Smoking a turkey. Brine or no?

No, you will run the risk of eating mush.

I wouldn't brine if it's pre-brined. Or at the very least, go super light or sans salt and stick to other spices (peppercorn, thyme, rosemary, clove, etc.)

Spatchcock and dry brine for a few days.

Smoke at 325 with something light like sugar cane.

I like to smoke them on my egg indirect. Watch it close, it will cook faster than you think.

If it is a fresh bird I would use 3/4 cup of salt for 2 gallons of water...If it is a frozen bird I would use a half cup of salt for 2 gallons.
I used a frozen bird and it was just a little bit too salty. When I made the stock for the gumbo I didn't even need any salt.

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Smoking a turkey. Brine or no?

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Brine.

Brining the turkey, then allowing it to dry overnight (an optional step) ensures a flavorful and well-seasoned bird with a skin that's dry enough to brown deeply. Smoking the turkey until the breast reaches 150°F produces a bird that's safe to eat, succulent, moist, and delicious.

For the brine
2 quarts apple juice
1 pound light brown sugar
1 cup kosher salt
3 quarts cold water
3 oranges, quartered
4 ounces fresh ginger, unpeeled and thinly sliced
15 whole cloves
6 bay leaves
6 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 natural turkey
2 to 3 small chunks of apple wood

After your smoker, this is the most important thing you’ll need. You might think it’s the turkey. But you can’t brine a bird that size without ole blue.


$20, get’em anywhere

Put the apple juice, brown sugar, and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve. Boil for one minute, remove from heat, let the mixture come to room temperature, then refrigerate to 40°F(cold).


Go get a beer and grab ole blue. Pour the beer into your mouth and the apple juice mixture in with the remaining brine ingredients. When adding the oranges, squeeze each piece into the juice, then drop in the peel. Set the turkey in the brine, breast side down. Put something on top to keep the turkey submerged. Place in the refrigerator and let brine for 24 hours. I’ve been going 36. I tried it once and noticed a difference. I’ve done it that way ever since.

Take the turkey out of the brine and pat it dry with paper towels. Place turkey on a rack over a rimmed baking sheet and allow to air-dry overnight in the refrigerator. (optional, but gives ya a crisper skin.)

Take the turkey out of the fridge, fold the wings under the body and tie the legs together. Let the turkey to come to room temperature while you set up the smoker.

Get your smoker to 350°F. Add the chunks of apple wood and when the wood is burning and producing smoke, place the turkey in the smoker. Smoke until an instant-read thermometer reads 150°F in the thickest part of the breast, about 2 to 3 hours.

Remove the turkey from the smoker and allow to rest, uncovered, for 20 to 30 minutes. Carve and serve.

You’ll never not brine again. Also, when you’re making the brine, everybody’s gonna ask what you’re making. It smells awesome.

I smoked a 26 lb turkey two weekends ago on my pellet grill.

No brining. It was a last minute thing so I just spiced it and used my drunken chicken holder with a can of water inside. Cooked for about 10 hours and came out amazing.

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Cooked for about 10 hours

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