Trial runs for Thanksgiving


 
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Clay J

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I still had 1 turkey left from last Thanks Giving. We usually buy 3 or 4 extras because they are so cheap.

So I did a trial run.

This time it was very simple. Butterball self basted, rubbed with butter, salt, and pepper.

At noon, I Fired a full chimney and poured 2 more on top, then let it sit for about 40 minutes while I prepped the bird. Assembled and let the WSM sit for 15 minutes to a temp of 350.

I put the bird in right at 1:00. Put the bird on the middle rack in the squating position.

5 big lumps of cherry wood.

My temp dropped to 290 and came back to 310 but no amount of coaxing could get back up to 350. I'm sure its the high altitude (7,000 feet).

5:15 I used my instant read thermos and got a nice 165 in the breast and inner thigh with 175 to 180 in legs.

The meat was very moist everywhere in the bird, but the skin was rubbery and nasty despite a gorgeous mahogany color.

Here's the bird after 90 minutes and the the bird at the end of 4:15 hours.

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Clay, Thats a awsome looking turkey you did. Shame about the skin. Gotta love the Red color that the Cherry gave to the bird.
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Bryan
 
That looks awsome. It really is a shame about the skin...it always looks picture perfect and delicious until you try and bite into it.
 
I get so used to low and slow using Kingsford, that I completely forgot to try using lump charcoal to help with heat.

I bet that would have helped allot trying to crisp up the skin.
 
Take a torch to it... That should crip up the skin in realitively short amount of time.

Or get a couple of those "turkey grabbers" and hold it over your charcoal starter chimney for a couple of minutes.

Or roll it around on a very hot grill.

Anything with VERY high heat should help crisp up the skin. And because it won't be in contact with the heat for an extended period of time, it shouldn't dry it out too much.
 
I know this will hurt some peoples eyes to read but it is hard to beat a deep fried turkey. It makes me wonder how a turkey smoked for a 2-3 hours and then dumped into a turkey frier would taste. ????????
Well the skin would be crispy!
DP
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> My temp dropped to 290 and came back to 310 but no amount of coaxing could get back up to 350. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Sure looks good Clay. I find I can run hotter by propping the access door up an inch or two. I just slide it up then lean a 2' 2x4 against it.
 
Dale,
I stayed away from that one in my suggestions. Although I thought it. I will be frying mine come turkey day. But now... smoked, then fried. There's a something to think about.

Actually we always have one fried, one that is coated in black pepper and cooked in a paper bag (in the oven), and one regular (cooked in oven). The fried, and the black pepper always are gone before the traditional one.
 
That is a beautiful turkey!

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Chris Finney:
Or roll it around on a very hot grill. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

For some odd reason that made me laugh out loud!
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I have a Turkey fryer and have used it. It makes very tastee turkey, but those suckers scare me.

Last Thanksgiving there were allot of fryer accidents, a few houses burned down and a couple deaths. The worst was the lady that literally dropped a still frozen turkey into her over heated, over filled fryer, in the middle of her kitchen. Burned the house down and someone died.

Anyway, I'm not sure if I'm going to do any more turkey frying.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Chris Finney:
Or roll it around on a very hot grill.

For some odd reason that made me laugh out loud!
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<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Glad I could make your day a little lighter. That one was a a little tongue in cheek. And I meant: very hot grill, turning often. But after reading your post and reading that line over and over a few times... I could picture someone (welding gloves up to their elbows) rolling a turkey around in a circle on their Weber kettle. It did make me chuckle.

I would love to see some animation done on some of the discussions that happen here.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Clay J:
I have a Turkey fryer and have used it. It makes very tastee turkey, but those suckers scare me.

Last Thanksgiving there were allot of fryer accidents, a few houses burned down and a couple deaths. The worst was the lady that literally dropped a still frozen turkey into her over heated, over filled fryer, in the middle of her kitchen. Burned the house down and someone died.

Anyway, I'm not sure if I'm going to do any more turkey frying. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

No need to stop frying turkeys because some didn't use common sense or read on how to do it. If that's the case then don't turn your furnace on this winter or shovel snow or drive your car or fly in a airplane or ..............................................I'm not going to stop frying turkeys because of stupid people.
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Bryan
 
Check the video clip link in this recent thread. For a demonstration of how scary turkey fryers are. .... after watching that video clip I think I would get one only if I had an acreage and a 20' gravel pit to use it in.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> I'm not going to stop frying turkeys because of stupid people <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Bryan, Bryan, Bryan, Bryan... <chuckle> ... what do you propose? Require a license and pass an exam? An IQ test? Maybe just a warning sticker DANGER: DO NOT OPERATE THIS FRYER IF YOU ARE STUPID, LACKING IN COMMON SENSE OR PRONE TO OCCASSIONAL IDIOCY OR DRUNKENNESS
 
Setting up a turkey fryer on your kitchen floor.
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STUPID, STUPID, STUPID. I Ain't Scared None
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Stop, Drop & Roll.
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Bryan
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Bryan S:
Setting up a turkey fryer on your kitchen floor.
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STUPID, STUPID, STUPID. I Ain't Scared None
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Stop, Drop & Roll.
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Bryan <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Must be kin to the morons in Florida that killed themselves by running their generators inside the house.
 
yeah, tough to argue those points Bryan and Howard
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What I did find scary is how easy they appear to tip and there is no control to prevent the open flame from igniting the oil if it's overfilled ... maybe some kind of auto shut switch for the flame with:
1. a level sensor
2. an overflow sensor near the top inside of the cooking chamber
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Bryan S:
Setting up a turkey fryer on your kitchen floor.
icon_rolleyes.gif
STUPID, STUPID, STUPID. I Ain't Scared None
icon_biggrin.gif
Stop, Drop & Roll.
icon_eek.gif
Bryan <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Bryan,,,,,,not to be mistaking for rolling the turkey on the grill or rolling with the turkey on the grill LOL
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I have used my turkey frier many times with no incidents or close calls. I do how-ever, have a healthy respect for what could happen with a few gallons of boiling oil over an open flame. The base on my cooker is large and very sturdy and the chance for tipping over greatly reduced over some of the cheaper models on the market. If not, I would bolt it to a sheet of plywood to make it more stable.

I am curtainly not saying that everybody should have and use one. The more dangerous the item, the more common sense you should have before using them. Unfortunatly the opposite is more the usual.
 
I agree that frying a turkey isnt for everyone. In fact you cant be careful enough, but anyone who would try that inside of their house, geez they shouldnt be allowed to light a match.
DP
 
I also did a pre TGday petite organic 8lb turkey smoke with cherry wood. It looked very much like yours
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Unbelievably beautiful color.
Getting the WSM to go above 310 or so for the cook was impossible.
I pulled the bird when it reached 155 in the breast and put it in the oven at 475 till it reached 160.Then took it out to rest for 15 min while I sauteed the apples, that were in the cavity,with splenda and cinnamon.
The skin was crisp and edible from the hi heat finish.
 
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