Looks good to me. House smells awesome. Will have to wait until the wife gets home to taste, tho. 18 lbs thrown into the smoker at 9 this morning after cutting the breast and wings away from the back. If this turns out, I may have to try this again.

That looks great Slab.

That is great looking. What time's dinner?

Did you brine it? I've smoked a couple of turkeys but trussed them up whole with cotton string with the neck up in the Little Chief after brining in apple juice and water with a minimum amount of sea salt.

Ive got one brining as we speak, its going on the Traegar in the AM.

I also was going to ask if a brine was used. Did you cut it in half to reduce required cooking time? What kind of smoker?

Looks super

Give us a taste test summary.

i'm hungry

Since this was my first attempt, I didn't brine it. I smoked it in a Big Chief which sits inside a fridge, so the temp gets right up there. I cut it and put the two pieces on separate broiler pans. I couldn't close the front of the big chief, but I figured it wouldn't matter anyway, since the whole thing fits inside the old fridge.

Smoked with alder.

I should know in about a half hour whether or not it was worth it.

The dogs are drooling.....is that a good sign?

I'm drooling...

That's a good sign.

Me too! Looks yummy.

Looks excellent! I smoke Chicken all the time but now it looks like I gotta try a Turkey.

Thanks for the picture and sure would want a taste test report after the chow down happens.

Happy Thanksgiving,

fp

Goo work Slap!!

MMmmmmm TurrrrrKey

Looks really good Slab, when the skin starts to break like in the pic your done.

The carroll cookshack will be powered up tomorrow with three racks of coho.

tj

YUM if you didn't live so Dam for away Id be salivating at your front door.Looks good enjoy.

mine is in the brine too. Hickory smoked turkey and three pounds of almonds tomorrow....then a nap.

Well, here's the taste report............
Wife says, "Well, that's not the last one you're doing in the smoker."

Really tho, it's very good. Just the right amount of moisture. Done all the way through. Excellent flavor.

Steelspanker.....just used the smoker, no finish in oven. The inside of the fridge has no problem getting very hot, and with only a little air circulation (I removed the door seal is the only ventilation) so the wood smolders slowly. In 6 hours I only added wood once and it was still smoking when I removed the bird.

Thanks for the compliments, all. My wife wants me to cook the other turkey tomorrow in the smoker as well. I talked her out of it, so there would be a variety.

Have a great Thanksgiving everybody! Time for the ol' nap.

Slab!
That looks GREAT! Every year I threaten to smoke a turkey....
I feel like less than a man for merely deep-frying a non-smoked bird tomorrow!
Good Job!

I have yet to smoke a turkey, I need to try that some day.

I will be deep frying 3 of them tomorrow. Each one injected with different yummy sauces.

Got to feed about 30 people. Nobody has complained in the last 15 years.

Did the deep fry deal a few years back. Gonna have to to try and smoke one. Looks awesome. Might have to build a smoker as well.

For those of you that haven't smoked a turkey before here is a recipe I recommend and have working right now.

http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/258/AppleBrinedAndHickorySmoke72871.shtml

I did this three years ago when I bought a bradley smoker and my family insists on smoked turkey every time we make one now (I think this is #6). I would caution people with a Chief to make sure you are getting hot enough. You don't want Turkey to be between 40-140F for too long. With the Bradley I start at lower heat but finish at 250F. Being able to accurately control the temperature is one reason I retired the chief and bought the Bradley.

Happy Thanksgiving

After being inspired by Slab's turkey I have just put a 15 pound "sandwich" turkey into my smoker and was wondering how long it will take to cook once it is up to temperature. Just looking for a ballpark figure since I have a meat thermometer. I think the smoker will be around 220-240.