Turkey on the smoker this year. Looking for suggestions.

[hockeyman]

I have a 22" Weber Smokey Mountain and I am going to make an attempt at smoking the turkey this year for thanksgiving. It's just my wife and I, but I'm sure that the neighbors will stop by so I'll end up getting about a 12-14 pound turkey.

Since purchasing the WSM a year ago, I've made pork ribs on it, along with a few slow-cook 12 hour Briskets, beef jerky, chicken wings, and my favorite; homemade smoked chili ...(neighbors love it, too!)

Anyhow, I haven't tried turkey on it yet, so I am looking for any suggestions from those who have smoked turkey before. I have a variety of wood chunks, including peach, maple, cherry, mesquite, etc.

Brine that you use? ...recipe??
Smoking woods?
I know to cook until the inner meat temp reads 165°, but what temps (for the smoker) do you like to keep while cooking?
Cook in an aluminum pan or just the grates?

I will try and remember to take pics when finished, but I cannot promise anything. While cooking out back, I normally like to turn the satellite radio on, have a few beers and sing along to classic rock. Taking photo's (along with the wife is saying) are the last things on my mind.

 

[Mooseman]

I get a lot of my ideas from Youtube. I like this guy and have tried a few of his techniques. He keeps it simple. He has a couple of videos on smoking a turkey. This is his latest one:

 

[littleblazer]

The last one we did was brined in apple cider, onions and a bunch of other spices. Came out real nice. I sadly don't remember the recipie but I believe it was alton brown. Thing was tasty all the way through. I may have printed it out.

As for the smoker, I usually use apple. 200-230 and I use wet wood because you get a more even smoke imo. I believe we did it 1 hour wrapped in the foil so the juice like self steams and then pulled it to get the crisp. 4 hours total I believe but we only ran an 9 pound bird. It was also july.

 

[Matt]

I usually smoke a breast for my in-laws, but I like to go hot and fast, at least 325°.

 

[hockeyman]

I bought a small 6 pound turkey breast [w/bone] to take sort of a "test drive" first.
I will definitely brine it in an apple juice/spice combo overnight prior to cooking. I will probably try the advice given in the video that mosseman posted with my first attempt.

Thank you for the suggestions!

Also, I like to use Mississippi Grind Seasoning when I'm smoking chicken and pork, so I will try it on the turkey also.