To open, or not no Open, that is the question?

Duuane

Goooood morning, and Happy Thanksgiving to all...today I will be cooking my second whole turkey on the BGE. Last summer I did one, an 18lb bird which turned out good. I had brined it over night, put it on a v-rack and cooked it at 325...cooked much faster than I expected. I didn't open the egg to check the temps until 15 minutes after my digital probe told me that the breast temp was good. I didn't trust the temp because it got there so fast, and it was overcooked. The only difference today is, the bird is a pound or two lighter. My question is...should I occasionally open the BGE to spot check temps as it cooks, or should I the breast get to temp, trust the reading, and then open to spot check the other locations?  Should the probe even be in the breast? However I do it, and however it turns out, it will be a great day, because we have too much to be thankful for...for it not to be.   Cheers!!

grege345

If you have a remote probe test the accuracy in boiling water. If the remote probe is accurate trust it to the end. The beauty of the egg is the way it can hold temps and retain moisture. Both those go away with opening the egg repeatedly. So stick the probe in the thickest part of the breast and let it ride. Once it hits 160 open lid and double check temp in thigh. If everything looks good let turkey sit 20-30 min before carving.

theyolksonyou

+1. Cook to temp not time. Why have the probe if you don't use it? If you're not going to trust it, chunk it.

Duuane

Thank you!!  I am confident of the probes accuracy, but never had a bird that big cook that fast, no matter how I did it...less than three hours. As far as opening the BGE, it seems I read "if you're looking, it's not cooking"  someplace...but I couldn't find it written in any post I looked at this morning.

dldawes1

Duuane .   

 If you're looking...You're not cooking !!!

There ya go...

bweekes

Only reason I open during a turkey cook is to baste occasionally. But if all you're doing is peaking and testing temps, I agree that you should trust your probe and try to avoid opening the lid.

laserdoc85

If the leg pulls off it is done!

Jeepster47

Might be a dumb question, but have you calibrated your dome thermometer.  If it's reading low, that would explain the fast cook.

Also, make sure the dome thermometer is away from the bird itself ... otherwise the cooler bird will contribute to a lower reading.

rifrench

Jeepster47 said:

Might be a dumb question, but have you calibrated your dome thermometer.  If it's reading low, that would explain the fast cook.

Also, make sure the dome thermometer is away from the bird itself ... otherwise the cooler bird will contribute to a lower reading.

I have had that happen!

morrobayrich

The initial "If you are looking you aren't cooking" came from Celtic Wolf on the old forum.

Duuane

I did calibrate the thermometer, but I cant be sure it wasn't near or touching the bird. I will make sure with this one.