November 2006 SM Newsletter

Folks the November 2006 Smoking Meat Newsletter is now available at http://www.smoking-meat.com/november-2006-how-to-smoke-turkey.html and it is a really good one.

I have written a complete how-to guide for smoking turkey complete with some very special tips to help you be successful this holiday season and beyond.

Let me know if you have any questions after reading the newsletter and be sure to support the site with your finances by purchasing products and/or placing a few dollars in the tip jar at the top left of each page at www.smoking-meat.com.

Your word of mouth advertising is also appreciated.. be sure to tell all your friends about the website and be sure to send the link to everyone you know.

T-Day Just Around the Corner

Folks.. the Thanksgiving holiday is just around the corner and so many of you have emailed with various questions about smoking turkey that it is virtually impossible for me to answer all of them.

I will be covering everything from start to finish about smoking a turkey in the upcoming issue of the smoking meat newsletter and if you have not subscribed then simply go to http://www.smoking-meat.com/subscribe.html and give us your email address so we can send you this hot issue just as soon as it comes out.

For starters, I do not recommend a turkey over 12 pounds for the smoker. If you need more turkey just smoke two turkeys of equal size/weight instead of one.

For best results you will want to purchase turkeys that are "MINIMALLY PROCESSED" and have no sulution added to the meat.

I also recommend that you practice smoke one ahead of time if you are having lots of family and friends come over and you have never smoked one before. While this is more expensive, it could save you an embarrassing situation by helping you work out any problem areas before you smoke the main one.

A 12 pound turkey at 225-240 degrees will require around 6.5 hours to smoke and is done when the temperature in the thickest part of the thigh or breast reads 170 degrees. I like to remove the turkey from the smoker at 167 degrees since I know that it will continue to cook even after it is removed.

Be watching for the newsletter to come out on Sunday and until then please read my article on smoking turkey at the following address:

http://www.wyntk.us/food/smoked-turkey.shtml

How Long to Brine Turkey

Q: How long do you allow the turkey to soak in the brine?

A: I normally go with a 10-12 pound turkey and let it soak overnight or about 10 hours. I would say that is about the right amount of time unless you are using a really big tom of 16 to 20 pounds and then you may want to soak for 12 hours or so.

Because of the slow cooking that is required with smoking meat I do not recommend a bird larger than 12 pounds. It just tends to stay in the danger zone of 40 to 140 degrees for too long and allows for a greater chance of someone getting sick.

If you have never brined turkey before then you are in for a big treat!

Visit Smoking-Meat.com and WYNTK.us for hundreds of great tutorials and guides on smoking meat.

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