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What went right , what went wrong a look back

grege345
grege345 Posts: 3,515
edited November 2013 in EggHead Forum
What went right: Brine, Letting sit in fridge to dry, Size bird (14 lb), Mad max butter rub, Big. Green egg, Party q, Forum help, Maverick. What went wrong : Need more time sitting on counter with ice pack, Better knife , Mad max gravy. My fault, Injection won't do that again, Most of all get a thermopen All in allit was a success. What would you guys do different?
LBGE& SBGE———————————————•———————– Pennsylvania / poconos

Comments

  • Jeremiah
    Jeremiah Posts: 6,412
    Right: max gravy. It was awesome. Wrong: temp and time; I went by bge site that said 5:40 for 17lb bird. At 4 hrs I checked and it was overdone. And that was at 325. Also I'll never put any wood chucks in it again. I went with one very large apple, and it was waaaaaay too much.
    Slumming it in Aiken, SC. 
  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,429
    I was pretty happy with the breast that I had to reassemble with toothpicks.
     
    Only mistake, I let the gravy boil over.  :((  Had enough for the meal but the cleanup really cut into the football/torpor.  
    _____________

    "I mean, I don't just kill guys, I'm notorious for doing in houseplants."  - Maggie, Northern Exposure


  • yzzi
    yzzi Posts: 1,843
    I didn't cook this year. But have been tasked with Christmas.
    Dunedin, FL
  • SkinnyV
    SkinnyV Posts: 3,404
    Wrong.... Not sure water pan maybe? The waythe coals were sitting?
    Who knows spatchcock next time for sure.
    Seattle, WA
  • grege345
    grege345 Posts: 3,515
    Next turkey will be spatchcock. All hail Micky
    LBGE& SBGE———————————————•———————– Pennsylvania / poconos

  • hapster
    hapster Posts: 7,503
    Breasts turned out moist and tasty... Wish they had a touch more smoke... The gravy was the best I've made yet, drippings and turkey stock, flour for the roux. Key this year; I made sure it got to a boil for a few moments while I was whisking it...
  • sumoconnell
    sumoconnell Posts: 1,932
    Turkey was good, but I overcooked the roux for my gravy. Had to use backup gravy (store bought), that stuff isn't bad!
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++
    Austin, Texas.  I'm the guy holding a beer.
  • Foghorn
    Foghorn Posts: 9,795
    Everything went great except the timing which was not really a problem - just surprising.  A 15 pound bird cooked in 1 hour 40 minutes.  We FTC'd longer than we expected but it was great.  The brine seemed to really help a local free range bird stay moist and taste great.

    XXL BGE, Karebecue, Klose BYC, Chargiller Akorn Kamado, Weber Smokey Mountain, Grand Turbo gasser, Weber Smoky Joe, and the wheelbarrow that my grandfather used to cook steaks from his cattle

    San Antonio, TX

  • cazzy
    cazzy Posts: 9,136
    Right: herb brined smoked turkey, sous vide breast, mad max gravy (kind of...only used ingredients, but did it my way), stuffing, brocoli rice & cheese, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, corn, and timing.

    Wrong: Me trying to open a bottle of wine and my dad showing up a hour late.
    Just a hack that makes some $hitty BBQ....
  • brzelt
    brzelt Posts: 62
    edited November 2013
    Gravy... Mad Max style.   Made mistake of using cornstarch instead of flour...  in attempt to keep it gluten free for some other visiting family members.  Was not good and resembled glue...  Sucked all the way around.

    Turkey was great though!  And the Stuffing ( @Little Steven ) from the oven was great too.

    Bruce
    L BGE
    Kennesaw, GA
  • Used Mad Max: Turkey went awesome.  Used two apple chunks for smoke and it hit the mark!  As far as timing the cook I followed meatsmokingcalculator.com  This site hit the it right on the nose!  Entered all my information and damn the bird was done with in 15 minutes of when it stated it would be completed.

    Gravy, now that is another story.  I went south on that; learned a few lesson trying prepare it. I will need to improve on this section next time.  No Mad Max gravy on my turkey.

    We had my turkey and my out-laws traditional turkey.  My turkey was long gone before theirs was even touched!  All in all it was a great Thanksgiving.

    Coral Springs, Florida- Dimitrious

  • bud812
    bud812 Posts: 1,869
    Right > drinking beer all day.
    Wrong> drinking too much beer all day.

    Not to get technical, but according to chemistry alcohol is a solution...

    Large & Small BGE

    Stockton Ca.

  • bud812 said:
    Right > drinking beer all day.
    Wrong> drinking too much beer all day.
    Words of a true warrior.
    In the  Hinterlands between Cumming and Gainesville, GA
    Med BGE, Weber Kettle, Weber Smokey Joe, Brinkman Dual Zone, Weber Genesis Gas Grill and portable gasser for boating
  • KingtUT
    KingtUT Posts: 157
    I cooked my first turkey. It was a 12 pounder and I spatchcocked It at 375-400 raised indirect with 2 small handfuls of pecan chips and 3 chunks of apple wood. I seasoned the outside with creole and pepper then brushed it with melted butter when I put it on the grill. I brushed it with butter again after 45 minutes. It took right at 80-85 minutes and the breast was 163 and the thighs 180. I'm forty years old and I've never had a better turkey. I brined it for 24 hours then rinsed and dried it. Then let it rest uncovered in the fridge for 10 hours prior to cooking. Only thing I did wrong I guess was when i covered it with foil for 10 minutes after I pulled it off the grill. It had perfect crispy skin before I covered it but was soft after foiling. Still the tastiest and juiciest I've ever had. After doing it this way , I have no idea why anyone would cook a turkey the old fashioned way.
  • Terrebandit
    Terrebandit Posts: 1,750
    I put a bunch of veggies in the pan with the bird. They did not taste very good and prevented the bird from browning as well I would have liked. Next time, I'm just sticking the bird in there by itself. Also, I think brining is over rated and a PITA, so I won't be doing that anymore. I should have removed my bird from the egg about 15 minutes earlier, but it was still good and moist.
    Dave - Austin, TX
  • Modernist cuisine is suggesting injecting brine from inside of the cavity as opposed to a soak. I'll try and find the link to that.

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • Turkey breast was awesome.  SWMBO didn't like the giblets in gravy.
    XL and Small BGEs in South Carolina
  • Used Mad Max method. Bought a fresh 12 pound turkey at Sprouts. Filled egg with Royal Oak lump and 2 handfuls of apple wood chips. Turkey was done in 2 and a half hours at 325. Strange part was charcoal was nearly exhausted in this short cooking time and temps were dropping. Don't have a clue why this happened. Good thing I was not cooking a port butt! Gravy turned out awesome as usual. Daughters were concerned when I chopped up and added the heart, liver and neck to gravy. Ha! They loved it...
  • TrueTex, I find that full disclosure is over rated. Just serve it up and tell them later...if at all..

     

    In the  Hinterlands between Cumming and Gainesville, GA
    Med BGE, Weber Kettle, Weber Smokey Joe, Brinkman Dual Zone, Weber Genesis Gas Grill and portable gasser for boating
  • Cookinbob
    Cookinbob Posts: 1,691
    Followed Mad max pretty closely,  Only issue was I put the maverick probe in, and was not in the thickest part of the breast.  therefore, it indicated it was done before it really was.  Probed with the Thermapen to be sure, then left it a bit longer and turned up the heat.  3 small chunks of apple for smoke was fine.  Mad Max gravy was a success too.
    XLBGE, Small BGE, Homebrew and Guitars
    Rochester, NY
  • henapple
    henapple Posts: 16,025
    I tried a free range, fresh turkey this year.. Brined as normal... Injected with garlic butter creole and Tony's on the outside. Everyone likes it but it seemed salty to me. The skin was hotter than hell. I've always done my turkey this way because that's what they like. I probably won't spend the extra next year.. It was quite a bit more than a butterball.

    The upside. Homemade bloody marys instead of a pre mix. Made my first homemade stock. Used the drippings for the gravy... Everyone's favorite ever.
    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN 
  • Used Mad Max: Turkey went awesome.  Used two apple chunks for smoke and it hit the mark!  As far as timing the cook I followed meatsmokingcalculator.com  This site hit the it right on the nose!  Entered all my information and damn the bird was done with in 15 minutes of when it stated it would be completed.

    Gravy, now that is another story.  I went south on that; learned a few lesson trying prepare it. I will need to improve on this section next time.  No Mad Max gravy on my turkey.

    We had my turkey and my out-laws traditional turkey.  My turkey was long gone before theirs was even touched!  All in all it was a great Thanksgiving.

    Coral Springs, Florida- Dimitrious

  • Mad max came out great. But took 7 hours at 340 for a 22 pound Turkey. I think I messed things up when I put 5 sweet potatoes in. Lowered the temp and extended cook time.
    Very frustrated with people ( mil) bitching that we should eat earlier. My wife. Said fine we come to your hous3 next time no more comments

    Best Turkey ever.

    Question. Will it work as good with just breast?
    XL   Walled Lake, MI

  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,168
    Right-Woodford's Doubled Oaked; Center-BGE'd turkey and fixin's; Left-perhaps a little too much bourbon :)>-
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • henapple
    henapple Posts: 16,025
    I can't find the Double Oak
    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN 
  • Mad max came out great. But took 7 hours at 340 for a 22 pound Turkey. I think I messed things up when I put 5 sweet potatoes in. Lowered the temp and extended cook time. Very frustrated with people ( mil) bitching that we should eat earlier. My wife. Said fine we come to your hous3 next time no more comments Best Turkey ever. Question. Will it work as good with just breast?
    That sounds odd to me. You normally see 12 to 15 minutes a pound @ 325*  sweet potatoes shouldn't make all that much difference if the turkey is already warm. Is your dome thermo accurate?

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,168
    @henapple-Dang as around here it is readily available.  Kinda like Van Winkle's about 10 years ago.  I'm surprised but their marketeers probably have a plan to screw us all. :)>-
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • henapple
    henapple Posts: 16,025
    I'll pick up some on my way through... Gonna be a while though
    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN