infused the flavor without the heat. Pretty dang tasty.

 

I've never cold smoked but that sounds awesome.

 

Yeah, I do quite often, cheese mostly. I have done fish a few times. Smoked cheddar and mozzarella are awesome, four hours at 90* with heavy smoke, wrap as tightly as possible with cling type wrap, then put in a Tupperware type container, age for at LEAST two weeks in the fridge. It's hard to wait cause you can smell it when you open the door.

 

That would be awesome, I always eat smoked mozzerella and gooda but never made it.

 

I started smoking about a month ago after finding this thread. I had been wanting to do it for years, but this pushed me over the edge. So far I've done ribs and a pork butt. I'm using a standard weber grill with the smokenator insert which turns a weber into a smoker. I can't recommend it enough. I also stumbled on a great bbqing website, amazingribs.com. It's a mix of Good Eats and America's Test Kitchen. The best advise that site offers is to use 2 digital thermometers, not the bi-metal ones. One for the meat and one for the grate.

 

I got hooked too!!!!

 

So I did a couple chickens last week and now I'm looking to make some stock from the bones and left over meat. Question for those of you that have done this, do you guys leave the left over skin on the birds or take it off. I'm concerned that the smokey flavor might overwhelm it or does it just make that much more awesome?

 

i would leave the skin. you will have to skim more fat later..but the flavor in the skin is plentiful. worth the effort.

i've done exactly this..the broth was surprisingly not that smokey. if it is, use it to cook beans. beans+smoke = good

 

Thanks bud!

 

FYI..i ziploc (and freeze) the carcasses until i have 3-4 to make broth. for me, it takes alot of time and effort. i like to make big batches. freeze the stuff in old qt cottage cheese containers for later use.

 

^Good idea, I do the same thing. I love home made chicken,beef,veal stock. There is nothing like it.