Ice the Breast when Smoking Turkey

Jonnio

So I read the guide on the Naked Whiz site regarding roasting a full turkey and icing the breast down prior to cooking it, but I was wondering if the same thing applies if you are going to slow cook it at 250. I am thinking of using apple and smoking the Easter bird this year.

Celtic Wolf

Jonnio,[p] Yes. Breast meat cooks faster then the darker meat. Icing down the breast gives the dark meat a chance to catch up.

Car Wash Mike

Jonnio,
I wouldn't suggest a low and slow turkey. Evrything I have read says to cook at 350ish. You will get enough smoke flavor that way.[p]Mike

stike

Jonnio,
cooking at 250 will only really extend your cook time. it's not like pulled pork where the long slow cook transforms 'junk' meat into something entirely different.[p]if you are doing it in order to drag out the cook time, it should be fine, but if you are doing it to try it as a lo-and-slo, not worth it. [p]i believe fishless had done many of them at 250. maybe he'll chime in as to whether it ends up very different from a regular 350-degree cook.[p]lots of folks find that turkey is so mild, the smoke flavor really stands out. it doesn't 'absorb' more readily, it just is really more apparent. don't go nuts with smoke, if that another reason behind going at 250.

fishlessman

Jonnio,
i think it makes a bigger difference with the higher temp cooks to use the ice. lower temp birds have a different texture than roasted birds, they are moist to the point that they are a little gummy if cooked at 250 over a drip pan of water and i use frozen kosher birds for low and slows, fresh ones get the higher temp cook. either way, point the legs toward the rear of the cooker and light the egg off center towards the back, it will be hotter back there so the legs will cook faster. i would save this for a day when there is no pressure and just roast the bird according to maxs directions, his method works well in the egg.

Jonnio

Thanks for the tips. I vaguely remembered the thread a few weeks ago about food safety with smoked turkey so I should probably re-read that. I have been doing some searches today on the web and have found that if you stick to the smaller birds you should be fine.[p]My dilema is that back when using my Brinkmann water smoker I did turkey a few times with a recipe having apples, onions, coke and a few other things in it and my wife and I LOVE how it turns out (this was back before I found the good bbq forums ) so I am a little leary about totally changing off of what has worked in the past.[p]I will definately be following the guide on the NW site sometime to a T and see how it does, but I tend not to experiment too much with company coming over.[p]-Jon