Smoking 19lb Turkey

[Jomosmoke]

I have about a 19lb turkey that I was planning on smoking in my electric smoker.

Is this too big of a bird to smoke safely? If so, can I smoke if for several hours and then finish it off in the oven?

If it is not too big to smoke safely, how long does it generally take to smoke that size turkey in an electric smoker.

thanks.

[OKBBQEA]

If you can get the temp up to 325 to 350 in your electric you shouldn't have any problem smoking your turkey in it.

I also wouldn't see anything wrong with starting it in the smoker and finishing in the oven.

I'm doing something similar this year by starting in the smoker and finishing in the deep fryer.

19lb bird will probably take about 6-7 hours... I've seen someone else estimate them at about 20 mins per pound in another thread earlier today.
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I only believe in two basic food groups... Chili & BBQ
- - - - - - - - -
Brinkmann Duel Zone Pro Charcoal Grill
14.5" Weber Smokey Mountain
18.5" Weber Smokey Mountain x2
22.5" Weber Smokey Mountain
R&O Smokers Fat Girl
Ludicrous Speed Red Thermapen

[Harry Nutczak]

There are several discussions going on in the general BBQ section right now that might help you out.

A couple of things you will need to know is what temperature are you planning on cooking this bird at?

I like to cook poultry in my smoker at about 275-300 degrees, What temperatures is your electric smoker capable of handling for a long period.

If you do not know, it may be best to cook it today (1 day ahead of time) cool it, re-heat and serve next to a traditional baked bird. Holiday meals are not the correct time to experiment with things that you are unsure of the outcome or cook times. Many a turkey day has been ruined by experimentation. And I guess the family does not let you forget about too easliy either. (from what I have been told by others)

Good luck, and happy Thanksgiving
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Just remember that the toes you may step on during your climb to the top will also be attached to the a$$es you'll be forced to kiss on your way back down!

[OKBBQEA]

My family is used to my experimentation.... if I screw it up we'll just go down the street and have footlong coneys at Sonic...

Fortunately we've never had to do that.... I'm either damn good or damn lucky at what I do.
_________________
I only believe in two basic food groups... Chili & BBQ
- - - - - - - - -
Brinkmann Duel Zone Pro Charcoal Grill
14.5" Weber Smokey Mountain
18.5" Weber Smokey Mountain x2
22.5" Weber Smokey Mountain
R&O Smokers Fat Girl
Ludicrous Speed Red Thermapen

[dluther]

I've been smoking turkeys anywhere from 12 to 25lbs, and here's my method:

1) Brine it!!!

To me, plain turkey just tastes awful no matter what you do to it. My simple brine is 1 gallon of water, 1 cup of salt, and 1.5 cups of brown sugar, with spices to taste. I use a tablespoon of dried onion, a tablespoon of garlic salt, and a tablespoon of powdered poultry seasoning. Bring this solution to a boil then cool to room temperature, either by waiting for hours, or by putting a baggie with ice cubes in the solution. Brining accomplishes two things: it flavors the meat and helps in preservation by both killing bacteria and preventing bacteria to multiply (removing the giblet bag before brining helps reduce this risk because the gizzards and livers are extremely filthy organs that work through secreting enzymes). Brine in this solution for 18-36 hours, depending on the size of your bird. 24 hours doesn't hurt anything, and you'll be very pleased at the result. Try brining with the breast side down. For a single bird, you can use a 5 gallon insulated water cooler. You can line the cooler with a heavy trash bag (unscented!!!) and pour ice over the top to keep it cool. In any event, the bird should be fully immersed to get the desired effect.

2) Stuff it.

If you haven't done so already, remove the neck, giblet package, and pop-up thermometer if it has one. Twist the neck fat tightly a few times and tuck it under, removing the "bubble" you'll find there. In the cavity, put in 1 quartered medium yellow onion, 1 cored and halved apple, 1/4 stick of butter, and a sprig each of fresh rosemary, thyme, and sage. I've seen people use oranges as well, but I haven't tried it. These aromatics help keep the bird moist from the inside, and help flavor the meat as well. If you want to inject flavor, this is the time to do that.

3) Wrap it.

One small package of cheesecloth (I can't remember how many yards) that has been soaked in equal parts Lea and Perrin's worcestershire sauce and molasses (2 tbsp each) will wrap a turkey up to 25 lbs. Try and leave a hole for the cavity when wrapping if possible, but it's not entirely necessary. If you've ever had a smoked turkey that wasn't wrapped, it has a tendency to come out looking a bit like a football because the skin dries out too fast, even if you periodically spritz the bird when smoking it. Wrapping it in cheesecloth preserves the skin while allowing the smoke flavor to penetrate.

4) Smoke it.

I smoke turkeys at 225 degrees for between 12 and 16 hours:

12-15 lbs: 12 hours
16-20 lbs: 14 hours
21-25 lbs: 16 hours

Every two hours or so, have a bottle of turkey spritz, which is 2 cups water, 2 tbsp Lea&Perrin's Worcestershire sauce, and 2 tbsp molasses. Spritz the bird to help keep the cheesecloth moist and unburned. For the final 6 hours of smoking, turn the bird upside down with the legs elevated as much as possible; this is to help the juices settle into the breast meat.

5) Roast it.

The final step is to remove the bird from the smoker, cutting off the cheesecloth. Put this in a roasting pan with 1/2 cup of chicken broth, then seal very tightly with foil. Put it into a 250deg oven for 1 to 1.5 hours.

To be honest, step 5 isn't complete necessary as the turkey comes out of the smoker ready to eat. However, that last step will basically steam the turkey, and it comes out extremely tender, also swimming in a lot of juices. Now, you may be tempted to make gravy with this turkey juice -- resist that temptation. Smoked turkey is awesome! Smoked gravy, not so much.