My Turkey Day birds (pron included)

[River City Smokehouse]

This is a pic of 2 of 9 turkeys I am doing for others today. I will post some more as I can. I brined 7 out of 9 turkeys. 4 of the turkeys were raised organically and free range...I am only brining two of those birds and two will be natural(What's natural?). Wait til I post a pic of these bad boys.
Really makes you wander what they are putting in the feed of the commercially raised birds.

 

[Puppyboy]

Can't wait to see the final pic. Like that tub too.

 

[Irrad8]

you gonna label all them birds to keep straight which is which?:biggrin:

 

[Brewmaster]

you gonna label all them birds to keep straight which is which?:biggrin:

He has metal tags with numbers. He also has a spreadsheet of what number goes on when depending on weight and what time the person wanted the bird done.

Jim I posted that for you because I know how Kim hogs the computer.

 

[Irrad8]

very well planned. looking forward to the post pix.

 

[River City Smokehouse]

you gonna label all them birds to keep straight which is which?:biggrin:

Sure did. I made a small spread sheet in Excel that shows everything and estimates how long the meat needs to cook according to the size. Right now I am making it figure what the estimated finished time will be according to the start time you enter.
I am using JJ Keller trailer seals to identify each bird. Each seal locks and will stay on the bird through out the whole process. I assigned each bird their own tag with a unique number to keep them in check.

 

[Irrad8]

awesome

 

[Brewmaster]

I don't see that tag number on your spread sheet. Who are you going to put that on?

 

[keale]

Now I've seen it all, Tags on "dead" birds! My head is starting to hurt Jim, I can't wait to see the results, you put in a lot of work into this, nice job,
Brew, that tag was for his fatty!, Jim had breakfast already.

 

[DeanC]

Wow, can't wait to see the finished product, I'm sure all the hard work will pay off. What kind of wood you using?

 

[Ron_L]

Sure did. I made a small spread sheet in Excel that shows everything and estimates how long the meat needs to cook according to the size. Right now I am making it figure what the estimated finished time will be according to the start time you enter.
I am using JJ Keller trailer seals to identify each bird. Each seal locks and will stay on the bird through out the whole process. I assigned each bird their own tag with a unique number to keep them in check.

My wife laughed at me when i put together a cooking plan with the times that I wanted to start each item. I can't wait to show here this! :biggrin:

Nice job. Seriously. What is the 3 lbs @ hr column?

 

[biffleg]

Right now I am making it figure what the estimated finished time will be according to the start time you enter.

Were you able to figure out your formula? What's your pounds per hour? At 350* - I'm running about 1 lb./15 minutes. While I'm waiting on our bird to finish - I'll see if I can come up with something if you still need it.

 

[Puppyboy]

The metal tags are a pretty good idea.

 

[River City Smokehouse]

Ok, here are two of the free range/organically raised birds. I'm really interested in how these turn out. Look at the difference in these compared to what we buy at the grocery stores....makes you wander, huh?:icon_shy

 

[Puppyboy]

Kinda like a gal that's way to skinny.

 

[River City Smokehouse]

My wife laughed at me when i put together a cooking plan with the times that I wanted to start each item. I can't wait to show here this! :biggrin:

Nice job. Seriously. What is the 3 lbs @ hr column?

You can't go by that, I was messin around with it. At 325* I have found that it cooks at about 16 minutes per pound. At 300* it will cook about 20 minutes per pound. It can vary. I have the spread sheet set up to do the mathe at whatever I enter in the columns....don't go by the math in that pic though cause it ain't right. I was working on it and printed it out so I could make a pic to post.

 

[River City Smokehouse]

Well the free range birds are finished. Here is a pic of all 4 in a tub just after pulling them from the pit. I foiled the tub and my friend is picking them up in a few minutes so I don't want to set them all out and let them get cold just for a picture. All the others are done and gone. No time for pics on those, but I hope to get a couple of mine later before we eat. I tasted a small piece of these free range birds and they have a good flavor, they are just so lean and firm. It is definitely a different animal indeed.

 

[Plowboy]

My wife laughed at me when i put together a cooking plan with the times that I wanted to start each item. I can't wait to show here this! :biggrin:

Nice job. Seriously. What is the 3 lbs @ hr column?

Cooking holiday meals is pure project management in all of its glory: planning, requirements, quality assurance, and post implementation naps.

 

[keale]

WOW! Thats kind of scary, when you compare the 2 diff. birds side by side. It does make you wonder what those fat ones are being fed, and whats in the feed itself.
Jim great job! I want to see your pics of your birds in its glory! Seeing evryones pics of their turkey's kind makes me wish I had done one!

 

[MilitantSquatter]

Ok, here are two of the free range/organically raised birds. I'm really interested in how these turn out. Look at the difference in these compared to what we buy at the grocery stores....makes you wander, huh?:icon_shy

Wow !! what a different look.. These are the healthy, natural ones and they look sickly... I've bought quite a bit of natural, free range meats from Whole Foods Markets, but it's always been cut in parts already.