Steve wrote:
> I found several great sites that explain how to smoke a turkey. I still
> have a few questions...
>
> What temp - low & slow or 350^F (pros & cons)?

I did mine at about 300 on my WSM. Lower means more time/smoke but
rubbery skin. Higher temp means less time/smoke and hard skin. (Quick
tip: season *under* the skin and toss the skin after cooking.)

> Brine or not - on the VWB it mentions that if you buy a self-basting turkey
> there is no need to brine.

"enhanced" birds are injected with a salt solution. No sense trying to
brine flavors into it - the bird won't take any more. Better to get a
fresh, unenhanced bird.

> When it comes to smoking a bird - how big is too big for a vert smoker?

My biggest bird was 16 lbs. I suppose you could do a bigger bird if you
got a vertical turkey roaster.

> I don't want to mess with traditional stuffing - what else can I put in the
> cavity? Will I have to worry about having that reach the right temp as
> well?

Toss aromatics into the cavity: rosemary, thyme, citrus, onions, garlic,
and plug it with an apple. Better yet, spatchcock the bird. That way
you don't have to worry about uneven cooking.

--
Aloha,

Nathan Lau
San Jose, CA

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