Cut the lemon and orange and add all ingredients to a large bowl. Add the cans of beer and stir well to dissolve the brown sugar and salt.
Add the turkey thighs and make sure they are completely covered by the liquid.
Cover the bowl with Saran and refrigerate overnight.
Prepare the Turkey
After brining for approximately 8-10 hours, remove the turkey thighs and let them rest in fresh, cold water for 15 minutes. This will remove any excess salts from the skin.
Remove the thighs and pat them dry with a paper towel.
Rub the turkey thighs with poultry seasoning. You really want the flavor of the beer to be the star of the show.
Smoke the Thighs
Prepare your grill for smoking. For a Kamado grill, add a plate setter. For a gas grill, turn off the center burners.
Set the temperature to 275 degrees. Add Cherry wood chips to create a slight smoke.
Add the turkey thighs to the grill and let them smoke for approximately 60-75 minutes, until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
Remove and let them rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
While smoking, a little goes a long way. Cherry is a mild wood that is great for poultry, but you don't want (or need) huge puffy, billowing smoke. In fact, it is easy to overpower the flavor of the turkey and brine with too much smoke. Beer: Choose a lighter beer like a wheat, IPA, or blonde lager. The darker beers may overpower the flavor of the turkey.Defrosting Chicken: Make sure the turkey thighs are completely defrosted before starting the brining process. If they are still partially frozen, they will not absorb the amazing brine flavors.Stove Top Brining: You can add the brine to the stovetop, bring it to a boil, and then let it come down to room temperature before brining, but I did not notice a difference in the turkey when I did this, so you can definitely save yourself some time and skip that step.Temperature Check: Turkey thighs can be tricky to tell if they are done. The darker meat makes it difficult to tell if it is fully cooked or not. It is best to use a wireless meat thermometer to check. Mine will sound an alarm when the temperature reaches the desired level. The turkey thighs need to be cooked to 165 degrees F. Then you will know that they are done; for best results, use a digital thermometer.