How To Smoke A Turkey | Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker | Charlie Mckenna

[@tincat2173]

I have smoked 12 pound turkeys and your information is spot on with the exception that I use for resting. I place the turkey, wrapped in towels and place in a closed cooler for resting which gives me the most moist turkey you could imagine.

[@ChoadIam]

I also do this method however I do not wrap the turkey in a towel. I will place a towel in the bottom of the cooler. I will then place an aluminum pan on top of that. I place the bird in the pan and cover it in foil and then place another towel on top of that and close it up until I am ready to carve it.

[@tcrichens]

how long do you rest it for? Also curious, do you put ice in the cooler?

[@skydaddy2426]

​@@tcrichensis say 3-4 min per pound minimum is what I'd do for my first one and go from there. Watch out tho. The bird will be insanely moist. If you are not used to it you might not like it like that.

[@narbekalantarians6269]

I've been cooking the family turkey on my WSM 22 for at least a few years now, and it's always money.

[@EntropyGuardian]

I've smoked 3 turkeys on my 22" kettle. This year I have a 22" wsm. I always spatchcock the turkey though. Doesn't look like a norman Rockwell bird but it sure is good.

[@mikewright9547]

Okay doing this, this Christmas for sure. Looks pretty straight forward

[@mojonewslk]

Beautiful videos pleased chicken looks like your delicious.

[@johnnyduran4187]

how much charcoal and do you use wood chips

[@ashea9112]

Great video, nice detail! Question, doesn’t the salty brine make the bird already really salty? I’d be hesitant to add more salt.

[@OlesonMD]

No, that is not too salty! That is a huge piece of meat, so do not worry.

[@Flachaz]

I've been brining turkeys and chickens for years and never added additional salt after brining. I usually brine turkeys 12-18 hours and chickens 6-8 hours.

[@KentAnderson-s4p]

I enjoyed the video and it was informative. Where exactly would you stick the thermometer to check for the 160 deg?

[@GrillwithWeber]

Hi Kent! Happy Thanksgiving! We suggest checking the temp in the thickest part of the breast.

[@FrankC656]

I needed this a few weeks ago. Going non traditional this year, brisket on my 22 WSM for thanksgiving. Maybe a smoked turkey next year.

[@jdem1380]

How many turkeys can you cook in this? One at bottom and one at top? Let’s say 2 at 16-18lbs. Great video

[@aceswild1960]

How long will it take to cook a 13 pound turkey using a water smoker?

[@WeberEnthusiast]

Great job cooking this for thanks giving 👌👌

[@GrillwithWeber]

🙌🙌🙌

[@philholmes893]

HELLO I have smoked one turkey on the smokey mountain 22 in the past turned out great I use the bbq guru system cook at 225 with hickory wood chips I'm going to use a roasting pan with one turkey ( so we can make gravy ) placing it in the lower shelf and on the top I was going to remove the back bone lay it flat on the top grill i need to smoke 2 turkey weighting between 12 to 14 lbs each will this work or is it to close to the coals. I'm putting celery carrots and chicken stock in the pan

[@garretkom]

Awesome video.

[@GrillwithWeber]

Thanks Garret ☺️☺️

[@kickstand8475]

How much Kohl's will take you to 225 or 250

[@DeanFlora-k1l]

Hi. thanks. 2 questions - 1) what is the best wood to smoke a turkey? and 2) do I just keep adding charcoal and more wood chips to keep the temp at 250? Mine always seems to drop in temp unless I am almost constantly adding charcoal. thanks! Happy thanksgiving!

[@GrillwithWeber]

Hi Dean, we would suggest adding more charcoal every hour if needed. The wood chips depends on how smokey you want the flavor.

[@Jack-bq2jm]

wish you showed us the fire part

[@MrBblhed]

Alright, I am going to admit that I cheat when I do this. Once the bird is prepped I setup a snake on my Kettle with fruit wood chips at the front end, normally apple but I have used Chery. I then stick 3 probes of my iGrill into that bird, one in the breast opposite the popup timer, and one in each leg, I use the 4th probe to monitor cook temp. After bout a half hour of smoking I transfer the bird over to my 3 Burner Spirit, I only use one burner on to keep temps between 250 and 300, where I finish the cook. I have done full cooks on the kettle in the past and I really don't taste any difference, I have also done full cooks on the propane and while it was fine, it tasted like it was cooked in an oven. I like this system because it gives me a nice smoked flavor, it is a lot easier to control the heat, cleanup is really easy, the oven is free for other things, and I am out of the kitchen. Another advantage of my method is that I can use the kettle to cook or warm things until it goes out. I discovered this method by accident / necessity one year when the stove failed with a turkey in the oven and guests on the way, just an FYI, with a Weber kettle, a Weber Spirit, 2 Coleman stoves, and a lodge Dutch oven my wife and I turned out a great Thanksgiving dinner and no one suspected anything until they noticed that the stove wasn't a mess and the clock was off.

[@rockturtleneck]

Great video, short and straightforward. I think I'm going to rock a turkey on my WSM this Xmas. Question: when you brine the bird, does it need to go in the fridge, or can I keep it in the garage or somewhere like that, since there's ice in the brine?

[@hekilledkenny64]

You can leave it in the garage as long as it's covered and it stays cold. We beine our turkey every year and we just use a rubber maid container from Dollar General or Walmart because it's cheaper. A big cooler is the best way to go if you are gonna put it in the garage. I recommend adding cut citrus in your brine though, it adds a sweet and juicy note that mixes really well with the smoke of the turkey. I wouldn't add more than 3 oranges and 3 lemons, to the bird, and stuff about 3 lemons or 3 oranges to the inside cavity of the turkey. Any more, and it just tastes like citrus. I also recommend seasoning the brine in general, he doesn't say this but if you are trying to get the seasoning IN the meat it's a good way to do that without having to handle a wet bird and seasoning containers right off the bat. But if you don't mind that, recommend getting an injector and combining your seasoning with the brine and adding that to the breast of the meat and some of the other thicker parts. Happy Smokin!

[@rockturtleneck]

@@hekilledkenny64 Great, thanks for such a detailed reply!

[@hekilledkenny64]

@@rockturtleneck no problem!

[@bnthebox]

How long would say to smoke a 16lb bird

[@lemondirvin]

How long do you rest the bird after taking it off the smoker? I may have missed that.

[@GrillwithWeber]

Let it rest for 20-30% of the total cooking time. You can loosely cover the turkey with a piece of aluminum foil while it is resting or you can just leave it uncovered.

[@sonboogie]

Why sugar?

[@SFirlein]

Is there a link to the brine recipie and seasoning you used? Is there a certain weight for a turkey that makes it optimal for cooking?

[@GrillwithWeber]

Brine Recipe: 2 large onions, chopped 2 large carrots, chopped 4 celery stalks, chopped hot water, 1/2 gallon sugar, 175 grams salt, 90 grams Seasoning: lilliesq.com/products/q-rub Optimal Weight for Smoking a Turkey: There is no optimal weight on the Turkey. Whatever fits in your grill and is needed for amount of people you’re feeding. Just remember that Turkey needs sufficient air flow.

[@GrillwithWeber]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/eHKbYndnbrabaKc

[@jcbever1511]

For the wood used to smoke the turkey, did you place it on top of the charcoal or underneath?

[@MrBblhed]

I do mine in a kettle with a charcoal snake and I put my wood on top of the charcoal. I use either dry or just damp chips.

[@Steven-bo9ds]

Followed your recipe on my 22” WSM and churned out the best ribs I’ve ever had! Thanks - can’t wait to smoke these again soon!!

[@flyingdutchman80]

How much salt and sugar? Smoker at 250°? Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving!

[@GrillwithWeber]

175g (1 & 1/2 cups) of Sugar and 90g (3/4 cup) of salt. Grill at 250 degrees!

[@kennygwalker]

Could I still do this with an 18 inch Webber kettle?

[@GrillwithWeber]

Absolutely. Check out a Smoked Turkey on the Kettle recipe here: www.weber.com/US/en/blog/grilling-inspiration/smoked-turkey-on-a-kettle/weber-30302.html

[@kupua]

Wondering as I know the cooked temp is 165°F (pull temp ~155°F), but where do you place the temp probe to insure that the breast and thigh are “done” at the same time??? in the breast or in the thigh? Or some other location?

[@GrillwithWeber]

Hi! We suggest placing the probe in the thickest part of the breast.

[@dkhaykin40]

No wrapping and no butter?

[@LordAtrix]

hi I don't have a Weber Smokey Mountain, could I please be sent one so I can try this out? thanks in advance

[@garretkom]

They are always available for sale on Facebook Marketplace at a discounted price.

[@GrillwithWeber]

Sorry we cannot send you one!

[@MrBblhed]

@@GrillwithWeber you could have at least commended them on the effort. You know, nice try but no.

[@GrillwithWeber]

LOL we did say "sorry"! 😉

[@JeffGmi]

What kind of wood do you prefer for smoking turkey?

[@GrillwithWeber]

For smoked Turkey we would suggest apple or cherry wood. Typically the lighter woods work best for lighter meats.

[@davidekelman2373]

I like apple wood and a little pecan mixed in.

[@bquedenfeld]

You did it on a wsm on your video you say Weber kettle

[@ktcolo1]

Would have been nice if you talked more about preparing the smoker and not just the preparing the turkey.

[@johnl.8616]

Thats a small ass turkey.

[@leo.girardi]

Wait, you brined a bird for 24 hrs, then you say to put salt in the cavity? When the video was over, did you just go to McDonalds?

[@mikelopez4148]

This video is terrible you don’t tells viewers what setting your vents are at you don’t show inside set up water pan or not do you block the fire etc

[@zak5871]

How are you gonna skip the 5 hours it was on? You missed a few steps. Pay me and ill make a better executed video. 😂

[@jcre2000]

You put an example with the most expensive kettle??? C on you are better than that, do an example for the people

[@RebeccaCampbell1969]

Geez, enough! Brine is, like Smoking, a food conservation method... in other words "bacteria hate those two" By brining food we also change the organoleptic properties, making the surface more tender... not moist. And then at last flavor is enhanced (salt, hello?? That's what it does) Smoke is also a food conservation method, but in this video you didn't mention the wood used... and there must be pairing between the type of food and the wood use, as it also enhance flavors. NO, normal charcoal can't smoke... as "smoke" requires resins from wood, and charcoal looses them in the procedure to make it a strong burning fuel. Other than all these being lacking in the video, the video was great and the bird looked flawless. Good recipe and very good chef, who lost information at the editing table. Cheers!

[@MrBblhed]

Most cooking guides recommend fruit woods for poultry and pork. I personally prefer apple and cherry and those are really easy to find in most hardware stores, some grocery stores as well. if you know someone that is getting a fruit tree removed you could ask for some chips that is the only way I have been able to get Orange, Pear, or Peach.