# A good brine for a turkey ?



## GROUPERKING (Sep 28, 2011)

I'm trying to decide if I'm going to brine my turkey or not. I'm looking for a good simple brine recipe. " just the salt and sugar amounts " I'm not looking to add sprigs of rosemary or thyme.


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## Mac1528 (Mar 24, 2012)

I do mine with one cup of each to 1 gal of water. I also only use kosher salt and brown sugar. Depending on how big bird is determines how long to brine. I do 10-12lbs 8 hrs in a drink cooler. Good luck & happy birdday.

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## FelixH (Sep 28, 2007)

Basic brining:
For each quart of water, add about 1 Cup of salt and 1/2 Cup of sugar.
Use mostly kosher salt, but you can substitute a little table salt as long as you keep it to 1/4 Cup or less.
Add whatever herbs and seasoning you want. Mine is always different, it just depends on what's in the pantry at the moment.

You'll need to make enough brine to cover the bird in whatever container you'll have it in. I usually make about a gallon of brine and use a smaller cooler to brine the bird in.

Bring the water to a boil, dissolve the salt and sugar, add your spices, then let it cool.
Chill it, then start brining the bird.

The general rule for brining is to let it go about 1hour per pound, but not less than 30 minutes and not more than 8 hours.

I use this method for all my smoked turkeys and chickens, and it's been great.


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## daniel9829 (Jan 31, 2009)

one note make sure the bird is completely covered by brine.


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## ChileRelleno (Jul 7, 2012)

I'm doing it ultra simple,
1C Kosher Salt per gallon of water
Nothing else needed in the brine, seasonings are rubbed or injected.


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## 192 (Oct 1, 2007)

Did a light dry brine...kosher salt, pepper and herbs de Provence rubbed under and on top of the skin. Couple of fat pats of butter under the breast skin. Spatchcocked and resting comfortably in the fridge. Will toss her on the egg when we get home from the deer woods tomorrow morning.


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## rippin90 (Jan 3, 2009)

I will never have another bird without brining first. I am using the brine in the following link.

http://bbqpitboys.com/recipes/apple-cider-turkey/


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## smooth move (Sep 25, 2012)

i was just at academy and saw a packaged brine mix. almost bought it, but then thought, why?


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## GROUPERKING (Sep 28, 2011)

Thanks everybody


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## MrFish (Aug 21, 2009)

Cooking yet?


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## GROUPERKING (Sep 28, 2011)

Got it going at 2:30. I didn't brine this one, I just injected it with creole butter and I put Tony's, garlic salt, and black pepper on it . I slathered the outside with butter. I spatched it ,and added some pecan chunks to the coals.


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## GROUPERKING (Sep 28, 2011)

Had to take a peek. .. 30 minutes in.


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## GROUPERKING (Sep 28, 2011)

One and a half hours in the egg at 325°~350°. Looking pretty good, but my dern skin is busting !


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## GROUPERKING (Sep 28, 2011)

And.........it's done !


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## halo1 (Oct 4, 2007)

Good looking bird gk ! i love that creole butta


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## ChileRelleno (Jul 7, 2012)

Bird looks delicious, nice color/smoke.

The skin will do that sometimes, mine did too today.
I think its caused by the skin being pierced/cut by them injecting solution during processing.

I'm not allowed to use Pecan anymore, apparently I'm the only one that likes the taste of it.


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## GROUPERKING (Sep 28, 2011)

Thanks guys ,it turned out pretty good ! The next one will be brined though....just because I gots to know. Lol


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## GROUPERKING (Sep 28, 2011)




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## ChileRelleno (Jul 7, 2012)

I'm brining another tomorrow night for the smoker on Sunday afternoon.
1C K. Salt/1gal water
Herb butter under skin
Skin rubbed with spices


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## GROUPERKING (Sep 28, 2011)

No sugar ?

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## ChileRelleno (Jul 7, 2012)

No sugar nor anything else.
The only thing that actually gets absorbed via brining is the water/salt.
Everything else needs to be injected or rubbed.


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## GROUPERKING (Sep 28, 2011)

I've been mislead ! I thought that you had to add sugar as well as salt to a turkey brine .


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## ChileRelleno (Jul 7, 2012)

Nope, scientifically proven that everything else stays on the surface.

My wife does a fantastic brine, takes an hour to assemble and boil, and a couple hours to cool.
Salt, water, sugar, Chardonnay wine, fresh cracked peppercorns, chopped garlic and about a dozen other fresh herbs and spices.
It makes for a tasty bird marinade, but the only things in it that actually _'brine'_ the bird are the water/salt.


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