Rubbery Turkey?

[NDKoze]

I smoked a 14lb turkey over the weekend and the meat came out really rubbery. It tasted pretty good, but was just really chewy.

No mire poix this time, but I did brine overnight in a pretty common 1Cup Salt and Sugar to 1 gallon of water brine.

Smoked at 250 until the thigh hit 165 and the breast was at 171.

I am not sure if I just got a tough bird or what. It was packaged on 11/22 and I purchased on 11/23, so it was a fresh bird although frozen.

Any ideas on what happened?

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[SconnieQ]

I usually pull when the breast reaches 160. But sounds like in your case, that would leave the thigh a little lower than ideal. Everything else sounds right. Was the white meat rubbery? Or the dark meat? Or both? Was it dry as well as rubbery? It could just be that you got a bird that got more "exercise".

[SuperDave]

The couple of times that I had rubbery poultry it was from birds that had been in my freezer a long time.  Unless your "11/22" was from last year, I don't have a clue. 

[DivotMaker]

Was the bird on the rack naked, Gregg, or did you use a pan?  Without a pan, I find the dark meat is plenty done when the breast hits 165.  Not sure what makes a bird rubbery, unless it was an "active" Tom that spent his time chasing the hens!

[NDKoze]

No tray. It was on the highest rack I could get it without hitting the roof of the smoker.

No water pan either. I never bother with poultry.

Smoked for 4 hours.

The entire turkey was quite moist and the white meat was pretty good. It was really the dark meat that was the most rubbery.

It took a lot of effort to pull the thigh and drum sticks out of their sockets.

I sure as heck hope that it was not 11/22/14!

[SconnieQ]

Usually you want the thigh meat at a higher temp than the breast meat. Your temps sound flip-flopped. For example, ideally when you take it out, the breast would be 160-165, and the thigh 170-180. So it makes sense that you said the thigh meat was not falling apart based on the fact that it only got to 165. Thigh meat gets juicier and more tender in the 170-180 range. But you definitely don't want to overcook the breast. I wonder if putting your turkey one rack level down (so the thigh/back would be closer to the heat source), might get that thigh temp higher, yet still shield the breast.

[DivotMaker]

Kari may be on to something.  I never experienced that because I use an Auber with a permanent probe.  I have to keep large items, like turkey, a little lower to not come in contact with the probe.  Never really thought about it, but it makes sense.  I smoke turkeys lower in the box, so that may explain why my dark meat is plenty done when the breast hits 165.  Always learning...

[NDKoze]

It's not like it was only an inch away from the top, but definitely point taken. My guess is that the bird was 3-4 inches from the top.

In a perfect world the dark meat would hit 165 and breast 160 at close to the same time. But for some reason (maybe Kari's point) the breast outpaced the dark meat.

I don't smoke too many whole turkeys (I typically prefer chickens). But, I will definitely try placing the bird on a lower rack next time.

I have some turkey thighs in the freezer which will be my next turkey adventure.

Thanks for the suggestions! I am always learning and happy to be a part of such a great group with such a wealth of knowledge.

[SconnieQ]

My perfect world would be breast 160, thigh 170-175. Since I have a #1, my bird is on the rack directly above the fire box (only way it fits). Seems to work good for getting the higher temp in the thigh meat.

[DivotMaker]

Gregg, don't you hate it when you have to smoke extra meat to "experiment" with the best techniques??  I know I do!

[SuperDave]

I've never been able to figure out how one gets the thighs 10 degrees hotter than the breast when the breast cooks way faster than the thighs to begin with. 

[DivotMaker]

I've never been able to figure out how one gets the thighs 10 degrees hotter than the breast when the breast cooks way faster than the thighs to begin with.

Bottom down, no pan, closer to the heat source.

[Limey]

I use a vertical roaster i.e. beer can chicken without the beer can, and sit the bird upright. Works very well for me.

[DivotMaker]

I'm surprised that works well for a turkey, Roger.  Seems like the dark meat would cook uneven (because of the mass), and you would lose all that valuable moisture that pools in the cavity (especially if you put veggies in there).

[Limey]

I only smoke relatively small turkeys, usually around 10#, but it works well for those. I brine and rub but do not use mireapoix