Never done a whole turkey, and checking around I see anywhere from 225-350. Why the disparity, and what do you do? I'm going to brine it and then I'd planned on smoking it on my WSM at about 275 and it taking about 3.5-4 hours (12lbs). Is that too low? I don't want rubbery skin.

Also, if you brine, do you also inject? What do you use an injection?

I smoked two turkeys for Thanksgiving. I brined one and did just a rub on the other. The brined one was a lot better. Both were cooked at 325 for about 3.5 hours. Once I got probe numbers above 165 I pulled them, wrapped them in foil, and let them sit for about an hour.

325. Think smoky oven. Roast the same as you would in the oven, just with smoke. And brine it!

Poultry isn't low and slow like brisket and pork butts. 300+.

what's your brine recipe?

Pull at 165 internal and wrap.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/traditional-roast-turkey-recipe-2010390

Smoke at 325
Definitely brine
Spatchcock it!! It'll cook much faster and evenly

Do you want faster (spatchcock) when smoking? Figured it wouldnt have enough time to take enough smoke

Don't go much higher than 350. I did a turkey breast at around 425, cooked it to 150, and it was tough. The next one I did at 325 and it was perfect.

I followed this for cooking the Thanksgiving turkey. Brined using Aaron Franklin's method via the Thanksgiving video he has on YouTube.

165 in the breast results in dry white meat. 150-155 works better because then you can allow for carryover.

Juiciest bird I've ever had. Not exaggerating. You know how people give you compliments on your cooking while you're finding every little thing wrong with it? For this bird, I found myself saying "they're right."

HTownAg98 said:

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165 in the breast results in dry white meat. 150-155 works better because then you can allow for carryover.

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I've now cooked three turkeys on my Egg. The last one I sat on the porch and watched the temp the whole time. Cooked about 325 and pulled at 155 and shelved in an unheated oven. Carry over took me way past food safe temp/time tables. And it was still the most juicy and delicious turkey I've ever cooked. A good thermometer and an understanding of time/temp for killing nasties will produce excellent poultry.

HTownAg98 said:

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165 in the breast results in dry white meat. 150-155 works better because then you can allow for carryover.

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Bull crap. I've done about a dozen turkeys on my egg, and every last one was cooked to 165. Juicy juicy juicy every damn time.

People are always amazed at how moist the meat is. I generally opt for 250 degree fires. I've done them higher (like 325) but it rips the skin more often when I cook it higher, so if I'm going for presentation I go for 250.

It's because of the brining, and most birds you buy now are injected anyway. So the difference between 165 and 175 aren't that much. But if you're doing an unbrined bird, 165 on the smoker is too long.

Plus, if you cook it to 155 it's done quicker and everyone can eat sooner.

Ive used the below twice (including the brine recipes) with great results. The second time I left it in the brine much longer with better results.

https://www.kingsford.com/how-to/whole-turkey/#RVPZjipmMCGwuSxl.97

Dry brine > wet

Every turkey i saw was brined

I did 300ish for 3 hours and also did a bird in the oven

The smoked bird was devoured the oven bird produced the leftovers

Best turkey I ever smoked was my first one. I left the body cavity open (unstuffed) and it cooked fast. I was concerned about it, but it turned out great. The last one I stuffed with apples and other stuff and it took the breast too long to cook. The legs were at 165 several hours before the breast. I can only attribute that to the fact that the cavity was not open and allowing the smoke/heat inside the bird. Spatchkock it a bit too untraditional for my taste, but I can see where it would simplify cooking a turkey even more.

You're cooking to 165 internal to the deepest part of the breast before pulling them off? And still get a juicy bird? Color me a disbeliever. Or you inject two sticks of butter per bird.

Carry over cooking has to go into the 180's. No thank you.

You can disbelieve all you want, but I'm not intentionally posting information that's false. I don't inject. I don't even baste. I only brine for 20-24 hours.

It has worked without drying out any of the dozen or so turkeys I've cooked. The only time I've ever had any problems was once I put too much smoke on one and it tasted too smoky for my liking. A second one I misread the label and brined an already injected Butterball that came out too salty tasting for my liking. The other 10 or so have been the best turkey any of the folks I serve it to have ever had.

Through the years starting in1984 when I arrived my freshman year I have done a turkey. Started with just oven roasting until years later I started to smoke and deep fry. Going from no brine to brining. Oven roasted turkeys were fine to sometimes dry. But I have liked each of my deep fried and smoked turkeys. Did a turkey on my academy version of the green egg and it was really good.

Then this Thanksgiving my wife used a salt/sugar rub on a buy a ham get the turkey free deal at HEB and roasted it in the oven. That was the best tasting turkey I have ever had! It had a caramel texture to the skin, tender, moist meat and deep turkey flavor. Reading some of the posts earlier maybe it was a prebrined turkey. Usually free turkey are good tasting when prepared right but neither one expected it to taste so good. It was stunning.

....I wrote it off as being lucky that the bird was just an exceptional quaility bird that had very tasty flavors.

This Thanksgiving I brined for an hour a pound then smoked at 285. I was shooting for a bit higher but the Akorn was steady at 285-6 so I said to hell with it and put it on. Best bird I've ever had.

Yeah, so this turkey is one of the free frozen butterballs so it's got some salt solution already. I was going to brine it for more flavor, just not as long as I would one that wasn't brined. Like 12-15 hours instead of a full day. ok?

How do you keep the turkey cold while brining? Or, do you just throw the whole thing in while frozen and let it thaw in the brine?

I thaw first and put it in a big plastic ziploc or brining bag. Put that in an ice chest surrounded by ice. That's how I've always done chicken, and other turkeys. Just never smoked one before, always done them in the oven.

Dry brining works just as well if not better than wet brining to produce a juicy turkey (and with less hassle to boot).

Like Jimbo Fisher said, it's a no-brainer.

OneNightW said:

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How do you keep the turkey cold while brining? Or, do you just throw the whole thing in while frozen and let it thaw in the brine?

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Clean out the fridge and put the bucket in there.

Any preferences on wood to smoke a turkey? Last year I think I used a combination of apple and pecan, and it turned out pretty well.

Used apple chunks with some pecan chips this year. Used cherry last year and it turned out great as well.

AW 1880 said:

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Any preferences on wood to smoke a turkey? Last year I think I used a combination of apple and pecan, and it turned out pretty well.

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I did peach and apple.

Would hickory be too strong? I have hickory, oak, and mesquite. I think mesquite is way too strong for poultry.

I'd stick to pecan or a fruit wood, personally. Hickory would not be ideal

The few times I have smoked a turkey, I followed the Franklin series, as posted above, and always turns out great.