Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

MAD Max Question... Time

MississippiCoastEgg
MississippiCoastEgg Posts: 116
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Got a 21pounder in the fridge and thawed. Sister-in-law is doing dinner but I have to do the Turkey ever since I did my first Mad Max Turkey 3 years ago. never done one this big though.... I need it for noon meal time. I am going to inject the bird tonight but wanted suggestions on a time frame to have it done and transported to her house for noon. (only lives 5 minutes away).

How much prep can I do tonight, in your opinion. all suggestions welcome. Was planning to get up about 3 am and get fire started.

thanks in advance. :)

Comments

  • LOL . ...i had one like that once where i had a 23 pounder and was serving dinner at two. ..when i back up the time, i ended up getting up at something like 4 am. .. .

    so here is what you can do tonight. .. put the turkey in the roasting pan, stuff it with the aromatics...have your butter paste all ready to go and sitting out on the kitchen counter so it will be nice and soft.. . .

    get up at 3am, pull the turkey in the pan out of the fridge and put the ice bag on the breasts while you light and stabilize the egg.. . ..once the egg is all stabilized, then remove the ice bag, spread on the soft butter paste and pour over the wine and stick it in the egg. .. .
  • SmokeyPitt
    SmokeyPitt Posts: 10,490
    3 am ...yikes! I know you don't want to be late, but at 15 minutes per lb that is only 5 1/2 hours, say 6 for good measure. Working backwards, turkey on at 6 AM.

    Sleep til 5 :). Crank the heat up a little if needed.


    Which came first the chicken or the egg?  I egged the chicken and then I ate his leg. 

  • TigerTony
    TigerTony Posts: 1,078
    I cook a 21 pounder every Thanksgiving. I use the Mad Max method and setup. The only thing that I find different from Mad Max's results is the cooking time. He say it takes him over six-seven hours. I on the other hand find that my turkey is ready and hit's the breast and thigh temp at about the 5 - 5 1/2 hour mark. I don't baste as often as Mad Max recommends and I let it the dome temp stay between 325*- 340* maybe that is the reason.
    My plan is to wake up at 4:45 AM, light the egg, set the vents where I think it will be for 325* - 350* and go back to bed for an hour, wake and check the dome temp. I'll put the bird in the BGE for 6:00am and go back to bed for another 1-2 hours. When I wake I'll baste the turkey every hour till it's done. I'm bringing the turkey to my daughters house for noon ready to carve.
    "I'm stupidest when I try to be funny" 
    New Orleans

  • Well I may rethink the 3 am especially since Max told me the prep I can get done tonight. just took all lump out of egg (older stuff), removed the inner rings and am going to vacuum it out. I have found that temp is easy to maintain for this longer cook if I just clean it good and use fresh lump.

    I hope that I can get it started and stabilized fairly quickly in the morning and get the bird on so I can catch 40 winks after I put it on and then up and baste a few times and by then my wife will be up and I can have her baste and keep an eye on it so I can get another nap for a couple of hours. The last one I did got done faster than I thought but never done one this big. Maybe being on the gulf coast makes it cook faster? LOL.

    About to inject with Cajun butter and put aromatics in and get her ready and perhaps sleep a little later. Thanks for all replies.