Turkey Emergency!

Unknown

I put a 15 lb. turkey on the egg this morning at about 6:00 a.m. I'm sure the egg has never been above 250 degrees, and has been at about 220 most of the morning (using the BGE dome thermometer). I was settling in for a 7-8 hour slow cook (at approx. 30 min. per pound).

Now, at 9:30 a.m. the polder reads 188 in the breast and 185 in the thigh, which I believe is well done. My mother's day guests aren't arriving for another 4 + hours. I've shut down the egg and covered the turkey with foil - leaving it in the egg for now at about 180 degrees and falling.

Should I just pull it off and re-heat later?

Any advice or ideas as to why my 15 lb. turkey cooked in less than half the expected time?

Many thanks for any info/advice for a BGE newbie.

Richard Fl

Make sure your thermometers are accurate by checking in boiling water. If the meat is the temp as you say leaving in egg while cooling down will dry out the bird. I would pull wrap in foil and place in a cooler. Slice to serve and reheat with a nice gravy with the meal.

Chef in the Making

If you have an instantread thermometer I would double check the breast and the legs. If they read the same as the poulder I would pull it.

Things that an impact the cooking is thermoter calibration. Have you checked to see if the BGE thermometer is reading correctly? Was the turkey stuffed but even it wasn't it should have taken loneger then 3 1/2 hours at 250.

Rascal

Have you checked/calibrated your thermometers recently? Mine (BGE dome unit) quit working properly after just a few months. Now I keep 3 of each variety (meat & cooking chamber) on hand so I can eliminate a culprit if need be. Hope it works out for you!

Unknown

Thanks for the responses. I have actually never checked or calibrated my thermometers (neither the Polder nor the dome). I will certainly do that before the next cook. I checked the turkey with two other instant read thermometers I had in the house and both zoomed over 180 degrees.

Unknown

I pulled it off per Richard's advice. Thanks to all and appreciate any further comments.

The turkey was brined for about 10 hours so maybe that will help. Was not stuffed, except for some apples and onions.

tks.

mad max beyond eggdome

chances are one of two things happened. .. .either your dome temp thermometer wasn't calibrated properly, or when you put your dome down, the dome temp thermometer was sticking in your bird and your egg was much hotter than you think. . no way in hell a 15 pound bird cooked ot 180 in 3 hours in a 220 degree egg. . .no way, no how .. . other wise, like richard said. .. wrap it, leave it, slice, serve it with some good mad max gravy and all will be good ...

ChefBrian

I did a 12# bird last night at 325* and is was done at 170* in 3.5 hours.


Used a Thai Black Pepper Sauce and Put a couple wedged lemons in the cavity. Used fresh lemonade in the drip pan.

Unknown

I just checked my dome thermometer and it is reading 100 degrees F while sitting in boiling water. Not in a good mood right now, but thanks everyone for the advice.

AZRP

I've seen several like that in the last few months, one was a neighbor that I was helping him fire it up for the first time. I know my settings for a 350 degree Egg and his was reading 225. We calibrated his thermometer right away. The other was the Egg I cooked on in Oklahoma, had no way to calibrate it there so I just cooked with the vent settings that I normally use and and ignored the thermometer. -RP

BENTE

first time i have seen that setup i may have to try that

Hungry Joe

Are you sure your reading the thermometer right? I only ask because 100 degrees C is 212 degrees F.

KentuckyEggMan

I am not having a problem with my thermometer but I am seeing where you should calibrate> I assume this is checking by placing in boiling water? If it is incorrect the remedy is? Replacement? Is this correct? Thanks! Please reply to bobmugge@roadrunner.com

Unknown

Kentucky EggMan - I found some good instructions from the Naked Whiz re: thermometer calibration: http://www.nakedwhiz.com/ceramicfaq.htm#calibrate

Lesson learned. In the end, the turkey turned out better than I had feared. Dark meat held up pretty well, but the breast was a bit dry. Of course it could have been so much better, and will be next time.

thanks again to everyone for giving me the emergency advice and helping me locate the problem.