I am having trouble getting much heat up into the barrel part of my new smoker. I can have a good hot fire charcoal going in the firebox, but can’t get much over 250f in the cooking area. I was hoping to roast the turkey in there, but I think I need 350f for that.
Do I have to put some fire in the cooker side, too?
I know, 225 to 250 is good for ribs and butts - - but I think I need more for a big bird.
suggestions from the Carolina BBQ’ers out there?
NaClH20
Depends on what you are wanting to do to that big bird. If your plans are for smoking it you are good with your temps. Do you have your dampers all the way open and still can only get 250? I have a New Braunfel offset smoker and with dampers all the way open will go right on up in temp.
Just sent you a PM, NaClH20.
I have done this, it’s very involved but it works great! I would check into an ORION Cooker, from posts here it sounds like it would do great! Or a big green egg possibly. But, if you want to use that side smoker, here ya go.
You’ll have to cook your turkey to an internal temperature must reach 165 degrees F. This means that the coldest part of the turkey is 165 degrees F. Test in at least two places and remember that turkey bones heat faster so keep the thermometer away from bone and white meat cooks faster than dark meat.
Run your chamber at temperature range of 220 degrees F to 240 degrees F. *** Plan on 30 to 40 minutes per pound. *** Make that when you start to smoke/cook that the turkey is not COLD, let it get as close to room temp as you feel you can stomach after brining, if you do brine it!
The first thing in you need for a great smoked turkey is a good turkey. Now whether you are going to hunt you own or buy one, you want a fresh turkey. A free range Turkey is what to look for. Do not get too large of a turkey. A 20 pound turkey will take 10-14 hours and larger turkeys greatly increase food contamination risks. A 12-16 pound turkey will be good and what I usually do. You also need a good meat thermometer, and possibly some good hardwood like cherry or apple, oak and hickory are fine but it all needs to be dry! Be careful not to over smoke a turkey, especially if you are doing a long smoke.
The smoked turkey has a different color and texture than oven roasted turkey. The meat may appear pink and have a smoother texture. This is normal. The smoking process causes a chemical change in turkey that causes this color change. As long as the turkey registers a temperture of 165 degrees F. it is safe to eat no matter the color.
RUB INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup paprika (Hungarian if you have it)
1/4 cup black pepper, freshly ground
1/4 cup celery salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons dry mustard
2 teaspoons cayenne
2 tablespoons lemon zest, dried
BRINE FOR SMOKING TURKEY:
T
By the way, I’ve done 10 Beer Butt seasoned chickens for 3 to 4 hrs in my side box smoker and they always turn out fantastic!
- TwinVee 19’ Cat -
Are ya IN yet?
www.gamecock.com
i have an orion cooker and it is the bomb. i cooked a 22lb turkey the other friday. injected/rubbed it and cooked it for 2 1/2 hours. it basically fell apart. this past saturday at the carolina game i put 6 large racks of pork spare ribs on that i had dry rubbed and refrigerated overnight. put them on at 2:30 and took them off at 4:10. then i put them on the hot grill for about 5 min per side with wet sauce on them to burn in the sauce.they basically fell apart also. they were so wet and tender jucy that you needed to eat popcorn with them to keep from strangling on the juice. even if i did cook them THOSE WERE SOME DADGUM GREAT RIBS!
Thanks to all, especially DillyDally, for taking all that time to give me the play-by-play for the the turkey. Where in the cooker are y’all measuring the temp? Near the firebox? The chimney? The built-in temp guage?
I brine the bird, too - - once you do that, you never stop. I’m going to check the pm, h20gul. The Brinkman people say I might want to drill some holes under the firebox to let in more air. I will try other things first. Glad to find some BBQ brothers on here. BTW, drop some hints that you want the book, “Peace, Love and BBQ”; it’s on its way to being THE BBQ book. Great info, recipes and some real funny stories - - he’s a 7 time grand national champ. NaClH20
Yo NaClH20, I don’t think you need a higher temp. I believe that bird will do just fine at an average temp of 225 (220 - 240). If you raise the temp the outside will burn and the inside will not get done (165 degrees internally). What you will need to do is allow plenty of time and plan on 30 to 40 minutes per pound. When you cook above 250 you are oficially grilling, not smoking. Smoking is low and sloooow. Also I like my thermometer to be close to where the meat is…just above the grill grate. That allows you to know what temp it is near the meat, which is where it matters.
DillyDally knows of what he speaks!
I would not drill any more holes in that cooker. If you cook over 275, you’re out of smoker temp. I use a digital probe in the breast:
I have a brinkman side cooker, and use a brinkman round dial temperature gauge on the top but since I choke the air flow down to very little, it stays at 230 pretty good. I only lift it to baste it and I do that really quickly.
Another good fuel is hickory infused charcoal by Kingsford, it’s really good, better than wood maybe, holds temp better and lasts longer. I’m working on a new toy, a basket to hold charcoal in the side burner so I can put a bunch in it, put some hot coals on top and let it burn down. That will give me a long cook time without having to refuel. More on that later.
I put my bird dead center, and under a big dripping pan with water in it. That shoulda been in the directions above!
- TwinVee 19’ Cat -
Are ya IN yet?
www.gamecock.com
DillyDally.
youdaman! We need to get together and talk BBQ. I have been getting great results with the ol’ Weber, and now have grown into a smoker. What I am learning here is that I can’t make a smoker into a grill. My results so far have been good ribs, butt roasts and shoulders, plus chickens and turkeys. Odd thing, the best turkeys I have cooked have been with a Weber and with onion pieces, garlic pieces and butter shoved under the turkey skins, and then pop-up thermometers…lately I am clearly a case of a little knowledge being a dangerous thing!
thanks again, NaClH20