Another first Thanksgiving Turkey post

[Pam Gould]

i too am a first time turkey cooker on the SRG. got a lot of great tips right here...went with the two stick turkey recipe, and used the half racks on the lowest ring of the basket in lieu of a tommy ring. the 20 pound bird went in head first/legs up, and took right at 10 min/lb to cook. it cooked very evenly all the way through, I couldn't be more pleased with the results!

Ya did good..pretty bird.  Pam   .☆´¯`•.¸¸. ི♥ྀ.

[RAD]

Birds look great. I find that 16# is just about right for me when using TBE. Breast down and bird suspended using fryer hooks instead of the basket.

[richvalle]

Birds look great. I find that 16# is just about right for me when using TBE. Breast down and bird suspended using fryer hooks instead of the basket.

Fryer hooks... hmmmm. Something else to look into.   

Thanks all.

rv

[aliengriller]

Another tip--I figure out the approximate cooking time, divide it by three and rotate the bird three times during the cook.   Seems to eliminate the problem with cooler spots.   Also raise the basket up with a Tommy Ring.  Helps a bunch!  Right, Tee?

[RAD]

Birds look great. I find that 16# is just about right for me when using TBE. Breast down and bird suspended using fryer hooks instead of the basket.

Fryer hooks... hmmmm. Something else to look into.   

Thanks all.

rv

I use a crowbar to hold the bird but you could use just about anything.

[richvalle]

Another tip--I figure out the approximate cooking time, divide it by three and rotate the bird three times during the cook.   Seems to eliminate the problem with cooler spots.   Also raise the basket up with a Tommy Ring.  Helps a bunch!  Right, Tee?

Thanks. I did see this tip and rotated the bird 3 or so times as it cooked. Turns out I needed to rotated it top to bottom too. 

I think putting a shelf in would have been good enough to raise it up. I'll have to try again before next Thanksgiving.

rv

[Las Vegan Cajun]

Another tip--I figure out the approximate cooking time, divide it by three and rotate the bird three times during the cook.   Seems to eliminate the problem with cooler spots.   Also raise the basket up with a Tommy Ring.  Helps a bunch!  Right, Tee?

Thanks. I did see this tip and rotated the bird 3 or so times as it cooked. Turns out I needed to rotated it top to bottom too. 

I think putting a shelf in would have been good enough to raise it up. I'll have to try again before next Thanksgiving.

rv

That will definetly do the trick.  What I did in my BEESR was I used the stand I have from my turkey oil frying pot to put the bird on.  Then I put that inside the BEESR basket with the half shelves mounted on the first ring above the bottom of the basket.  With the thickness of the base of the turkey stand and raising the bottom with the half shelves that brought it out of the dead zone.  I also placed the bird breast down with legs sticking up, this method produced the juiciest turkey I have ever done. 

[TMB]

Another tip--I figure out the approximate cooking time, divide it by three and rotate the bird three times during the cook.   Seems to eliminate the problem with cooler spots.   Also raise the basket up with a Tommy Ring.  Helps a bunch!  Right, Tee?

Thanks. I did see this tip and rotated the bird 3 or so times as it cooked. Turns out I needed to rotated it top to bottom too. 

I think putting a shelf in would have been good enough to raise it up. I'll have to try again before next Thanksgiving.

rv

Now remember, the more you cook with the SRG the better and more even it cooks.  Like a cast iron pan once seasoned it just  keeps  getting better.    Oil the chamber after every cook for the first few cooks. The chamber needs to be dark not  shiny.   This will help you more than you know   

[richvalle]

Now remember, the more you cook with the SRG the better and more even it cooks.  Like a cast iron pan once seasoned it just  keeps  getting better.    Oil the chamber after every cook for the first few cooks. The chamber needs to be dark not  shiny.   This will help you more than you know

Yep, I've oiled it up before each time I've used it. Seems pretty dark if you look at the pictures though I'm sure it will get darker still. I'll keep oiling it for the next few times before using it and then drop to once every 3 or so times.