Weight loss smoking a turkey???

[Burnadell]

How much should a 12 lb turkey weigh after it is smoked?

What % weight loss should I expect after smoking a raw, store bought Butterball turkey?

How about a trimmed brisket. If it weighs 12 lbs after trimming, what would it weigh after smoking?

Only respond if you actually know, not a guess.

Not asking for a friend.

[ca1219]

A brisket you will lose Bout 40% in the cook and generally about 10% in the trimming process. I have never checked Turkey but I would assume close to that.

[Drycreek3189]

I don’t think you’ll lose any weight while smoking a turkey, or even a brisket. Get on a treadmill, and lay off of them burgers and fries.......

[Burnadell]

I don’t think you’ll lose any weight while smoking a turkey, or even a brisket. Get on a treadmill, and lay off of them burgers and fries.......

[talltexasshoote]

It depends on what level of brine is injected. You can expect 23-40 percent loss during cooking in most cases. Edible yeikd should be 42 to 55 percent of raw weight.

[Burnadell]

Any other experts know for sure?

[Burnadell]

The reason I am asking is that a BBQ place opened a small satelite restaurant in my community. I asked them Thursday about buying a smoked turkey for my office assistant. They would do it for $25 but I would need to furnish a frozen turkey because they do all of their smoking at their restaurant south of Longview. She told me to bring it in last Friday, and I could pick it up on Wednesday. Okay, I bought a 12 lb Butterball and delivered it Friday (the next day)... only to find out they were closed down for good, the day after I was there.

I happened to have the owner's cell phone and called him to complain. He stepped up to the plate, apologized and offered to smoke it for free. He met me at the closed restaurant on Saturday morning (a 25-minute drive for him) to pick up the frozen turkey. I told him I appreciated his customer service offer to make it right but told him I would not let him do it for free.

I went to pick up the turkey at the main restaurant (which has been in business 27 years with excellent BBQ) this afternoon. They bring out my smoked 12+ lb turkey, and it looked like a chicken! Iasked the employee to weigh it...6.06 lbs!!! I told him he gave me the wrong turkey. He said they all lose 1/2 their weight when they are smoked. The owner came in at that time, and he confirmed that they lose half their weight when smoked (I called BS), and he said the same thing about briskets. They went back and brought me their largest smoked turkey from the refrigerator, which was 8+ lbs. I went ahead and paid, still believing they tried to give me a line of bull!

I am convinced that, after offering to smoke it for free to make up for my inconvenience, they tried to just give me a smaller bird. (There were no arses whupped during this exchange.)

[Calrob]

Ive smoked alot of turkeys, dont know % but they lose a little liquid pounds. Never half the weight. No way its your bird. If it was 12 and after smoked its 6, either its a Griswald bird or not the one you dropped off.

[Texas Grown]

I don’t think you’ll lose any weight while smoking a turkey, or even a brisket. Get on a treadmill, and lay off of them burgers and fries.......

Those were my first thoughts as well.

[Hooverfb]

I've smoked turkeys and chickens and they dont lose that much weight. He either forgot and just grabbed one or was pulling a fast one on ya.

[low_tec]

Well hopefully is was deboned and already cut up. Sounds like you did not get the bird you dropped off

[glen]

They decided that the only way to get you to loose weight was to give you a smaller portion. You should have told them it was for someone else and I'm sure you would have gotten the larger bird. They were just trying to help out not treat you badly

[Burnadell]

They decided that the only way to get you to loose weight was to give you a smaller portion. You should have told them it was for someone else and I'm sure you would have gotten the larger bird. They were just trying to help out not treat you badly

You might be on to something!