I’m so happy to hear you liked it!

Happy Thanksgiving! I’m so happy it all worked out well for you. I’m always so excited to hear the stories! Low and slow is the way to go 🤩!

It does sound like you oven ran hot, and that it was done far before the time. Did you check it at anytime from putting it in to the end time? Its perfectly fine if the bones start to break down, but fully submerged, I try to avoid. I do place my turkey on a stong/firm metal rack. I have also used silicone racks too, that keeps it off the liquid. If I don’t have those, I make a thick, sturdy, foil ring to place the turkey on, it should not be touching the water.
Next time check the turkey at the 8 hour mark, then you can figure out from there how much longer it’ll need.
Today we did a 19.5 lb turkey at 250 (400 first hour) and it was perfect at 9 hours. At my moms using a different oven than I normally do. So many factors come into play when cooking/baking, the pan, the oven, the temp of the turkey when it goes in the oven. I am glad it was tender 🙂

Ah! Something went wrong. I followed the recipe exactly for a 21 pound bird, 4c of water in the bottom, wire cooking rack. Tight foil seal, 400f for 1 hrs then 10 hrs at 200. Turkey fell completely apart, half submerged in liquid. I picked it out and will broil before serving, but: Waaah! What did I do wrong? It is the tenderest, but it is literally falling apart. No carving is possible. Maybe my oven was keeping too hot? My husband’s need to slice a giant bird is unmet this year lol

You can put the turkey in the oven earlier than my schedule and roast it low and slow to accommodate the timing you’d like. It’s a very flexible method. I would probaly check the temperature of the turkey in the morning, and see how it looks, you don’t NEED to keep it roasting an extra 4 or 5 hours,(but you can) you can carve it and reheat it before serving, that way you can be sure it’s not overly dry, add some water, or chicken broth drizzled over top and and it will be moist and delicious and no one will know you carved it earlier. You can carve the turkey and line a slow cooker with foil and place the carved turkey to keep it warm as well.

I just read that the private chef for the Kardashians puts the turkey in at 225 for 21 hours. I’m intrigued. I have an 18.25# turkey, unstuffed. Dinner is at 3pm. If I want that turkey done by 1 to rest before slicing, how early should it go in? What if I put it in the night before and let it slow roast for 15 hours? Does that work at all? Thanks so much for all the information!