Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but once again, my turkey was still frozen - even after 3 weeks in the frig. Unlike in the past, I decided to go way past the time recommendations and used how it felt - frozen or not! I poked it with my finger every day starting after 10 days. Like I said I removed the turkey at 3 weeks and it was still frozen through - just barely thawed on the surface.
BTW, I used my brining bucket for the thawing process - a bucket dedicated to brining meat. It is just big enough to fit a turkey in. No liquid, just the bird in its original wrapper and in the plastic bag it came from the store in - for convenient lifting. I did put on a lid - loose - on the bucket.
What I did was start the brining process with the mostly frozen turkey, a thoroughly chilled bring mix, and left the bucket out in the kitchen for 6 hours. After 6 hours, the bird still had a frozen spot in the center (29°F), but the brine was 55°F, so I put the bucket (and turkey) back in the refrigerator overnight.
In the morning the brine was 35°F, and I proceeded like normal. I used a Peruvian spice rub from Chef John. Delish!!
But I am at my wits end for the thawing process.
I am considering a hybrid method where I start the thaw in the bucket for 10 days, then add water without unwrapping the bird (how many days? Use temperature and finger poking as a guide?), followed by the normal brining process.
Thoughts?