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NikoBrew
Joined: 30 Jun 2010
Posts: 22
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 Posted: Jul 18 2010 Post subject: smoking a turkey - question about wood size |
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There is no way to ask this without making me giggle.. I just got a bunch of wood from a local winery (plum and apple I think) and it's in small pieces, approx 12 inch by 2-4 inch. Is there a reason I HAVE to cut this up into smaller chunks, or can I just have one of these on the coals while I smoke?
Also, any suggestions as to how long to smoke for with a 12lb turkey? Taking it out of the brine in a few minutes and will be rinsing and prepping it to smoke, which I'll do in about six hours. |
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Beertooth
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Joined: 03 Nov 2007
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Location: Central Washington
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| Posted: Jul 18 2010 Post subject: |
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The larger the chunk of wood, the longer it will smoke. No reason to cut it up. I usually have fist size chunks that I add in one or two at a time as needed.
As for the turkey you should probably figure roughly 30 minutes per pound at about 230°F.
I'll be watching for some pics. 
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Brewin n Quein
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Joined: 25 Apr 2010
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Location: Denver, AR
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| Posted: Jul 18 2010 Post subject: |
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It should probably work just fine. If it were me id bust it in half to make it easier to work with. Are these cask staves or just wood from the orchard? I bet wine cask staves or bourbon barrel staves would make some interesting smoke. Has anyone ever tried that? If its just wood make sure its well seasoned , ie. been on the ground for at least a year. Cooking time depend on temp. At 225 I would allow an hour and a half per pound to be sure its done on time. Hungry people arent very patient.  I know some people do poultry at higher temps. but i have no experience with that. I do everything at 220-225. Hope this helps.
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k.c.hawg
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Joined: 17 May 2009
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| Posted: Jul 18 2010 Post subject: |
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The size of your wood chunks are fine....if you are using an upright smoker you could put 5 or 6 chunks that size in various spots in your charcoal basket. Cook the turkey to temp....a turkey that size for estimate purpose willneed 6 to 7 hours @ 225-250 Check the temp in the thigh.
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NikoBrew
Joined: 30 Jun 2010
Posts: 22
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| Posted: Jul 18 2010 Post subject: |
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It does help, thanks guys. As for cask staves, nope just dry wood. I THOUGHT I was going to get applewood
"I'm here for applewood"
"Okay, all our wood is over there, just drive up, get what you want and bring it back to be measured"
a few minutes later..
"Is what I got applewood?"
"No, applewood was in the middle of the piles, this was probably pear or (some other fruit I forget)"
Will still be tasty, and hey $3 to fill up the small cargo carrier area in my saturn vue... about 1 1/2 hours round trip though, next time i'll get more!
As for temps I'm still working on getting that dialed. Right now process is fill a stainless steel basket I got at the grocery store (took off the rubber feet, I think it was made for straining) with charcoal, fill half a chimney with charcoal and set that on my propane burner on the side of my grill. Get that going until they're red, dig a lil area in the top center of the basket and dump them in. Let that sit for a while until the flames die down. Set some wood on top of the SFB, then put some wood on and around the coals that are currently burning. When I feel like it and the wood looks like it's turned to nothing, add more.
I just got one of those thermometers with a probe, but it's not wireless. Can I leave this in the turkey the whole time? As I only need to check the turkey toward the end, how about sticking the probe in the hole in the side of my grill lid so I can use to it check temp of the smoke? I don't have a good mounted thermometer, I do have a standard long probe one though that I'll stick through the side and hope that it doesn't touch the metal inside the grill so I get an accurate read.
Thoughts, suggestions? Thanks!
OH and for how long of the turkey smoke do you folks typically keep the wood on? Don't want to oversmoke. |
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NikoBrew
Joined: 30 Jun 2010
Posts: 22
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| Posted: Jul 18 2010 Post subject: |
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Oh, I have a chargriller propane bbq with an SFB.
Also as for smoking temps, I've read on turkey anywhere from 220 all the way up to 350 without a problem. Anybody have experience with this in the higher temps? |
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Jarhead
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Joined: 11 Oct 2009
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| Posted: Jul 18 2010 Post subject: |
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NikoBrew, I like to cook my poultry between 325 & 350. Better texture on the skin.
Another tip is to pull the skin away from the meat as much as possible, put some of your rub on the meat. Use the handle of a wooden spoon for the thighs and legs. Replace the skin, rub with EVOO and more of your rub on the outside.
On the probe, I wouldn't put it in to start with, no need to put all that wear and tear on it when you know it's not done. I would put it in the thickest part of the thigh at about the 4 hour mark.
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NikoBrew
Joined: 30 Jun 2010
Posts: 22
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| Posted: Jul 18 2010 Post subject: |
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| Jarhead wrote: | NikoBrew, I like to cook my poultry between 325 & 350. Better texture on the skin.
Another tip is to pull the skin away from the meat as much as possible, put some of your rub on the meat. Use the handle of a wooden spoon for the thighs and legs. Replace the skin, rub with EVOO and more of your rub on the outside.
On the probe, I wouldn't put it in to start with, no need to put all that wear and tear on it when you know it's not done. I would put it in the thickest part of the thigh at about the 4 hour mark. |
Good call on the temp. With poultry you're not really going for fall of the bone tender etc. I like some texture to it, and I especially like knowing I don't have to be paranoid about keeping the temp low like 225  If it happens, cool, if not, no worries.
As for peeling the skin away from the meat..wouldn't it eventually just come off? as for "replace" do you stick toothpicks into it or anything to hold it? |
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NikoBrew
Joined: 30 Jun 2010
Posts: 22
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| Posted: Jul 18 2010 Post subject: |
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| one more thing, how about wood as the fuel source as well? I've got a firepit I can load with coals and throw the wood on top until the flame dies and its just smoldering, then I can put it in the sfb. Would this likely oversmoke and/or not provide enough heat? Light fruit wood. |
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Jarhead
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Joined: 11 Oct 2009
Posts: 7355
Location: Marionville, Home of the White Squirrels, Missouri
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| Posted: Jul 18 2010 Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | As for peeling the skin away from the meat..wouldn't it eventually just come off? as for "replace" do you stick toothpicks into it or anything to hold it? |
Don't take it completely off. Just gently separate it enough to get rub in between the meat and the skin. Try not to tear the skin. I do use toothpicks at the top of the breast skin and to pull the neck flap over the cavity. But I do turkeys beer can style on a TurKan.
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broncosmoker
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Joined: 04 Aug 2007
Posts: 717
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| Posted: Jul 19 2010 Post subject: |
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| Jarhead wrote: | NikoBrew, I like to cook my poultry between 325 & 350. Better texture on the skin.
Another tip is to pull the skin away from the meat as much as possible, put some of your rub on the meat. Use the handle of a wooden spoon for the thighs and legs. Replace the skin, rub with EVOO and more of your rub on the outside.
On the probe, I wouldn't put it in to start with, no need to put all that wear and tear on it when you know it's not done. I would put it in the thickest part of the thigh at about the 4 hour mark. |
+1 on what jarhead does.
I would also cut the wood down to chunks and toss into SFB as needed. It is easier to control how much smoke with smaller pieces than full logs if you are worried about too much smoker. |
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NikoBrew
Joined: 30 Jun 2010
Posts: 22
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| Posted: Jul 19 2010 Post subject: |
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| wings pointing up, or wings pointing down? Tied or untied? |
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Oregon smoker
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Joined: 07 Nov 2006
Posts: 6246
Location: Portland, OR
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| Posted: Jul 19 2010 Post subject: Re: smoking a turkey - question about wood size |
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| NikoBrew wrote: | There is no way to ask this without making me giggle.. I just got a bunch of wood from a local winery (plum and apple I think) and it's in small pieces, approx 12 inch by 2-4 inch. Is there a reason I HAVE to cut this up into smaller chunks, or can I just have one of these on the coals while I smoke?
Also, any suggestions as to how long to smoke for with a 12lb turkey? Taking it out of the brine in a few minutes and will be rinsing and prepping it to smoke, which I'll do in about six hours. |
Gotta love the drunken MILF's. 
That oughtta satisfy em. |
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NikoBrew
Joined: 30 Jun 2010
Posts: 22
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| Posted: Jul 19 2010 Post subject: |
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Sooo I forgot to take pics.
3:17pm - bird goes on the grill
10:30pm - bird comes off the smoker
11:21pm - bird is now carved and I am full and just drank the best damn beer ever - Sierra Nevada Torpedo IPA (my favorite beer you can get at a grocery store) went amazingly well with this.
Time well spent, looking forward to sandwiches this week, I think next time I'll JUST use the wood as a fuel source and for smoking. Went through a lot of charcoal and this could be smokier. Using a mixture of subtle fruit woods I think it's worth the experiment |
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cityevader
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Joined: 29 Jun 2009
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Location: San Jose, CA
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