Turkey - Chips instead of Chunks???

Stuworld · November 2010

My dealer was out of cherry chunks, so I grabbed a bag of cherry chips and a bag of pecan chips. I've never used pecan before, but a lot of people on the forum seem to really like it with poultry, so I was going to do a 50/50 mix.

I see that Mad Max recommends a couple of cherry chunks in his recipe. What would be the equivalent in chips? The bird is 16 lbs and we are going to roast as per the Mad Max instructions. I see a lot of warnings over smoke and poultry, so don't want to ruin this before the bird even hits the egg.

Also, since this will be a multi-hour cook, do I need to soak the chips overnight or beforehand? Usually I just mix them in with the lump dry and notice that there are leftovers when I still the lump on the next cook.

It constantly amazes me how this simply constructed egg has so many variables to learn about along the journey.

Thanks for your help!

glc203 · November 2010

Whether its chips or chunks, go real easy on the smoke. I wouldn't put in more than one smallish chunk or a small handful of chips. I wouldn't bother with soaking.

Poultry soaks up smoke in a big way. Go easy.

[Deleted User] · November 2010

If I can, I prefer to use chunks. IMHO it delivers a slower,more "metered", smoke rather than the chips which seem to only last a few minutes and burn off quickle.

The store I went to had stainless steel carriers for wood chips... about 2" x 6" x 1" with holes to let the smoke out. You set it in the middle of the fire. Seems like it would help the smoke from chips be deliverd in somewhat a "slow release" fashion, more like chunks.

Just my two cents worth.

fishlessman · November 2010

if this is your first egged turkey go light with the smoke, maybe half a handful to start and another half handful half way into the cook. you will taste just a little smoke at meal time and later on for sandwiches the smoke will be a bit heavier, not sure why that is but its smokier once it chills. experiment with more smoke on a different day. 2 parts pecan and 1 part cherry would be a good ratio, i mostly use pellets with turkey as they burn fairly quick and i dont want it sitting in smoke the whole cook

crghc98 · November 2010

with cherry and pecan I'd do the following...also both will add color to the skin so be careful, cherry more dark, pecan more golden...

I'd go with about a 1/4 to a 1/3 a handful of cherry and about 1/2 a handful of pecan, mixing them together and then put them in the area of my fire. For 325 I'd probably light in 3 small places, so I would divide the chips evenly and place near the areas I'm going to light.

I'd check about 1/2 way through the cook and if needed throw in maybe another 1/2 a handful, but that would be it on poultry...

This of course is set to the flavor of smoke I like, and yours may be more or less....

Stuworld · November 2010

Thank you all for your suggestions. In the past I have always mixed the chips in with the lump while loading. Should I be throwing them on top of an established fire instead?

Thanks again.

Stu

fishlessman · November 2010

most dont like an overly smoky turkey and dont even add the chips, if you want a little smoke cut way back from what you would normally do for pulled pork or ribs etc. probably half here wont even add chips, the lump is smokey enough for their families

Frank from Houma · November 2010

Neaux chips or chunks on poultry but if you do geaux light like the others said

I will probably geaux with a half dozen pieces (6-8 inches long) of split sugar cane - real light smoke. But if I didn't have the sugar cane, I wouldn't add any smoke.

Turkey - Chips instead of Chunks???

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