deep frying a turkey: tell me what not to do

[teef]

for the first time this year i'll be deep frying a turkey.  i'm not going to get too elaborate...just a rub on it and into the fryer it goes.  i'm just looking for what not to do.  i definitely know to make sure the turkey isn't frozen, and to dry it off as much as possible, but anything else i should look out for?   i'm also looking for any suggestions concerning the wind.  apparently it could be windy, and someone said it will throw off the cooking temp.  i won't fry it in the garage, so has anyone had success blocking the wind somehow? the youtube vids got be bored so i figured i'd ask the experts.  

[Gugny]

If it gets too windy, just dump some water in it.  You'll forget about that wind in no time.

[Seasons1992]

1 minute ago, Gugny said:

If it gets too windy, just dump some water in it.  You'll forget about that wind in no time.

 

 

 

The key is 3 minutes a pound. Monitor that ***t. 

Don't have kids running around the kettle/gas hose. 

You can put foil around the fire ring to help knock down wind. I wouldn't overly worry about it, provided it's a good BTU producer. 

 

[eball]

Check your propane supply before you start (there's nothing worse than running out of gas 1/2-way into a cook).

[teef]

4 minutes ago, Gugny said:

If it gets too windy, just dump some water in it.  You'll forget about that wind in no time.

i plan on doing this without my shirt on.

1 minute ago, Seasons1992 said:

 

 

 

The key is 3 minutes a pound. Monitor that ***t. 

Don't have kids running around the kettle/gas hose. 

You can put foil around the fire ring to help knock down wind. I wouldn't overly worry about it, provided it's a good BTU producer. 

 

someone did suggest this.  it pumps out heat, but someone made it sound like the wind will stop the oil from getting to 350.  good to know it shouldn't be much of an issue.

 

as of now 1 have 6 gallons of peanut oil.  from what i've read that should be enough, but i haven't had time to check displacement with the turkey.

2 minutes ago, eball said:

Check your propane supply before you start (there's nothing worse than running out of gas 1/2-way into a cook).

already filled up a second propane tank to have on standby.  

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

Quote

deep frying a turkey: tell me what not to do

Blow yourself up!!! 

 

[Steve O]

Saw some folks a couple years ago deep frying a turkey in a parking lot near some folks playing beer-pong. Think they were all part of the same tailgaite group. What could possible go wrong? Fortunately nothing did.

[Jauronimo]

I saw some guys deep fry a turkey in lot 4 a couple of years ago.  Their steps.

 

1. Fill a pot with oil to the brim

2. Turn heat on as high as it goes

3. Slowly lower turkey into pot.  

Note: Excess oil will overflow, drip down into the flame, and run all over the parking lot.  This is perfectly normal. Do NOT be alarmed.

4. Cheer wildly

 

I didn't see the rest as I got the hell out of there, but I didn't see any burned out cars when I got back so I assume it worked out.

[Doc]

Hopefully it’s an electric one. As long as you make sure the area is free from traffic, don’t fill the oil past the fill line and don’t put anything frozen in there, you should be good.

[KD in CA]

14 minutes ago, Jauronimo said:

I saw some guys deep fry a turkey in lot 4 a couple of years ago.  Their steps.

 

1. Fill a pot with oil to the brim

2. Turn heat on as high as it goes

3. Slowly lower turkey into pot.  

Note: Excess oil will overflow, drip down into the flame, and run all over the parking lot.  This is perfectly normal. Do NOT be alarmed.

4. Cheer wildly

 

I didn't see the rest as I got the hell out of there, but I didn't see any burned out cars when I got back so I assume it worked out.

 

I thought you were supposed to drop the turkey in quickly so it can start cooking evenly.

[Jauronimo]

1 minute ago, KD in CA said:

 

I thought you were supposed to drop the turkey in quickly so it can start cooking evenly.

When the hot oil is overflowing the pot it is best to go slow. Safety first!

 

I am still amazed that they didn't start a parking lot wide grease fire which consumed 50 cars.

[Gordio]

1 hour ago, teef said:

for the first time this year i'll be deep frying a turkey.  i'm not going to get too elaborate...just a rub on it and into the fryer it goes.  i'm just looking for what not to do.  i definitely know to make sure the turkey isn't frozen, and to dry it off as much as possible, but anything else i should look out for?   i'm also looking for any suggestions concerning the wind.  apparently it could be windy, and someone said it will throw off the cooking temp.  i won't fry it in the garage, so has anyone had success blocking the wind somehow? the youtube vids got be bored so i figured i'd ask the experts.  

 

 

We go over my sisters every year & my sister cooks a regular turkey in the oven & her husband deep fries a turkey.  The deep fried turkey is 10xs better.  He puts a Cajun rub on it.  Doesn't seem to complicated, I would just keep an eye on the temperature gage.  

[Gugny]

33 minutes ago, Doc said:

Hopefully it’s an electric one. As long as you make sure the area is free from traffic, don’t fill the oil past the fill line and don’t put anything frozen in there, you should be good.

 

My God, you're boring.  Live a little, would ya?!?!?!?

[Gordio]

36 minutes ago, Jauronimo said:

I saw some guys deep fry a turkey in lot 4 a couple of years ago.  Their steps.

 

1. Fill a pot with oil to the brim

2. Turn heat on as high as it goes

3. Slowly lower turkey into pot.  

Note: Excess oil will overflow, drip down into the flame, and run all over the parking lot.  This is perfectly normal. Do NOT be alarmed.

4. Cheer wildly

 

I didn't see the rest as I got the hell out of there, but I didn't see any burned out cars when I got back so I assume it worked out.

 

 

About 10 years go or so we were tailgating for a Monday night football against the Browns.  We decided to deep fry a turkey.  Seemed like a good idea.  The tailgate & the deep frying went pretty well.  I had my FIL's pickup truck.  When we were done, before we were going into the game I was going to dump the oil out by this trash bin but one of the girls we were with started yelling at me, saying that is disgusting so I loaded the deep fryer with the oil back in the truck.  I remember Cleveland beat us on like a 55 yard FG & I was really ticked off.  Edwards threw a few picks that game.  I remember pulling out of the lot & thinking to myself, your upset right now, just leave the deep fryer in the truck & worry about it in the morning when you get home.  Well I didn't follow my own advice, tried to take the deep fryer out of the truck(I had a few drinks in me that night) & of course I spilled the deep fryer & all the oil went all over my driveway.  Of course my friends were laughing their asses off & drove off.  So I took the hose out from the garage & was spraying like crazy hoping this comes off.  My wife comes out(it was 12:30 at night) & says what are you doing?  & of course I told her to mind her own business & get the f*ck back in the house.  So of course she ended up locking me out of the house.  I had to sleep in my FIL truck.  It was like 20 degrees that night too.  Since then I have never brought a deep fryer to the Bills game.  

[teef]

1 hour ago, SlimShady'sGhost said:

Blow yourself up!!! 

 

my wife has the most to gain if this happens.  if you don't see me on here again, look in her direction.  

1 hour ago, Jauronimo said:

I saw some guys deep fry a turkey in lot 4 a couple of years ago.  Their steps.

 

1. Fill a pot with oil to the brim

2. Turn heat on as high as it goes

3. Slowly lower turkey into pot.  

Note: Excess oil will overflow, drip down into the flame, and run all over the parking lot.  This is perfectly normal. Do NOT be alarmed.

4. Cheer wildly

 

I didn't see the rest as I got the hell out of there, but I didn't see any burned out cars when I got back so I assume it worked out.

deep down inside, this is really what i'd like to do.  the fear of bodily harm and damage to my property is hold me back...a bit.

[DrDawkinstein]

I've been involved in many a turkey frying. There are 2 or 3 memorable times where I'm still surprised we didnt burn down a house/garage/building, and all got out unscathed.

 

Biggest mistake is over-filling the fryer. If you do and are lucky, the oil runs down the sides and may only catch on fire. If you are unlucky, the oil treats the hollow bird like a cannon and you get a jet of hot oil shooting straight out the turkey's ass at everyone standing around. That's fun game. Dodge the hot oil jet.

 

Bonus for getting to clean up the congealed oil from your driveway after it cools down the next day. So find a place where you dont have to worry about mess.

[frostbitmic]

Don't cook it for so long you break a tooth ... finding a Dentist on Thanksgiving is a B word.

[Seasons1992]

44 minutes ago, teef said:

my wife has the most to gain if this happens.  if you don't see me on here again, look in her direction.  

 

Pic?

[teef]

18 minutes ago, Seasons1992 said:

 

Pic?

of my crispy corpse?

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

1 hour ago, teef said:

my wife has the most to gain if this happens.  if you don't see me on here again, look in her direction.  

deep down inside, this is really what i'd like to do.  the fear of bodily harm and damage to my property is hold me back...a bit.

 

do you have a yard?  a fire pit?  

 

move the fire pit and place it there.    And don't over fill it.  

[Gugny]

1 hour ago, DrDawkinstein said:

Bonus for getting to clean up the congealed oil from your driveway after it cools down the next day. So find a place where you dont have to worry about mess.

 

Neighbor's driveway!

[teef]

1 hour ago, frostbitmic said:

Don't cook it for so long you break a tooth ... finding a Dentist on Thanksgiving is a B word.

i've gone in on thanksgiving more than any other holiday by far.  one year i was there for so long i missed dinner.  last year i came in on thanksgiving morning because a guy was so swollen his eye was shut.  i have bad luck on that day.

[teef]

17 minutes ago, SlimShady'sGhost said:

 

do you have a yard?  a fire pit?  

 

move the fire pit and place it there.    And don't over fill it.  

it has a specific line where you can max fill it to, so i should be good there.  

 

i may have to do it in the yard.  we just had our back done this year with a large stone are and a fire place.  i was going to do it there, turn on the fire, have a drink and relax, but the mess is freaking me out.  i was thinking i may throw a tarp down to stop the splatter, but it might just be easier to do it in the lawn.

[Gary M]

Please record the event.

 

 

[Doc]

2 hours ago, Gugny said:

My God, you're boring.  Live a little, would ya?!?!?!?

 

I'll leave the drama for the Thanksgiving dinner table, not the ER, thankyouverymuch.

[Augie]

The myth of Mrs O’Leary’s cow knocking over a lantern was just a story started by the Chik-fil-A poultry. (This is where the bad blood originated.) I heard the Great Chicago Fire started with a deep fried turkey. Don’t do THAT!  ?

[apuszczalowski]

I haven't deep fried a turkey, but have plenty of experience with big fryers working in the back of a KFC in high school. Definitely not don't put it in there frozen or wet since water and oil are not a good mix. Your best bet to get it in is to start slowly lowering it into the pot and once you can feel the oil supporting some of the weight to gently let it drop in (we used to have to drop in large baskets that held about 6 chickens and were supposed to use a big metal hook but found it much easier and safer to lower the basket in with your hand. You will want to move back quickly in case oil comes over the top. Once it's in and the oil level goes back down from near the top you can cover it if there's a cover. I don't know if I would put tarps or anything underneath that could melt or catch fire.

 

I had a friend who bought one of those fryers and he gave the pot it came with to his wife and used the base in his garage as a heater. Not really smart to burn an open propane flame indoors, but it did put off alot of heat.

 

I bought a propane 'oil less deapfryer' for the backyard a while back. Still in the box in my she'd because I haven't finished the patio/deck to use it. It's supposed to do the same thing as deep-frying by heating the metal plate around the food and radiating heat towards the food. It's the same as my full size BBQ that has a pan that sits below the grates covering the flame. The pan heats up evenly and radiates the heat to the food.

 

 

[apuszczalowski]

3 hours ago, Seasons1992 said:

 

 

 

The key is 3 minutes a pound. Monitor that ***t. 

Don't have kids running around the kettle/gas hose. 

You can put foil around the fire ring to help knock down wind. I wouldn't overly worry about it, provided it's a good BTU producer. 

 

I think the issue with heavy wind is similar to bbqing in the wind or cold and it's that the pot is sitting in the cold and the flame has to keep heating the oil up to temp while fighting the cooler temps outside trying to cool things down.

[HereComesTheReignAgain]

We deep fry a turkey every year. We have a big metal bin like the ones you use to hold beverages and ice at an outside party. We place the fryer in the bin to catch the oil. We have also laid down a big piece of cardboard under the fryer to catch the overflow. 
 

When putting the dry rub on the turkey, it may help to coat the turkey with a thin layer of oil since the turkey should be dry of any water.  Put rub on the inside and outside of the turkey. We use Dinosaur BBQ Cajun Foreplay and it is awesome. 
 

get the oil up above your target temp because it will drop considerably when you drop the turkey in. (Allowing the turkey to warm up to room temp before dunking will help.) 

 

3.5 min per pound should give you the best tasting turkey that you’ve ever had! 

[Patrick Duffy]

4 hours ago, teef said:

for the first time this year i'll be deep frying a turkey.  i'm not going to get too elaborate...just a rub on it and into the fryer it goes.  i'm just looking for what not to do.  i definitely know to make sure the turkey isn't frozen, and to dry it off as much as possible, but anything else i should look out for?   i'm also looking for any suggestions concerning the wind.  apparently it could be windy, and someone said it will throw off the cooking temp.  i won't fry it in the garage, so has anyone had success blocking the wind somehow? the youtube vids got be bored so i figured i'd ask the experts.  

 

Oh man Teefy you're in for a treat. That's my favorite and IMO the best way to do a turkey. Inject it (especially the breast the most) with Creole Butter (it comes with an injector). You can get it at any grocery store or Walmart.

 

Of course make sure you don't get water in your oil, and use peanut oil btw. Little more pricey but best for a fried turkey. It usually takes about 45 mins to an hour depending on the size of your turkey.

 

I did it for the first time many years ago, and now it's the only way I cook a turkey. Hope you enjoy.

[Augie]

If it’s a windy day, you should do it indoors. Safety first! 

[frostbitmic]

59 minutes ago, teef said:

i've gone in on thanksgiving more than any other holiday by far.  one year i was there for so long i missed dinner.  last year i came in on thanksgiving morning because a guy was so swollen his eye was shut.  i have bad luck on that day.

LMAO ... I was just joking in my post but can imagine what it's like.

 

 

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

I use an electric fryer that can only handle up to a 12 lb. turkey. Works like a charm.

 

[unbillievable]

What do people do with the oil after cooking?

 

 

[Tenhigh]

 

1 hour ago, teef said:

it has a specific line where you can max fill it to, so i should be good there.  

 

i may have to do it in the yard.  we just had our back done this year with a large stone are and a fire place.  i was going to do it there, turn on the fire, have a drink and relax, but the mess is freaking me out.  i was thinking i may throw a tarp down to stop the splatter, but it might just be easier to do it in the lawn.

Not just max fill level, you need to know how high you should put the oil, depending on the size of your bird.  and DO NOT do it on your new stone patio.  Throw a piece of plywood down on the lawn or something. 

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

5 minutes ago, unbillievable said:

What do people do with the oil after cooking?

 

 

 

Save it for wings the next day.

 

 

[teef]

12 minutes ago, Tenhigh said:

 

Not just max fill level, you need to know how high you should put the oil, depending on the size of your bird.  and DO NOT do it on your new stone patio.  Throw a piece of plywood down on the lawn or something. 

ok.  i'm keeping it off the stone.  i was going back and forth with that.

13 minutes ago, unbillievable said:

What do people do with the oil after cooking?

 

 

someone told me since it's peanut oil, you can just throw out in the lawn.  it may be an issue for deer, fox, coyotes, etc., which we have.  i'm also super paranoid about my dog finding it, and rolling in it.  he likes to do that with deer *****, so i think he would love the oil.

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

1 hour ago, teef said:

it has a specific line where you can max fill it to, so i should be good there.  

 

i may have to do it in the yard.  we just had our back done this year with a large stone are and a fire place.  i was going to do it there, turn on the fire, have a drink and relax, but the mess is freaking me out.  i was thinking i may throw a tarp down to stop the splatter, but it might just be easier to do it in the lawn.

You have to clean the tarp or toss it.  Let nature suck up any spillage 

[Seasons1992]

25 minutes ago, teef said:

ok.  i'm keeping it off the stone.  i was going back and forth with that.

someone told me since it's peanut oil, you can just throw out in the lawn.  it may be an issue for deer, fox, coyotes, etc., which we have.  i'm also super paranoid about my dog finding it, and rolling in it.  he likes to do that with deer *****, so i think he would love the oil.

 

I dump cold oil out back where it's not going to be walked on. Perfectly fine. It's not engine oil.

Just now, Seasons1992 said:

 

I dump cold oil out back where it's not going to be walked on. Perfectly fine. It's not engine oil.

 

BTW @teef you are overthinking things. Use your head here with safety and mess and you'll be fine.

[Buffalo_Gal]

5 hours ago, teef said:

for the first time this year i'll be deep frying a turkey.  i'm not going to get too elaborate...just a rub on it and into the fryer it goes.  i'm just looking for what not to do.  i definitely know to make sure the turkey isn't frozen, and to dry it off as much as possible, but anything else i should look out for?   i'm also looking for any suggestions concerning the wind.  apparently it could be windy, and someone said it will throw off the cooking temp.  i won't fry it in the garage, so has anyone had success blocking the wind somehow? the youtube vids got be bored so i figured i'd ask the experts.  

Do a brine, the rub may (probably will) come off in the oil.