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setting up for a long smoke 411

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semper fi shane
semper fi shane Posts: 27
edited October 2011 in EggHead Forum

going to have to put the Turkey on at around 3am today. my question is, what is the best way to set up the lump and smoke wood chunks to get the longets smoke.  last time i smoked something i mixed the wood chip and lump together, added some wood chunks through out at the onset of getting the temp to around 200.  what i found was that initial there was tones of smoke.  is that comomon and did the wood chips all burn off initial?  should i, this time, get the temp just right and then add the wood?  S.O.S...

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  • BBQMaven
    BBQMaven Posts: 1,041
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    The Egg doesn't "smoke" when it is stable... the wood chips/chunks are burning, just so clean it doesn't pour smoke like other cookers. If you want smoke the whole time:
    start with empty fire box and put a chunk or two on the fire grate
    add about a third of the lump you plan on using and put another chunk or two
    add about another third and again put a chunk or two
    finish filling and light... when you are ready to drop in the plate setter, throw on a chunk or two....
    WARNING
    if you do what I've suggested, you will REALLY have a smoke flavor... skip a layer or two if you don't want a heavy smoke flavor.....

    At any time during the cook, put the palm of your hand above the top vent in the "exhaust" for a second or two and then smell your skin... that's whats going into the meat
    Kent Madison MS
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  • semper fi shane
    semper fi shane Posts: 27
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    Turkeys can really take up a lot of smoke so be careful. Always better too little than too much ( smoke is like salt). Why are you slow smoking a turkey? I usually do them at 350+. Low and slows are best for fatty meats that don't take up smoke like crazy.
    i'm doing a 17lb turkey.  so at 350, how long should it take?  from what i have read before it is about 40 min per lb. so this would about 13 hrs at 225 or so....
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  • Feeding Frenzy
    Feeding Frenzy Posts: 87
    edited October 2011
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    @shane Don't do a turkey at 200.  The skin will be like glue, and the meat like mushy rubber.  I wouldn't cook it at any less than 325 and it should take 20-25 minutes a pound.  Cook it to an internal temp of 165 breast.  As others have mentioned, poultry takes smoke easily, so beware of oversmoking. 
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  • Squeezy
    Squeezy Posts: 1,102
    edited October 2011
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    I totally agree with all above ... no benefit to cooking any poultry low-n-slow!
    Never eat anything passed through a window unless you're a seagull ... BGE Lg.
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  • semper fi shane
    semper fi shane Posts: 27
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    Ok, here is what i did.  I cooked it at 325 as I would in the oven. it was indirect using the plate setter. the bird was 17 lbs, so i was planning on about 6.5 hrs.  Put the bird on the BGE at 1030am.  the digital themometer that takes the BGE internal temp not the standar issue BGE thermometer, was at 330 the whole time.

    at 1230 i was going to baste the turkey and I noticed the juices were clear and the wing was almost off, so i checked the birds temp and it shot up to 170 almost immediately.  DONE!! 2.5 hrs too early for my guests to arrive.  So i wrapped it in foil and put it in the over (not on of course). 

    The turkey was great, used a mix of apple and hickory, had great smokey flavor.

    So, what i need to understand is why did it finish cooking so early?

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