How to Prep and Smoke a Turkey with Jack from Lost Signal Brewing

Selling whole, smoked turkeys for Thanksgiving is a great way for you to bring in some extra cash with your Ole Hickory Pits smoker.

Jack Hoke from Lost Signal Brewery and Barbecue smokes his turkeys low and slow, in house, on an Ole Hickory Pits EL EDX. Jack was kind enough to share his process with us. Keep reading to see how he preps his turkeys for the holiday rush.

How To

1. Brine your turkey overnight (Lost Signal makes some great craft beer, so beer is part of their brine among other things)
2. Dry the turkey as much as possible. The dryer the turkey, the crispier the skin will get. Although in a smoker, it is never going to be super crispy like it would get in a fryer. Hint: you can put it in the fridge, covered, overnight to let it dry out more.
3. Cover the turkey in canola oil, kosher salt, and black pepper. Then put butter underneath the skin.
4. Put it in the smoker at 250 degrees until it’s 165 degrees in the deepest part of the breast. Poultry can tend to dry out, so you don’t want to overcook it.

Bonus Tips

1. Spritz the turkey every 30 min or so with apple juice to keep it moist. You can also use other liquids depending on what type of flavor you want.
2. Jack at Lost Signal likes to use a more mild wood for turkeys—cherry or applewood. He believes that smoke is one key ingredient but the most important thing is balance. You don’t want it to overpower the other flavors.

Check out our interview with Lost Signal Brewery »