Turkey fryer question

[beer and nuts]

Just bought a 30 qt one and used it last night, wild turk came out OK, but not great except white meat breast was good. I had to use half peanut oil and veg. oil. Is it oK to mix that and reuse the veg oil? Any helpful hints in using the turk fryer??

If anyone out ther uses a 30 qt Brinkman(?), how many gallons do you use to do a 10-12 pound turkey???

[Sarge]

The book that came with mine says to put the bird and all the rack etc. that it will be cooking with into the pot and fill it with water to determine how much oil to use. Measure the water using a gallon milk jug or something. Then take the bird out. Dry him off and dry out the pot and put in the appropriate amount of oil. The bird needs to be completely covered. I personally don't like peanut oil. The best I found is at Gordon Foods and its a 5 gal. container of 100% vegetable oil, derived completely from soybeans. It is the clearest and make the least oily smell while cooking. All of the oils are expensive so I just take the one I like. For the difference of a dollar or two per pot of oil, I'll go for the nicest I can find.

We just deep fried the big one my wife shot this year, on Tuesday evening. I too was disappointed in the dark meat. The breast, however was perfect. It came out plenty moist everywhere and the biggest parts I injected with marinade and that was downright juicy. I didn't care for that flavor of marinade and will try something different next time.

As for saving the oil, I would say it depends on when you are going to use it again. Afterall there will be impurities in it that will eventually spoil. I would also not reuse it unless you filter it somehow. I didn't buy a filter with mine, and I don't cook that way often enough to save it so I havent tried, and don't know how long its good for.

Good cooking.

[Worm Dunker]

I have used my oil up to three times (but I strain it and through the bottom inch away). After cooking turkey I cut up potato and fry them somebody told me it helped clean up the oil (also if it starts to over heat I throw patatoes in to cool off oil). I use the peanut and or peanut/cotton oil mix because my cooker said done not use vegetable oil due to fire risk the other won't burn. At least that what they say but we went to Outdoor-rama two years ago for a frying demenstration and the guy on stage got one heck of a fire started because cooking wings with still froze and the water in them spilled the oil over. As for the taste of the dark meat if it was wild turkey they make there living with there legs and the are all tendens and real tuff. Due a tame turkey different story

[beer and nuts]

Worm Dunker, was that because of the veg oil that those wings caused the oil to boil over or just because the wings were frozen still???

When I put the turk in mine it also boiled over big time. Its wasn't like mine was dripping wet(not frozen either). Any helpful ideas in how to cure the initial boil over???

[Sarge]

I had the boil over problem too, but I thought I was just trying to cook too big of a bird for my size cooker.?????????

It would seem appropriate to have 4 - 6" of space between the top of the oil and the top of the pot. Mine came within about 2" (maybe less) and I nearly made a terrible mess. I could tell what was happening, so I lowered the bird just a little bit at a time, untill I got it all the way down. That helped minimize the boil over, but I still had splash over for the whole time. I didn't know if I should cook with the cover on or off. the book didn't specify. I tried it both ways and ended up with the lid on but askew so it could vent easily. It worked and helped with the spill/splash but man what a mess. I'm glad I didn't try it on anyone's nice deck or something.

The dark meat was too strong as well as tough. We really enjoyed the breast though.

[Worm Dunker]

Yes it was caused because still froze and the ice (water/ oil) don't mix. Yes if you lower the bird in real slow it won't boil over. This takes some practace and good gloves to keep from burning your hands. The guy that did the seminar would slowly lower and then bring it back up till it was all seared in oil. He said this would help keep maranate in bird better. Also if you inject thru shin versus under skin this also causes more flare up due to the maranate comes out easier through the holes you put in when you inject. Another trick Dogman taught me get your bird out and warmed up to room temp before droping in hot oil helps too. Good luck every time you due this birds get better and better. Dogman cooks a mean turky he likes using a home maid rub and I like injected better, thats just personal tast. Good luck and keep frying

[jpollman]

I've got a deep fryer for turkey.

When I go to fill the pot with oil I use the water method to figure out how much oil to use.

I put the bird on the rack and put the entire thing in the pot.
Then I take it to the sink and fill it to just cover the bird. Then I take the bird out of the water and see where the level of the water is. I'll measure the distance from the top of the pot to the surface of the water with something and make a note of the distance. Then I dump the water out and dry out the pot. Then just fill the pot with oil to the same level.

Then I let the bird set on the counter to warm up a little before I fry it. I just slowly lower the bird into the oil and it works fine. I've never had a problem. Just make sure the bird is DRY !

[Sarge]

My trouble with boil over, was the fact the Ruth's bird was too big to be in my 28qt cooker. By lowering it slowly enough I was able to cook it with only occasional splatter. I tried putting the lid on and got smoke so I ended up with the lid halfway on, and that controled the splatter quite well.

I'll just have to tell my wife to shoot a smaller bird next time. :D

Or perhaps get a 30qt cooker.

BTW I don't like the aluminum pots and that seems to be what most of them are. I like stainless steel better for anything and especiall something that big. The cleanup is so much easier and I get the illusion that it ends up cleaner too.. Less porous etc.

[flydunker]

I also was not impressed with the dark meat on the first couple of turkeys that I deep fried. I was putting the bird in as recommended on the package and that was with the breast in the bottum of the pot and the legs up. It seemed as the the breast was moist and tender and the dark meat was dry and nasty. I like the dark meat so the last couple of birds I have done I turned the bird over with the breast towards the top of the pot, what a difference. It must have something to do with the juices ruuning doen the bird or something.

[outdooralex]

We have a guy up at deer camp that brings his fryer every year. One trick that he does is he makes a special sauce, it has milk, butter, and Franks hot sauce in it. He mixes it up and puts it into a cooking seringe. He injects the bird all over until the sauce starts seeping out. Then he drops it into the deep fryer. We have never done it on a wild bird, but on a store baught bird, it is the moistest turkey I have ever eaten!!!