Message #1159612

[imref]

bought it yesterday, so it'll have 3.5-4 days before cooking, definitely cutting it close

i think the rule of thumb is 1 day in the fridge for every 4 lbs.

And yes, brine that bird!  Alton's brine is very good but a bit too sweet for my tastes.  I'm going with this one this year:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/turkey-brine/

but i am following Brown's cooking method -

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-roast-turkey-recipe/index.html

Careful though, the initial 500 degree sear WILL fill your house with lots of smoke.