1.  Place turkey in a very large bowl. Pour beer over turkey. Add salt, bay leaves, sage sprigs, cloves and garlic. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

2.  Drain turkey, reserving 2 cups of ale marinade. Place turkey, bone side down, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Add carrot, celery and onion to pan. In a bowl combine the softened butter with the chopped sage, pepper and nutmeg.  Separate the skin from the breast meat and using your fingers rub the butter into the meat just under the skin.

3.  Roast in a 350º F oven for 3–3 1/2 hours or until juices run clear and turkey is no longer pink (170º F). Every hour, remove turkey and baste with 1/2 cup of the reserved ale marinade. Turkey can be covered with foil during roasting if skin is becoming too brown. Remove turkey from oven. Cover with foil and let stand for 15 minutes before carving and while preparing gravy.