Tips for smoking a turkey for thanskgiving?

[Mikej]

Hey Gentlemen, How did those smoked turkeys turn out?
Rick

Yeah, really.....

Where's all the funny guys now, huh?

I do want to know how it turned out Joe.

Many moons ago I had made NE Portland special BBQ out of a 55gal drum split in half, piano hinge, expanded steel etc. I did a turkey over charcoal with fruit wood and it came out great. Way too much work these days as far as I'm concerned! Pre-heat oven to 325, rub turkey with olive oil, toss it in the oven and wait for the little thingy to pop up. Voila! The following days turkey sandwiches, turkey enchiladas, and turkey soup are better to Wifey and me anyway.

 

[nastybynature]

Hey Gentlemen, How did those smoked turkeys turn out?
Rick

No rub or injection or brine or anything but a washed 21# turkey went into my Traeger on smoke cycle at 12am and at 8am I turned it up to 275 until it reached 165 everywhere. At that time I cover it and pull it off the heat where it continues to rise up to 170. let it sit for at least an hour covered and then serve it without the skin. BTW I did all this in a aluminum roaster pan in order to collect the drippings for gravy. Needless to say, it didn't last long...

 

[DieselScout]

Last year my sister and I smoked a small turkey for our family's Thanksgiving more as an experiment then anything else. It went over so well, we smoked 3 this year. We used a new braunfels black diamond smoker I bought from a member here, it's an off set smoker.

Two of them were done with Alton Brown's Honey Brine recipe and the other was done with a dry rub. We don't smoke them whole, but cut off the legs, wings and breasts. The backs are saved for soup stock. The necks and gizzards get roasted up and the dripping made into the gravy. It's very easy to do, but can be a bit nerve racking to the first timer. I recommend it to everyone, and if you don't want to start with a hole turkey, just do a chicken, or a turkey breast and call it good.

Also, something else I found out about Alton Brown recently

 

[rick49]

I have followed this thread with more than a passing interest. It is interesting to note the many tips, tricks, and techniques used to try and bring the lowly turkey of my memories to what it has morphed to become in the gizmo saturated present day kitchen.

I was also drawn by the hype of smoked this and that well before (to quote an old song) "country was cool". With a lot of time and money thrown at the big bird, I came full circle back to the very basics. From a Klose pit back to a Weber Smokey Mountain, from imported French pink sea salt back to Mortons Kosher salt, pepper from Madagascar back to plain old super market brands, and so it went with all the exotic recipes I could find associated with the center piece on our Thanksgiving table. I just didn't do a turkey a year mind you, but dozens. So many in fact neighbors would close the blinds and not answer their door bell when they saw me coming with yet another of my birds hot off the cooker. My dog would only eat the dark meat it became so bad...but I digress. My contribution to this years meal below.

Thanks for taking a moment with me to read this and may all your cooking adventures be a resounding success.
Rick