My sister talked me into smoking one of the 3 turkeys planned for our Thanksgiving meal. I'm fairly new to smoking meats. Been doing it for about a year and a half. I've done ribs, brisket, and a few turkey breasts and am mostly happy with how everything turned out. But I haven't done a full size turkey before and I'm looking for suggestions and ideas so I don't screw this up.
First, I'd like to keep it simple. Brining and maybe a good rub. I've read quite a bit on the subject and have some questions for you guys.
The turkey: 18 lbs.
Smoker: Traeger pellet smoker.
Brining: I'm planning to brine the turkey but I'll only have about 24 hours to do it. Is that enough time?
Butterfly: Should I butterfly (or spatchcock) the turkey or leave it whole?
Wood: I'm thinking of using an Apple/Cherry blend but the wife wants me to include some Mesquite. We both love Mesquite but just about everything I've read says to avoid it with poultry. Would a 25 or 30% mix
Time: This is where I just don't know. If I butterfly it I assume it will cook much faster but I don't want it to cook too fast so that it will have time to get a good smokey flavor.
Temp: I'm thinking 225°
Internal temp: I've read that I shouldn't exceed an internal temp of 150° to avoid getting the bird too dry. 165° is the government recommended temp. Anybody have thoughts on this?
Anything else I need to consider or is there anything I've missed?
First, I'd like to keep it simple. Brining and maybe a good rub. I've read quite a bit on the subject and have some questions for you guys.
The turkey: 18 lbs.
Smoker: Traeger pellet smoker.
Brining: I'm planning to brine the turkey but I'll only have about 24 hours to do it. Is that enough time?
Butterfly: Should I butterfly (or spatchcock) the turkey or leave it whole?
Wood: I'm thinking of using an Apple/Cherry blend but the wife wants me to include some Mesquite. We both love Mesquite but just about everything I've read says to avoid it with poultry. Would a 25 or 30% mix
Time: This is where I just don't know. If I butterfly it I assume it will cook much faster but I don't want it to cook too fast so that it will have time to get a good smokey flavor.
Temp: I'm thinking 225°
Internal temp: I've read that I shouldn't exceed an internal temp of 150° to avoid getting the bird too dry. 165° is the government recommended temp. Anybody have thoughts on this?
Anything else I need to consider or is there anything I've missed?
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