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Turkey fryer boiling over. Courtesy of Broward County Sherrif Department
Every year in the US there are dozens of incidents involving turkey fryers and fires.
If one plans to use a turkey fryer this Thanksgiving, please remember the basic elements of how a turkey cooks in a vat of oil.
Cooking a turkey in an oven uses the convection of air currents around the turkey to gradually raise the internal temperature of the food to the desired temperature. This process, as most know, takes a number of hours, and is best performed on a fully thawed turkey. In those cases where a portion of the bird remains frozen, the oven roasting slowly thaws and evaporates the moisture. This is a slow process and usually only results in a part of the turkey being undercooked. No explosions or fires, only some embarrassment for the cook.
When frying a turkey, the process of cooking is no longer air currents and a slow increase of the internal temperature of the bird. Oil is the medium that is used, typically heated to over 300 degrees. The all-encasing nature of the oil is the reason a large turkey can be cooked in a fraction of the time that an oven requires. This is also why a wet or partially frozen turkey changes from a holiday staple to a potential weapon.
Water boils at 212 degrees, well below the temperature of the oil. The steam we see coming from the pots of boiling water on the stove is expanded water. One cup of water, when converted to steam will expand 1,700 times. The volume of this one cup of water when fully converted to steam will be over 106 gallons, or the size of an average bath tub.
When the frozen or wet turkey hits the hot oil, any water present will rapidly and almost simultaneously convert to steam. Most frozen turkeys will have at least a cup of frozen moisture present in and on the bird. This is the reason for the seemingly exploding steam and oil. The deeper the water is in the oil when it converts to steam, the more oil it displaces and atomizes. Atomizing is the process of creating a fine mist from a liquid by discharging it under pressure and temperature. The atomizing mixes air among the fine mist. If you need to use nasal sprays or inhalers, this is a wonderful process. If your cooking with oil, this is very dangerous as it increases the surface area for burning.
Without a flame, the expanding oil would only produce burns to those that are in the oil spray. But turkey fryers most often have an open flame at the bottom of the kettle, allowing for the heated and semi-atomized oil to contact the flame. This is where the fires usually occur. Once the oil is ignited, it rapidly spreads to the nearby oil on the fryer and the surrounding surfaces. Within a few minutes, any combustible materials nearby will be burning.
If you plan on using a fryer for your Thanksgiving turkey, make sure you have ample room in your refrigerator to allow for the bird to adequately thaw. The amount of time needed for complete thawing varies based upon the size of the turkey and the refrigerator. If the time needed states a day or two, double the time needed. Ensure the turkey is completely thawed. Checking the progress the day before you plan on frying the turkey is essential. If there is still a good portion of the bird frozen 24 hours out, it probably will not be completely thawed when you want to cook it, and will pose a problem.
Before putting the turkey in the fryer, take the time to completely dry the surface of the turkey inside and out. This step will ensure that the giblet package wasn’t left inside, as well as the absence of excess moisture.
The various producers of turkeys, fryers and oil all have warnings and directions on their packaging. Read these warnings carefully. Failing to follow them will definitely throw a wrench into any holiday celebration.
The next item that needs careful attention is where the fryer is placed for the cooking. Some people have learned that a wood deck is not ideal. A few others have discovered that it is not easy to convince your insurance company to build a new garage because the fryer was used inside, against manufacturers’ directions.
The surface upon which the fryer is set needs to be level and solid, and outside away from the home or the other outbuildings. Some Northern climates may already have some frozen ground. As the heater works to heat the oil, it will also thaw the deceptively solid ground, causing the wire legs of the unit to sink unevenly into the ground. Some patio blocks or other impervious surface is advisable to place under the legs of the fryer. One should resist the temptation to used cardboard, as it combustible, in close proximity to the flame, and becomes flammable when it becomes saturated with hot oil. Concrete and dirt do not burn.
When setting up the fryer, make sure pets and children are completely away from the area, and will not be passing around the fryer while it is in use.
When setting up the kettle for the oil, consider doing this before the turkey is thawed. Before the thawing, take the turkey in its wrapper and set it in the kettle, fill it with an amount of water necessary to cover the top of the bird to the manufacturers’ instructions. Remove the turkey from the kettle and then measure the distance from the lip of the kettle to the surface of the remaining water, or take a piece of tape and set it at the surface of the water.
If you intend to cook multiple turkeys in succession, set the volume of oil needed for the largest turkey. Then place each of the turkeys into the water to ensure they will be sufficiently covered. Keep an eye on the oil between each turkey. It may be necessary to add some oil after each turkey.
While you have the water in the kettle, place it on the stand in the area you intend to cook the turkey. Make sure the kettle and stand are stable, and will not inadvertently tip or fall.
Now, when you go to cook the turkey, all of the prep work has been completed, and all that is necessary is to set up the tools and turn on the gas.
When cooking, make sure the propane tank is as far away from the fryer as possible. In the event of a failure or overflow, this will allow the user to turn off the tank to minimize the potential fire.
Have a dry chemical fire extinguisher present while the oil is in the kettle. It takes time to heat and cool the oil, and there should be a fire suppression option ready while the oil is exposed. A good size extinguisher is a 20A:10BC, or 2.5lbs unit. Review the operation of a fire extinguisher prior to starting the fryer. If something happens to cause a fire, that is not the time to try to remember how to use an extinguisher.
Remember the mnemonic of PASS:
--PULL the pin in the valve
--AIM the hose at the base of the fire
--SQUEEZE the lever to release the extinguishing agent
--SWEEP the nozzle back and forth at the base of the fire
You do not need to be close to the fire for this to work. Most extinguishers have a good effective range of 10 feet or more. Aiming at the base of the fire, or the lowest point where the fire is burning is critical. Fires burn upward, and sometimes simply hitting the lowest point of the fire is enough to extinguish it.
Keep an eye on the temperature of the oil. Most fryers are not sophisticated enough to have a reliable temperature control. If the oil gets to hot, it may ignite at the surface of the kettle. It also will make the turkey taste like burnt oil. Most fryers have a thermometer included in the package. Make sure this item is in place before lighting the burner. Attaching a thermometer to a hot kettle with hot oil is not recommended.
Remember, the human body can suffer significant burns with objects or liquids over 120 degrees. Water scalds and oil burns are serious. If hot oil or part of the kettle contacts the skin, immediately run the affected area under water for a few minutes to stop the burning process. If you have blisters, leave them intact. They will protect the burn, and eventually dissipate.
If you have skin hanging from the affected area, immediately seek treatment in an emergency room. Using butter or other over the counter treatments at this point will actually cause more problems. It is best to wrap the area in a clean bandage. If the burn is larger than the area of your palm, call 911.
Remember to use appropriate hot pads to place and remove the turkey in the fryer. The entire assembly will be over 300 degrees.
Have another person present with the extinguisher while putting the turkey into the oil and removing it.
NEVER USE WATER on an oil fire. Water and oil do not mix, and the heated oil only causes the water to convert to steam, adding additional air into the mix when the water boils through the oil.
With a little planning and some common sense, the holidays can come off without a hitch, and nothing will interrupt the after dinner coma on the couch.
Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving.
Thanks for reading and stay fire safe.
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