Cooking much faster than thought...how to hold until dinner?

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brandonb

Fire Starter
Original poster
Aug 8, 2009
47
10
I'm doing a 20lbs turkey and have had it at 250-275ish. It's cooked MUCH faster than I thought. We're having dinner at 3pm so I started it at 8am thinking it would take 5-6 hours. Well, 3 hours later and the breast is at 150' (checked it in 3 places). Since dinner isn't for 4 hours and this will likely be done in an hour, anyone have advice for what to do?

Thanks!
 
I wouldn't worry about it yet I had just a breast scream up to 145ish the other night and then took 2 hours to make it to 165. It might take longer than you think.
 
About 5 or 10 degrees before it hits your target, pull it off, put it in a pan with maybe a cup of apple juice, foil it up TIGHTLY and put it in the oven at warm if you can. If your oven is busy, more than likely, leave it on the stove top and an hour before eating put it back in the oven at 300-325 or so for about 45 minutes. It will be perfect. Don't open the foil to peek at any time.

Good luck and happy thanksgiving to you and yours!
 
Thanks for the suggestion! I'm going to give this a shot. It's at 154 now, so I'll probably pull it at 160 and foil it.
 
I'm having the same problem. Smoking a 20# and hit 140* @ 8:32 and it just hit 146* I went back to the store and got some fatty fixins since I'll have time, been wanting to try one.
 
Well, my bird just hit a plateau at 156'. One of the firs times I've gladly welcomed a plateau! I have the smoker down to 230' right now to give me some more time too so hopefully I won't have to pull it out too early.
 
Seems to be going around! Same issues, except mine is only TEN pounds. I am going to be WAY early...told the wife to kick it up a notch on the fixins.
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Oh well...live and learn! NEXT year will be perfect!
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I'm kind of in the same boat. It hit 140 at 830 this morning. Since then I've closed the vents down and have just maintained the coals. As soon as I see it drop a degree I add a few more coals and now being almost 1 o'clock I'm at 152. Dinner is at 330-4 so I'll be crawling to the finish.

I threw tinfoil on top of the top turkey, with the bottom basting in it's own juices. Keeping water in the bowl, and I'll ramp it up right at the end for a good finish
 
I would do like rivet said to pull it at about 165 or so and wrap it up good andtite in some foil with some apple juice or some kind of liquid and into the oven or a cooler and then you'll be just fine.
 
I have two birds in. One is at 145 one is at 163. The one at 145 was brined in a buttermilk solution. The one at 163 was brined in a applejuice solution. I wonder if the brine has anything to do with how fast it cooks???? The 163 bird is a lb heavier too!!!
 
My smoker is at 275 and breast is 117 and slowly crawling... I didn't put mine on until 10 am. 14lbs and 3.5 hours.... hoping to be done in 2.5 hours
 
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