Advisory for Turbo Trusser and big turkeys

[jfmorris]

I confidently started spinning a 19 pound turkey around 8am today, with the goal to have it done at 11. About 30 minutes in, I checked it, and found that the Turbo Trusser had ripped its hooks out of the wings, and they were digging into the breast on one side, and the thigh on the other. And the turkey was now flopping a lot as it spun. I tried to rehook it several times, but after a few rotations, it was messed up again.

I had to pull the turkey out of the kettle, put it on a pan, and strategically loop string around the bird on the spit in a few places, and truss it up, to stop the flopping.

All in all, while Turbo Trusser *CLAIMS* to work on turkeys ranging from 10 to 25 pounds, there is absolutely NO WAY it will work on birds approaching 25 pounds. I remember now having trouble getting it hooked last year, but this year is a complete disaster. I imagine it is fine for 10-15 pound birds, but nothing any bigger...

Due to all the time with the lid off and the turkey out to retruss, I am going to likely be the reason Thanksgiving dinner is late. And SWMBO told me it is always something when I am doing the turkey... and that I delay dinner every year, with everyone sitting around watching sides get cold... Ouch!

So in the spirit of speeding things up, I dumped another couple of scoops of briquettes on top of the fire on one side of the kettle, and hope increased heat can speed up the cook, at expense of scorched skin...

- Signed: Bummed Out in North Alabama...

[DaveD]

Yikes!! That is a definite bummer, cheering for you from the distant sidelines to finish strong! And remember the old Italian proverb: It's good luck to step in dog poop first thing in the morning - it can only get better Good luck!

As it happens, this year my lovely bride claimed the turkey-making duty, since I did it last year. It came out great but she has a hankerin' for the traditional style meal this year. Good thing too, because it is very rainy today and cooking outside would have been No Go in any case...

[jfmorris]

Thanks DaveD - not sure if it's another sign, but my son and his wife both just tested positive for COVID! They live in town and were bringing two sides and a dessert... he had been feeling off since last weekend, and I sat next to him to see Wicked at the theater Sunday night.... so just took a thankfully negative test myself. Got out of town folks en-route to be here in about 30 minutes!

[jfmorris]

Ok, I went off to the Turbo Trusser website, and got a link to download their PDF guide and recipes. Turns out I have not been putting it on the turkey right! I was hooking the legs in down at the ball at the end, with the trusser at the "tail" of the turkey. It was supposed to be closer to a third or halfway up the leg bone, and riding on top of the tail or opening into the cavity. So.... in that position it does open the legs up more than a conventional truss.

I'll have to try again with my next bird and do it right next time...

[Purc]

Jim, no problem because real men don't need no stinking instructions...

[realdocBBQ]

Man that sucks! I am so sorry to hear that, jfmorris. That's ok, though... as Meathead says, it's about who is in the chairs. Enjoy the day! My cook isn't going QUITE like I'd hoped, but I think it's going to turn out alright. Hang in there, buddy!

[RickyBobby]

That’s a bummer Jim! The good news is that if I had a similar issue, you’re one of the guys I’d want in my corner to turn the cook around! You got this!

[LA Pork Butt]

I don’ t know if they will give you a ten on your landing, but I am sure it will be plenty good. I typically done one turkey a year, but they rarely cook the way I planned . This year we planned to eat for 1pm. I started the turkey allowing an hour for rest time. The 16#er zoomed through in three hours. Even though I iced the breast for an hour it finished 45 minutes ahead of the thighs. It was an acceptable turkey but not what I was aiming for.

[HawkerXP]

No pictures? Didn't happen. LoL!

[jfmorris]

Ok here are pictures proving it happened!

pre-failure on the turbo trusser…



Towards the end of the cook, with lots of added strings…



Inside waiting to pull the spit and carve…



and all busted up and on the big platter…



I pulled when the breast showed a low temp of 156 at a couple of spots. The charts show a 45 second kill for bacteria at 156, so I decided it was done. Saw zero pink and much of the breast was above 160. Thighs and legs were pushing 175-180. All in all it came out pretty good and less dried out than some years.

[PGH_RAM]

Looks good to me!

The proof of the pudding is in the eating. If you and your guests enjoyed it, then you did it right.

[Stuey1515]

Well saved sir, looks excellent

[Purc]

Looks awesome to me.

[RickyBobby]

Looks fantastic!

[LA Pork Butt]

At one turkey a year I haven’t reached your comfort sone to pull the turkey at lower temperatures. I have MEATER probes, and they give me a pull before it reaches the target. I guess I will give it a try on the next turkey. This is going to be a record turkey year. I’ve already done two, and I have two in the freezer. I expect to do at least one more before year’s end. If you wonder why so many it is because I love my wife and she loves her turkey.

[jfmorris]

Carry over took it to at least 160 if not higher. We probed multiple spots in each breast with the Thermapen and the lowest reading was actually 156.7 or something like that. We carried all the other stuff in and came back for the turkey a couple minutes later but didn’t check again. It took 5-10 more minutes once it was inside before I touched the breasts. I always start with detaching the leg quarters and wings.

[HawkerXP]

Didn't know you were into poultry bondage!

[jfmorris]

You gotta get a little crazy sometimes with the birds… 😂