A few turkey fryer tips?

1. I use the turkey stand. I have a basket for frying fish/smaller items and for boiling crawfish.

2. No, the fire should not be roaring so big as to come up the sides of the pot. I'm not even sure mine will get that high. I usually have a mix of a blue/yellow flame. I wouldn't worry about that as much as just getting it to stay relatively constant. Build a small wind screen if needed, the wind can really screw with the fire.

3. The bottom of the pot will turn nasty, it's just part of cooking over an open flame.

Make sure that you measure the level of the oil needed with water before you put it in. I usually subtract about an inch-inch and a half because the oil will expand some. Big grease fires aren't fun, so just be careful and enjoy it. Fried turkey is now a staple at my house for the holidays.

Don't do it on your wood deck! Unless you're special you WILL have some oil spillage and a good possibility for a little fire. When you lower the turkey into the oil do it SLOWLY and wear a heavy glove like a welders glove. Don't wear sandals or shorts and when the oil starts boiling up like crazy don't just drop the turkey into the fryer and run away, go slow and you can keep it under control.

I agree with Lazybones. One other thing I would like to add is to wear heatproof gloves when putting the turkey in, lower it slowly (as it will hiss and spit) keep an eye on the foaming. Since it is always windy where I live I usually fashion a windscreen around the base of the fryer with some foil.

BTW - I would adjust the flame so that it has some blue showing.

Don't cook it in your Garage.

Set up at least 10 feet away from your house and anything else that can burn....such
as a patio or deck or anything flammable.

Have the proper kind of Fire Extinguisher close by....if there is a fire....don't throw
water on it, or use your garden hose; that will turn a small fire into a BIG fire.

Keep children and pets far away from the cooker.

Allow the Turkey to drain really well before submerging it into the oil; if necessary
use some paper towels to pat the Turkey dry on the outside and inside to remove
as much moisture/water as possible.

Make sure it completely thawed!!

It sounds like the regulator on your gas connection is poorly made. This happened when a friend of mine bought a fairly cheap fryer from the NEX. He had to go the a hardware store and build himself a custom gas connection to make it work.

If your regulator doesn't give you good control, you run the risk of overheating your grease. Grease that gets even 30 degrees too hot before you realize it turns into a difficult situation to manage. That stuff holds tons of heat, and won't cool down for a pretty long time.

Chris' fryer started spattering all over his patio and wouldn't stop for a half hour. Make sure you can get the right kind of flame before you start a serious fry

Most important do not let children or for that matter anyone near the cooking area. Have one or more fire extinguishers available and manned at all times. Lower your dried turkey very very slow. And do not leave it unattended even for seconds. Plan ever move and do a dry run on how your going to do it. As in having all your gloves,pans ect. ready right down to who in going to open the door for you after it's cooked. Just because it's out of the fryer it's still very hot. One slip could leave you or others with injuries. There's isn't anything we do here worth getting hurt for. Good luck.

Do it away from your house and lower the bird in SLOWLY real slow.Use the turkey stand that works best. Keep temps at 350 I usually start mine at 375 as the temp will drop ounce you put the bird in. Also do 3 1/2 minutes a pound and you will have the color you and me know your looking for some do 3 min a pound and five minutes finishing up after its all done. Don't worry you'll be good I'm not a big gas man myself and don't really play with weed burners so I know how you feel. Good luck send us PRON!

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Yes, it's VERY important to carefully measure the amout of oil you use. I usually only fry birds that are less than 15 lbs, usually I try to find them in the 12-13 lb range.

Make sure you remove the gravy and giblet bags before cooking!

Put bird in empty pot (on your turkey stand) and fill with water till it barely covers the bird. Remove the bird and mark where the water line is. I used a screwdriver or punch to mark the line on the inside of pot.

Empty water from pot and dry off bird completely.

Fill pot with oil (I usually use peanut or regular veggy oil) to your mark.

Heat oil to 325-350F and SLOWLY, VERY SLOWLY lower into oil. I cant stress enough the importance of going slow.

3 1/2 mins a pound, and add 5 mins (for oil to recover from cold bird)

Make sure you let the bird rest 20-30 mins before carving or shredding.

There are LOTS of good injection mixes out there. Inject before frying. I try to avoid puncturing the skin.

putting a rub on the outside sometimes leaves you with a ver blackend bird, I dont do it. Also try to not let the temp get over 350 at anytime.

Don't be too drunk when you fry . Looking forward to frying on Xmas eve.

Here is a good video to watch. Take what you want from it.

Good Eats - Fry Turkey Fry [Full - HD Quality] - YouTube

mnmikew said:

Put bird in empty pot (on your turkey stand) and fill with water till it barely covers the bird. Remove the bird and mark where the water line is. I used a screwdriver or punch to mark the line on the inside of pot.

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This should have asteriks all around it!!!!!! This step will keep you from being on a Smokey the Bear commercial. Former boss didn't do that and had a nice little fire going when he put his turkey in and it went over the sides. I didn't like him much so after finding out nothing burned down I laughed (on the inside) :laugh:

Start with a frozen turkey, and just drop it in. :heh:

Okay, don't do that. :icon_blush:

I have the burner part of a turkey fryer, but the top part of my rig is made for seafood boils. However, I have assisted in the frying of several turkeys using my burner and other people's turkey frying gear.

That black on the pot is from unburned fuel, which seems natural with the yellow flame. Something isn't right with that rig. You should be able to get a mostly blue flame.

TURN THE BURNER OFF when you go to lower the turkey into the pot. Once it is in, and settled, you can re-light the burner.

Turn the burner off when you lift the bird out, too. Those are the two most dangerous parts of frying a turkey.

CD

I have been deep frying birds etc. for 20+ years and COMMON SENCE is your friend, fire is not. First I agree you got a gas delivery issue, thats why the bottom of the pot is so black already. I inject all birds, Cajun Injector is my staple, 16oz in every bird, hit with Cajun shake and into a small garbage bag. Suck out the air and tie off, into the fridge for up to a week, take your friends with you when you rotate 180 degrees, like a fine bottle of wine. I made a pulley system like Alton Brown, I like it a lot, save the fingers and the instant the bird is in the oil up to it's azz I put a grease spatula, that thing you use on the stove to stop grease from splatering, works very well as I cook in my shed, right at the door and never had a fire. I use birds 10-12 lbs.

This is the good part, when I take them out of the oil, I usually do six at a time, three go into a large food service stainless pan, add a pint or quart of chicken stock and stuff in the oven at 200 degrees for 6-8 hours covered.

When they come out all the meat is cooked right down to the bone. Take the stock that is now black as coal, put it in a big skillet, bring to a boil and mix up a batch of cornstarch/cold water in a shaker and start adding untill you get the consistancy you like, season as you wish, I like Head Country. I garontee you'll the gravy and the bird just don't taste bad ether! :thumb:

grilling24x7 said:

Another question: I have a 3 gallon box of frying oil blend. 3 gallons enough?

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Take your turkey and put it in your pot and fill with water. Take the turkey out and see how much water is left. I would think that 3 gallons would be enough.

I use a stand for turkeys.

TIP #1. Put the turkey in a clean plastic bag and put the turkey
inside your pot, add water until you are about 3" from the top of the pot.
Remove turkey and mark on the side of the pot the water level...
That's how much Peanut Oil I use,to avoid having too much.

Tip #2. My pot's lid didn't have a hole for a thermometer, so I drilled a 1/4" hole, so I can monitor the temp. while heating the oil faster.

Tip #3. Coat the bottom of your aluminum pot in dish detergent.
Most of the time the black on the bottom of the pot will wipe off easy...

I use a Lodge 'Lid Lifter', and a Welding glove while I'm 'S L O W L Y'
putting the turkey in the oil.