Turkey advice

RickyB0bby

I bought a 15 lb. bird to smoke for Thursday. My dilemma is I have to work all day Wednesday and then we are having T-giving 2.5 hours away at my Father-in-law's. My plan is to inject and brine tonight and keep it in a cooler packed in with ice. Wednesday when I take my lunch break I'll start the fire, rinse off the brine and apply the rub and let it smoke at a lower heat (250-275) while I finish out the day at the office. When the bird comes to temp, should I leave it all in 1 piece or cut it up separating light from dark and bag it up to sous vide the next day to heat it up? Is there a better method? I've got to leave that evening to drive up to my FIL's so I can spend as much time as possible with family since I have to leave early Thursday to be back at work on Friday (new job, no vacation time). Anyhow, sorry if this is a rambling post, but I know this is the place to go when you got questions.

TheToast

That’s a tough one. So you need to take it off on Wednesday then eat it on Thursday? I’d probably do as you say - after cooking and resting it a good 1hr at least, carve it into bits.

I don’t have a sous vide so would be stuck with an oven, and I’d take the breasts off whole, cool and wrap in foil and do the same with the dark meat for easy transportation. Then to reheat I’d put in oven in a tray and pour on some Turkey juice I’d save, to keep it moist. 

QDude

I hate to be a contrarian, but a turkey cooked in a Reynold's turkey bag in the oven does a great job and takes only a couple of hours.  We alternate every year between the egg and doing it in the oven.

The turkey will stay hot for hours if you wrap it in foil and towels and put it in either a cooler or a large roasting pan.  Can you cook it Thursday morning?