Turkey time and temps

AZRP · November 2009

Someone suggested we post our actual time and temps so we can compare. I did two turkeys today both at 350 dome. The first was a 20 lb bird took 3 hours and 15 minutes to 160 in the breast and 180 in the thigh. The second was 14 lb took 2 hours and 30 minutes to 165 in the breast and 185 in the thigh. I was eating when the second one finished so it went a little over but I really liked it better than the first one, still quite moist. Both were cooked at 350 dome, no basting or peeking other than rotating 180 degrees at 1 and a half hours. The 20 pounder had the breast iced for 30 minutes and the 14 pounder did not, can't see that it made any difference. -RP

thebtls · November 2009

Just short of 3 hours in the 350 range for a 16 lb bird, legs, thighs (180) and breasts done PERFECT, back was still a little pink but that goes to the dogs anyway. Didn't flip the bird like some and cooked breasts(165)up this year. Will probably go to a longer cook at 325 next year and give some thought to breasts down. Got to get a digique or whatever that thing is called so I don't have to mind the temperature maybe.

Fidel · November 2009

Mine was 15.02 pounds, fresh never frozen from a local farm. Dry brined since Monday afternoon, cavity stuffed to capacity with apples, celery, onion, carrots, and garlic.

Cooked at 330-340*. Started at 10:18 and finished at 1:52. Total time just a hair over 3.5 hours. Breast was 162* and thighs were 174* at the lowest point.

Buxwheat · November 2009

22# @ 350° dome: 4 hours flat. My probe had 172° in thigh, but when I tested it in the kitchen w/ Thermapen, it read 190° in thigh and 185° in the breast. Would have benefitted from a 180° turn at maybe 3 hour mark. Legs were to the back and prolly got just a bit to much heat. Over all, an excellent bird for the most part. Skin on the dark meat a wee bit crunchy, otherwise the meat was extremely moist. Probably more so than any other turkey I've done. Going to start doing all my turkeys on the egg now!

Firetruck · November 2009

I did 2, one yesterday and one today. Yesterday the egg got away from me and I ended up doing most of it @ 400. Was able to finally get it down to 350. Iced the breasts for 1.5 hours. It took 2.5 hrs to get the breast to 165 and for some reason it took another 1/2 hour to get the thies to 185 which ended up getting the breast to 170. The bird was done about 1 1/2 hrs too soon so I foiled it and put it in towels in a preheated cooler till time to eat.

Today I iced for the same time and only let the egg get up to 350. It took 3 hrs to get the breast to 160. I was running out of time at this point so I pulled the bird, took it in the house, and let it rest for about 15 minutes before slicing. Both birds weighed 14 lbs.

Both birds were great but yesterdays bird was more juicy. I'm not sure if it was the higher temp or the long rest, but it was definitely better. Both were brined for 3 days also.

drbbq · November 2009

I cooked a 12 pounder on my medium egg at 325 for just about 3 hours and it was just right.

civil eggineer · November 2009

14 pounder, indirect at 350 dome temp for 2.3 hours until thigh hit 180. No stuffing in cavity and never lifted the lid during the cook.

RRP · November 2009

8.3# Honey Suckle brand breast at 325 reached 163 in 2 hours 16 minutes. I had poured 2 pints of OJ in the drip pan. Used 2 handfuls of apple chips plus one large onion on the hot coals for a wonderful smell and twist. Smeared skin with Can't Believe It's Not Butter and it produced a nice bronze skin. No basting and no peek during the whole cook!

Clay Q · November 2009

Happy Thanksgiving Fishlessman, AZRP and the rest of the gang.

Amish Natural fresh turkey, 15#, leg retainer and pop up temp gauge removed, brined 24 hours.
Rinsed, dried, ice bag on breast 1 hour.
Rubbed with shortening, dusted with Dizzy Pig Tsunami Spin.

BGE Large, indirect setup, plate setter, drip pan, grid.
Grove Hardwood lump, applewood chips for smoke.
Dome 250 degrees.

Start; Turkey is placed on grid, dome 250 degrees.

Check; 1 hr., Turkey thigh at 86 degrees, dome 300 degrees.

Check; 2 hr., Turkey thigh at 143 degrees, dome 350 degrees.

Check; 2 3/4 hr., Turkey thigh at 182 degrees, Turkey breast at 171 degrees, dome 350+ degrees. (dome temp seemed hotter, actual near 375 degrees I'm guessing)

Done.

Result; Excellent. Meat very moist and tender. Brine added right amount of salt and flavors. Removing leg retainer allowed legs to fall away from rib cage for quicker heat penetration into thigh area. Increasing roasting temp in the dome as time progressed created a quicker cook with a more moist bird, in my opinion.
I'm stuffed, fat and happy, hope you are also. :P
Clay

Jeffersonian · November 2009

I did a standard Mad Max turkey today, 21.5# basted every 20 minutes after the first hour. It took about 5 hours @ 325*, and I took the breast to 165* to get the thighs done.

mkc · November 2009

I'll chime in as the apparent anomaly today.

It appears I need to check the calibration on my dome thermometer (and have already hinted at a Tel-True for Christmas).

11.4 pounder, brined overnight. Had to cook it on the vertical roaster because I realized at 1 PM today that I'd forgotten to buy a disposable roasting pan (none of my regular ones fit in the Egg). The lid barely cleared the wing "shoulders" (which I tented with little foil epaulets to keep from burning).

325-340 dome, or so the thermometer said. Indirect, platesetter legs up and Egg feet holding the round drip pan. A single thin piece of apple wood for smoke. 4 hours 35 minutes to a thigh temp of 179 and breast of 165.

A long wait, but it was a spectacular result.

Michelle

simpson_eh · November 2009

My bird was 17 pounds. I had iced the breast for 20 minutes like mad max said, but after about 3 and a half hours both breast and thigh were at 180 (i'm not sure why ice and meat obey different physical properties in my yard than anywhere else on the planet). I took the bird off and let it rest for a half hour. The dark meat was perfect. Everyone seemed to like the white meat too. I thought it was dry, but less dry than any other white meat I've ever had.

mattrapp · November 2009

I did a 23# one at 350*, it took 4.5 hrs to get breast at 161* and thighs at 178*. It was beautiful and really moist. We had 21 people for dinner and those who didn't know asked what I had done to the turkey, it was a hit!

Horsedoc · November 2009

I coooked my 23 lb brined bird without stuffing at 320 degrees for 4 1/2 hours umtil the brest was 160 degrees. Cooking time was 11.7 minutes per lb.

Turkey time and temps

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