Boil notes
Notes from beside the burner
Short reads on the cooks these rigs were built for: sizing the pot, planning the boil, and keeping the gear in shape between them.
Frying your first whole turkeyWhat the rig needs, how much oil to pour and how the bird gets in and out of the pot. Written for the first-timer standing in the driveway.Crawfish boil arithmeticQuarts per sack, propane per afternoon and why the basket matters more than the pot. The numbers behind a boil that feeds the block.Jambalaya by the kettleWhy jambalaya gets its own pot shape, what cast iron asks of you and how a paddle beats a spoon once the rice goes in.What the quarts meanOur rack runs from 9 to 160 quarts, and every number on it maps to a different afternoon. A plain guide to reading pot sizes.After the boilThe half hour after the crowd leaves decides how long the gear lasts. Washing, drying, oiling and where the burner sleeps.
Questions we hear across the fence
The same few things come up at every boil. Short answers here, longer ones in the notes above.
How much oil for a turkey?
Measure, do not guess: the water test with the wrapped bird marks the exact line. The walkthrough is in the turkey note.
What size pot for one sack?
A sack of live crawfish lands comfortably in the 60 to 80 quart class once the corn and potatoes join it. Two sacks want 120 and up.
Aluminum or stainless?
Aluminum is lighter and heats faster; stainless takes harder scrubbing and keeps its looks. Both boil the same water.
Can one rig do every cook?
A 30 quart fryer package covers turkeys, fish fries and small boils. Sack-scale crawfish is the one job that really wants its own big pot.