well into the cooking, but HELP!

RRP · November 2000

I've got a 20# ButterBall on Mr Humpty right now. Their instructions say 325° for 3.5 to 4 hrs and an internal thigh temp of 185°. Well, so many here suggest 15 min per pound (therefore 5 hours) and at 350° and off at 160° internal who is right? If these were sort of close I'd let it go, but the two suggestions are so wide apart. HELP, I don't want my first turkey to be a "turkey"!

Tim M · November 2000

RRP,
The thermometer is king and the ball-park numbers are guides. I would figure 4 hr at 325 and something less at 350 but not much less. Add a half hour to rest and if it needs to rest for 1 hr so, it's ready it time, that's ok too.[p]Have fun .[p]Tim -- guess I need to start mine soon

Huck · November 2000

RRP,
go for the 160-165 temp against deep in the breast. Damn the timetables.

JJ · November 2000

Huck,
We need to see you attend either EGGtoberfest 2001 in Atlanta or EGGfest 2001 in Waldorf and show us your cooking techniques. I personally would love to taste your birds as you seem to do the opposite of what the majority here on the forum do while cooking turkey. I am always looking for new ways to do things and look forward to observing you. Please plan to attend either one or both and cook for us.
BTW since you have not posted a visitor profile, where are you located?
JJ

RRP · November 2000

Epilogue...I figured this time I'd go with the producer's suggestion and guess what...their estimated time at 325° was on target as was the internal thigh temp of 180° (I had misstated it as 185°) That was by and far the juicest turkey from top to bottom. I wonder if their "treatment" renders the meat in some way that it takes a higher internal temp or were all the posters who used 160-165° referring to breast temp vs thigh temp. Anybody care to enlighten me? The turkey was great, there were lots of left overs, but guess what? I'm looking forward to BGE pizza tomorrow night! Talk about an addiction!

JJ · November 2000

RRP,
160* is breast temp and 180* as thigh. That is what the posters on the BGE forum were refering to.;

Huck · November 2000

JJ,
believe it or not, I was raised in Chamblee! My dad still lives a right between Shallowford and Buford Hwys. I'd love to make it back. I must confess, I picked up a lot of the turkey fixin's from my father-in-law that passed down the old clay model. It's cracked and weatherbeaten but can still turn out a bird. Any time it gets over 300, I fear for it's survival as it has cracks all over it! He started me doing them with the oddities of tenting the entire bird with a large piece of foil, the breast down thing and the 250 degree temp. I learned many many things from the folks off of this page and am trying new things all of the time. I started brining because of you folks. I used a 1 gal apple cider/1cup brown sugar/ 1/2cup maple syrup / 1 cup salt solution. It took three gallons to fill the cooler enough before I put in the ziplocs of ice. I started filling the cavities with sliced apples and oranges. This seems to make the meat almost WET! The apple really got in the meat this time with the pecan/hickory smoke. The smell is heavenly. I used a free range turkey this time, it taste cleaner, meatier somehow. I really like it. I absolutely won't use an injected bird. I look forward to trying some stuff under the skin next time. I'm using another manufacturer but will not in anyway trash such a great product as the green egg. Big bonus you folks have is the hands down best support group there is for any product made!

well into the cooking, but HELP!

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