What's in your smoker?

[dadof3illinois]

Originally Posted by Scothew

Got about a 12lb wild turkey that was killed a few weeks ago sitting in a brine of salt, sugar (per Brent), black pepper, rosemary and tyhme. I'll be smoking it tomorrow morning for a dinner tomorrow evening.

What do you guys think i should baste it with while smoking? Was thinking of throwing a few oranges or apples in the cavity while it smokes for some flavor, figured maybe baste with apple juice (no sugar added) but seeing pnoon saying something above about a apple juice/olive oil mix has me interested.

I've smoked several turkeys but never wild ones, just drink it....LOL...I know, I know that sucked!!!

My fav, is just injecting a little melted butter into the breast and coating the outside with a good dry rub. Smoke it at 200-220 degrees until it reaches 150, take it out cover it in foil and let it set for 30-45 mins. I use a gas smoker.

[forgop]

My understanding with brisket is that a low and slow method up to temps in the 195-205 range for optimum tenderness. They'll be "done", but not dry. I think mine last weekend was at the 195-200 range when I pulled it off and was excellent. Pulling it off <180 I've heard will make it very tough.

[Steve]

Originally Posted by forgop

My understanding with brisket is that a low and slow method up to temps in the 195-205 range for optimum tenderness. They'll be "done", but not dry. I think mine last weekend was at the 195-200 range when I pulled it off and was excellent. Pulling it off <180 I've heard will make it very tough.

x2. I usually take mine up to about 200 and then foil it and let it sit in a cooler wrapped in a towel for a couple of hours to let carry over finish it up.

just my

[forgop]

Stupid question-

If you had WSM, would you not use it in your garage or maybe a screened in patio under any circumstances? I was wanting to smoke some spare ribs and a couple of butts tonight, but it's raining now and a lot more is on the radar over the next couple of days.

If I did it in the garage, I would have a garage door open and leave a back door open to permit airflow through to keep it from lingering obviously. I also have a bit of a mancave in the garage where I smoke when it's cold. Aside from keeping it far away from any combustibles and the fact that it's not hitting high temps (well under 300 degrees), do you see it posing a huge risk?

[Scothew]

Originally Posted by Smokin Gator

Peter's idea of the apple juice and olive oil should work well. It is definitely a good idea to stuff the cavity. I usually do oranges and onions.

Hey brent, check your pm's sir.

[T.G]

Originally Posted by forgop

Stupid question-

If you had WSM, would you not use it in your garage or maybe a screened in patio under any circumstances? I was wanting to smoke some spare ribs and a couple of butts tonight, but it's raining now and a lot more is on the radar over the next couple of days.

If I did it in the garage, I would have a garage door open and leave a back door open to permit airflow through to keep it from lingering obviously. I also have a bit of a mancave in the garage where I smoke when it's cold. Aside from keeping it far away from any combustibles and the fact that it's not hitting high temps (well under 300 degrees), do you see it posing a huge risk?

Gonna have to start calling you Brad Delp, Dauane...


Screened in patio could possibly be ok depending on the airflow. Garage, could be a bit dangerous...

The problem isn't the combustibles, it's the carbon monoxide output from the burning briquettes.

[pnoon]

Originally Posted by T.G

Gonna have to start calling you Brad Delp, Dauane...


Screened in patio could possibly be ok depending on the airflow. Garage, could be a bit dangerous...

The problem isn't the combustibles, it's the carbon monoxide output from the burning briquettes.

Unless, of course, you are bucking for a Darwin Award.

[dadof3illinois]

Originally Posted by forgop

My understanding with brisket is that a low and slow method up to temps in the 195-205 range for optimum tenderness. They'll be "done", but not dry. I think mine last weekend was at the 195-200 range when I pulled it off and was excellent. Pulling it off <180 I've heard will make it very tough.

Same here but when I tried it I liked the way it turned out? Taking it off at 155 and letting it rest for at least 30 min in foil will bring the internal temp up to at least 165+. For me it wasn't tough but not falling apart either, more like a nice steak. I think it also depends how much you trim it too. I'll take the big back flap of fat off but leave everything else.

Smoking a small shoulder tomorrow, just finished the first dry rub, let it set overnight then rub it down again just before it goes in the smoker tomorrow morning........man I love pork.........LOL. If I remember I'll take some pictures of the before and after.

[forgop]

Originally Posted by T.G

Gonna have to start calling you Brad Delp, Dauane...


Screened in patio could possibly be ok depending on the airflow. Garage, could be a bit dangerous...

The problem isn't the combustibles, it's the carbon monoxide output from the burning briquettes.

Hence the ventilation of doors open (west to east) and I do have CO monitors. Plus I'd only do it just inside the edge of the garage door so a large portion of the smoke would likely escape outside without even going in the garage.

[jonumberone]

Not worth the risk IMO.
It will stop raining eventually!
What about under an EZ up Awning in the yard?

Look at what this dummy did.
http://articles.nydailynews.com/2011...ong-island-mom

[forgop]

Originally Posted by jonumberone

Not worth the risk IMO.
It will stop raining eventually!
What about under an EZ up Awning in the yard?

Look at what this dummy did.
http://articles.nydailynews.com/2011...ong-island-mom

Yeah, probably not the best of ideas, but it wouldn't be done without monitoring CO levels and making sure the venting was successful. It may come to the awning of some sort cuz I don't want to hold off smoking every time it rains.

That said, the lady in the article was no rocket scientist, but I just don't get charging her with reckless endangerment. Just seems over the top I guess.

[OLS]

Easter morning broke beautifully in West Tennessee, and ribs hit the grill. I didn't feel like breaking out a bunch of meat,
but I do like to play with fire. This is the best "LOOKING" rack of ribs I have ever made, but I have not tasted them yet....
wait.....ehh....good, but not great. This rack was funky when it came out of the pack. I have been very upset with Kroger
lately, and these ribs were just another brick in the wall. Proper cooking can take care of a little funk, however the flavor
is only a little changed. Safe to eat, but not a championship effort. I hooked up the BBQ committee with a little reward
today for keeping the property safe.

[Chainsaw13]

Dayum Brad, those ribs look really good.

[dadof3illinois]

Great looking ribs Brad!!!! I like the look of the glaze you used!!

The weather here has been bad to say the least but I was still able to get that picnic roast smoked. Had to fight the temp all day but in the end it was pretty nice. The only thing left was the bone...LOL. Now I wish I would have put a few ribs on with it.

[OLS]

That is the result of the first time I properly applied the Sweet Baby Ray's to the meat and left them for
their last session of hot coals. I usually use a pile of coals and a few chunks of smoke wood on top til
the temp fades a bit, usually about an hour and 15 mins, then I lay in some more coals and more smoke
for another similar time period, then the third time I lay in coals and no smoke wood and let it go til the
heat dies out. It is in that third session that I finally remembered to add the SBR to the meat and let that
heat do it's job. I really liked the look, and as usual, the black parts are actually only black in the pictures,
it's more like a deep purple. They were better semi-cool than they were hot. I harshly judged them at first.

I used to be a firm DRY ONLY kind of cat, but I am beginning to turn a bit from that.

[dadof3illinois]

I do a dry rub like you to start then finish with my sauce. My kids like them just falling apart so I'll smoke them for about an hour then wrap a slab in foil and finish them like that with the sauce. Almost like steaming them in their own juice. Not what I like but the kids love them this way.

[Scothew]

I failed on my turkey smoke.. i didn't get pics.

Overall though, the bird was wonderful! I was really worried as the breast wasnt getting up to temp so therefore the legs were getting a bit overdone and i was worried the bird was geting dried out (the skin looked that way). Overall though, it was very tender and juicy, the leg meat did get a tad overdone, they were a real dark meat with alot of tendon type fibers in them (wild turkey vs farm raised maybe?)

Everyone was loving the flavor though of the breast meat.

[OLS]

Originally Posted by Scothew

I failed on my turkey smoke.. i didn't get pics.

Overall though, the bird was wonderful! I was really worried as the breast wasnt getting up to temp so therefore the legs were getting a bit overdone and i was worried the bird was geting dried out (the skin looked that way). Overall though, it was very tender and juicy, the leg meat did get a tad overdone, they were a real dark meat with alot of tendon type fibers in them (wild turkey vs farm raised maybe?)

Everyone was loving the flavor though of the breast meat.

Turkey parts that are not the breast and thigh can be nearly inedible, just by their very nature.
TONS of connective tissue and tough sections (tendon type sections as you said.). It can be
tenderized by the proper heat application, but that's not saying you didn't do it right. Smoking
meat, unless you do it for a long time, can add to the trouble. If you want to smoke turkey,
buy the breast only, they sell em like that. You'll love it. Or buy it whole, smoke the breast and
thighs, and put the legs and wings in the stewpot with some veggies.

[forgop]

Originally Posted by OLS

Turkey parts that are not the breast and thigh can be nearly inedible, just by their very nature.
TONS of connective tissue and tough sections (tendon type sections as you said.). It can be
tenderized by the proper heat application, but that's not saying you didn't do it right. Smoking
meat, unless you do it for a long time, can add to the trouble. If you want to smoke turkey,
buy the breast only, they sell em like that. You'll love it. Or buy it whole, smoke the breast and
thighs, and put the legs and wings in the stewpot with some veggies.

No matter how you prepare a turkey, whether you smoke it, deep fry it, bake it, or use radiant heat, the wings are worthless. The legs can be troublesome as well. For your best bet and getting the entire thing to be edible, it's breast only.

[Scothew]

Thanks guys.

Yeah the wings were cut off when we cleaned the bird. The left one sort of took some serious damage in the form of a 12ga at about 20yds. I stripped hte meat off of one of the legs, and while hte meat was great tasting, it was definitely tougher, almost like a jerky. I didnt fool with teh other leg because it was just to much work for that small amount of meat.