Smoking turkey

Unknown

I bought my first green egg last week. I decided to smoke a turkey and followed the recipe in the book that came with the unit. I maintained the temperature between 275 and 300 degrees, used a meat thermometer to monitor doneness, and used apple chips for smoke flavoring. I was a bit disappointed with the results. Although the bird was tender and juicy, it did not have much of a smoke flavor. How do I increase the smoke flavoring? Each time I added wood chips, the smoke merely lasted for about ten minutes before escaping from the top vent. Should I close the top vent to keep the smoke in longer? How often should I add more wood chips? I would appreciate suggestions anyone can offer. Thanks.

jake42

Todd,
I have always had better results with wood "chunks" instead of chips. The chips tend to just burn up, even when you soak them. The wood chunks however don't need to be soaked and will last for quite sometime.

Marvin

Todd,
Any food takes up smoke better when it is cold. The best way to enhance your smoke (but be careful; poultry takes it up in gobs)is to put the bird on right out of the fridge and right after you start the fire. Chips are fine. Throw them on just after you have lit the lump; put on the bird; slowly raise the temp to the cooking point - about 350. All the smoke will be produced in the first 30 minutes; no need for any more chips. Have fun.

locolongball

Todd,[p]Make sure and soak your wood chucks, perfer 12-24 hours before, that would help. If you forget, atleast let them soak a couple of hours. This will keep them from burning off. [p]Remeber, the thing that I've learned about the egg... It is perferct, that's a fact. It is I that will screw things up now and then. The Indians fault, not the arrow. :-) Welcome to the fam!

Cajun

Todd,[p]The answers you have below are good ones. I do something that I think increases the smoke flavor (that both my better half and I both love).[p]I use both chips and chunks. I used to soak both at least a half hour before using them. I read a thread here where discussion as to the benefits of soaking were discussed and I decided to try it dry. I do not really find any difference in smoke with dry and wet. Not anything significant anyway, so I don't soak them anymore.[p]I usually get my turkey and add spices or whatever before the cook, then into a deep freezer for an hour to an hour and a half before I want to put it on the grill. Cold meat absorbs smoke more readily than warm or room temp meat, I have found. I then light up the BGE, get it up to 200° on the dome thermostat, add chips and chunks, put on the turkey, and let it sit at 200° for about 15 minutes. Open the slot(s) a little to get to 250° for about another 15 minutes. Then slowly let the temp go up to 350° and cook until the breast is at the temp I want it. That give me about 45 minutes of low temp smoking and I get a good smoke flavor to da bird.[p]There are lots of ways to get to where you want to go. You will experiment with many different ways until you get to your favorite. None of us have the "right" way. There ain't no "right" way. There are as many ways of doing things as there are eggers wanting the best they can get from their equipment...... in their opinion. And that is what counts, it is the best you can get in your opinion. The techniques discussed here are tried and true, each for the individual egger.[p]This is mine.... It is my opinion and not to be considered the truth.[p]You are on an adventure to gooooood eatin'. Enjoy the trip.[p]Cajun

RRP

Todd,
let me be the first to strongly suggest that you pitch that cookbook! I'm dead serious - that was written "generations ago" - the only for sure good page is the registration page to fill out and send it. This site has two recipe sections and if you become a regular here you'll see new ideas and recipes all the time. Also write to Wise One for his downloadable BGE cook book.

locolongball

Cajun,[p]that makes sense! I'm going to try it! Awesome post Cajun!

StumpBaby

Marvin,[p]Oooh...I dont know bout that..that there could lead to a turkey what tastes like it spent the better part of a day inside a monkeys sphincter...note I said could..One time..right bout the time I got mine egg..I started the fire and after about 5 minutes I threw a pork roast on there..now there's smoke..and then there's smoke..I read once where folks used the term clean smoke..which I thought was one of them ox morons..I mean what kinda stupid ox did they think I was..clean smoke indeed..but right after I sunk my teeth..what little ones I got left..into that there pork roast..oh..man..it tasted like I covered it in tar..jammed it in a monkeys butt crack, fed the monkey a bushel of prunes..then pointed him to my lit fireplace and waited an hour or so...good lord it was nasty...that's when I unnerstood what is clean smoke and what is dirty smoke..dirty smoke can happen even if you don't have a monkey though..although it prolly isn't near as much fun..and your directions there esplain somethin pretty close.[p]Seee..the prollem was I threw the pork roast..havin no monkey..right on the fire soon after lightin it..so the fire was still burnin off all the lump dust and whatnots..them radical whatnots and dust was bein carried directly up an all aroun my pork roast (prolly thought it was a monkey..whatnots love monkeys..an dust..dust loves monkeys too..I don't know why..once my gramma made me a monkey outta ole socks..an somehow it always made it under the bed..with whatnot an dust all over it....I was always cleanin off that darned thing....many years later I would catch my brother..who slept in a bed across from me..doin somethin to that monkey what wasn't rite..an when he saw me..he threw that monkey across the room under mine bed..I sure was mad at him like you read about..near as I can figure..he thought my monkey needed cleanin..an his way of gettin me to do it was to rub it like that (an he couldnt use his hans cause they was dirty too..an poppa always tole us..dirty hans onlee lead to a dirty monkey)..till it got all statikee and then throw it under my bed knowin the static would cling to all the dust bunnies..and so the darned thing would need washin..that static is stron stuff..if you let it sit overnight..you sure have a hard time pullin offa that dust and hair..I sure spent a whole lotta time washin a monkey what was prolly fine eccept for him)..anyway..where was I...oh yea..[p]that roast just plain tasted awful..an that's when I decided either I was an ox moron or that guy was rite bout that unclean smoke..so now..I always wait till I got me a nice fine establishe fire..an no black uggly smoke is comin outta there before I throw nuttin on there..now this don't men it's gotta be way up in temp..no way..you can still shut the dampers down a bit to keep the temp low..and it'll burn off the ugly black monkey smoke..you overshoot your temp your in trouble gettin it back down very fast..you might as well walk away..maybe go wash your monkey an come back later. Now other than that...I always use wood chunks for long burns..them chips is for short burns only cause they is gone real quick..tween you an me.. even tho its real fast..its still prolly slower than it took my brother to make my monkey need a good washin..now another thing..is them poultrys is smoke ho's..they suck up smoke like you read about..so you could go on and add a lotta smoke and then fine your poultry ho isn't good cause it's got too much smoke..nobody wants a poultry ho that took too mucha nuttin in I'll tell you that..so your gonna hafta esperiment on what you like..but I wouldnt go off the bat and do somethin like throwin a hole buncha wood chunks in for the next cook..take baby steps[p]as far as soakin the wood..I don't do it..used to..but I can't spend all my time washin my wood..poppa says it'll give me sores..and besides..I figyah I did all that washin of my monkey..I prolly used up moren my share of water already. Never seen a difference in saokin or not soakin of wood chunks...maybe other folks do..but not me..[p]StumpBaby

Unknown

Todd,
When you get the fire stable for me at 350, put the chips or chuncks on the fire. As soon as the smoke gets going, put the bird on. I don't like to over do it by putting to many wood chips in, but never soak them. Soaking chips is for the gassers. I also like the idea of the bird being close to room temp. You may want to try iceing down the breast about 20 minutes before putting the turkey on the fire. That method will slow down the cooking on the breast and give the other parts time to cook without over cooking the breast. [p]Jerry

katman

Todd,[p]Apple is one of my favorite smoking woods, but it is relatively mild. If you want a stonger flavor combine some hickory or oak with the apple. I pretty much always use chunks unless I'm quick cooking fish or a steak. On these fast cooks I do throw in a handful of chips. I never soak my wood.[p]If you are doing a big roast or large turkey, spreak 3-5 good sized chunks throughout your lump before starting your fire. Get the fire going and slowly bring it up to temp. Don't add the meat too early. Usually takes me 45 minutes or so to get a stable temp for a long cook.[p]I do large ( 18 lb and above) turkeys at about 325-350.
When you have a good fire going both top and bottom vents are just slghtly open and you will see just a wisp. Adjust the number of wood chunks over several cooks. You will eventually figure out how much flavoring wood (and the types) tastes best for you. [p]

fishlessman

Todd,
i use pecan pellets for turkey and wrap them loosely in foil. i almost always add a chunk of cherry wood to the center. buy some chunks, better than the chips and they smoke longer. i use those pecan pellets because i bought a large quantity years ago and im to cheap to upgrade to pecan chunks until there gone.throw the book away after filling out the warranty card and sending it in. cook your turkey at 350 degrees instead