How long is too long to brine a turkey? I'm picking up my turkey
today, BBQing it on Thursday. Are there any reasons to NOT brine it
for more than 24 hours?

I'm planning on cooking it stuffed. I know that most sites say "don't
do that" but I'm going to bring the grill up to oven temp (350 or
higher) and use it like an oven. If anyone has any *grill-specific*
reasons that cooking a stuffed turkey this way is a bad idea, I'd love
to hear your reasons.

I've detailed my cooking plan in my blog:

<http://jcdill.com/blog/?p=61>

Comments on my blog or here in the newsgroup(s) (ba.food,
alt.food.barbecue) are both welcomed.

Thanks!

jc

--

"The nice thing about a mare is you get to ride a lot
of different horses without having to own that many."
~ Eileen Morgan of The Mare's Nest, PA

JC Dill wrote:
>
> How long is too long to brine a turkey? I'm picking up my turkey
> today, BBQing it on Thursday. Are there any reasons to NOT brine it
> for more than 24 hours?
>
> I'm planning on cooking it stuffed. I know that most sites say "don't
> do that" but I'm going to bring the grill up to oven temp (350 or
> higher) and use it like an oven. If anyone has any *grill-specific*
> reasons that cooking a stuffed turkey this way is a bad idea, I'd love
> to hear your reasons.
>
> I've detailed my cooking plan in my blog:
>
> <http://jcdill.com/blog/?p=61>
>
> Comments on my blog or here in the newsgroup(s) (ba.food,
> alt.food.barbecue) are both welcomed.
>
> Thanks!
>
> jc

One time, I "over" brined a turkey breast, and it was awful -- way, way
too salty and ended up wasted! I had brined it about 24 hours or so,
and I think perhaps 8 hours would have been plenty. So yes, there is a
reason not to brine a turkey (or pork, for that matter) for too long.
It's probably better to underbrine than it is to overbrine <g>.

Sky

In article >,
skyhooks > wrote:
>JC Dill wrote:
>> How long is too long to brine a turkey? I'm picking up my turkey
>> today, BBQing it on Thursday. Are there any reasons to NOT brine it
>> for more than 24 hours?
>
>One time, I "over" brined a turkey breast, and it was awful -- way, way
>too salty and ended up wasted! I had brined it about 24 hours or so,
>and I think perhaps 8 hours would have been plenty. So yes, there is a
>reason not to brine a turkey (or pork, for that matter) for too long.
>It's probably better to underbrine than it is to overbrine <g>.

Isn't brine time dependent on the salt concentration?

We agree that brine time is dependent upon the salt to water ratio. In
any case, brining time should not exceed 24 hours! The salt
penetration will ruin the flavor and the texture of the bird.

Be sure to use iodine-free salt as well. If you're interested, we have
a new Grilled Turkey recipe on our site which includes a "How to Brine"
section.

http://www.grilljunkie.com/recipes.html

We also recommend checking out Derrick Riches site on about.com. He
does a great job covering brining techniques while also providing some
good brine recipes.

http://bbq.about.com/od/brinerecipes/r/bl90821a.htm


Happy Thanksgiving!

GrillJunkie



null wrote:
> In article >,
> skyhooks > wrote:
> >JC Dill wrote:
> >> How long is too long to brine a turkey? I'm picking up my turkey
> >> today, BBQing it on Thursday. Are there any reasons to NOT brine it
> >> for more than 24 hours?
> >
> >One time, I "over" brined a turkey breast, and it was awful -- way, way
> >too salty and ended up wasted! I had brined it about 24 hours or so,
> >and I think perhaps 8 hours would have been plenty. So yes, there is a
> >reason not to brine a turkey (or pork, for that matter) for too long.
> >It's probably better to underbrine than it is to overbrine <g>.
>
> Isn't brine time dependent on the salt concentration?

As an additional guide, 10 -12 hours of brining is perfect for a 12-14
pound bird.

Hope that helps!

GrillJunkie


GrillJunkie wrote:
> We agree that brine time is dependent upon the salt to water ratio. In
> any case, brining time should not exceed 24 hours! The salt
> penetration will ruin the flavor and the texture of the bird.
>
> Be sure to use iodine-free salt as well. If you're interested, we have
> a new Grilled Turkey recipe on our site which includes a "How to Brine"
> section.
>
> http://www.grilljunkie.com/recipes.html
>
> We also recommend checking out Derrick Riches site on about.com. He
> does a great job covering brining techniques while also providing some
> good brine recipes.
>
> http://bbq.about.com/od/brinerecipes/r/bl90821a.htm
>
>
> Happy Thanksgiving!
>
> GrillJunkie
>
>
>
> null wrote:
> > In article >,
> > skyhooks > wrote:
> > >JC Dill wrote:
> > >> How long is too long to brine a turkey? I'm picking up my turkey
> > >> today, BBQing it on Thursday. Are there any reasons to NOT brine it
> > >> for more than 24 hours?
> > >
> > >One time, I "over" brined a turkey breast, and it was awful -- way, way
> > >too salty and ended up wasted! I had brined it about 24 hours or so,
> > >and I think perhaps 8 hours would have been plenty. So yes, there is a
> > >reason not to brine a turkey (or pork, for that matter) for too long.
> > >It's probably better to underbrine than it is to overbrine <g>.
> >
> > Isn't brine time dependent on the salt concentration?

On Tue, 21 Nov 2006 11:04:58 -0600, skyhooks
> wrote:

>JC Dill wrote:
>>
>> How long is too long to brine a turkey? I'm picking up my turkey
>> today, BBQing it on Thursday. Are there any reasons to NOT brine it
>> for more than 24 hours?
>>
>> I'm planning on cooking it stuffed. I know that most sites say "don't
>> do that" but I'm going to bring the grill up to oven temp (350 or
>> higher) and use it like an oven. If anyone has any *grill-specific*
>> reasons that cooking a stuffed turkey this way is a bad idea, I'd love
>> to hear your reasons.
>>
>> I've detailed my cooking plan in my blog:
>>
>> <http://jcdill.com/blog/?p=61>
>>
>> Comments on my blog or here in the newsgroup(s) (ba.food,
>> alt.food.barbecue) are both welcomed.
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>> jc
>
>One time, I "over" brined a turkey breast, and it was awful -- way, way
>too salty and ended up wasted! I had brined it about 24 hours or so,
>and I think perhaps 8 hours would have been plenty. So yes, there is a
>reason not to brine a turkey (or pork, for that matter) for too long.
>It's probably better to underbrine than it is to overbrine <g>.
>
>Sky


I found that by cutting the amount of salt in the brine recipe in half
and brining for the full 24 hours it worked out great. If you follow
most recipes out there then yes it will turn out very salty after a
full 24 hours.

"Ridge Roofing, Inc." > wrote in message
...
> On Tue, 21 Nov 2006 11:04:58 -0600, skyhooks
> > wrote:
>
>>JC Dill wrote:
>>>
>>> How long is too long to brine a turkey? I'm picking up my turkey
>>> today, BBQing it on Thursday. Are there any reasons to NOT brine it
>>> for more than 24 hours?
>>>
>>> I'm planning on cooking it stuffed. I know that most sites say "don't
>>> do that" but I'm going to bring the grill up to oven temp (350 or
>>> higher) and use it like an oven. If anyone has any *grill-specific*
>>> reasons that cooking a stuffed turkey this way is a bad idea, I'd love
>>> to hear your reasons.
>>>
>>> I've detailed my cooking plan in my blog:
>>>
>>> <http://jcdill.com/blog/?p=61>
>>>
>>> Comments on my blog or here in the newsgroup(s) (ba.food,
>>> alt.food.barbecue) are both welcomed.
>>>
>>> Thanks!
>>>
>>> jc
>>
>>One time, I "over" brined a turkey breast, and it was awful -- way, way
>>too salty and ended up wasted! I had brined it about 24 hours or so,
>>and I think perhaps 8 hours would have been plenty. So yes, there is a
>>reason not to brine a turkey (or pork, for that matter) for too long.
>>It's probably better to underbrine than it is to overbrine <g>.
>>
>>Sky
>
>
> I found that by cutting the amount of salt in the brine recipe in half
> and brining for the full 24 hours it worked out great. If you follow
> most recipes out there then yes it will turn out very salty after a
> full 24 hours.

I think you're making a very good point. How much salt/quart do you use in
your brine? Of the myraid of brine recipies floating about the ratio varies
from 1/2 cup[my God!], to 2 oz/quart to 1/2 oz/quart. As well, if you rest
the turkey after the brine for 12 hours you allow everything to
equilibrate.The surface of the turkey gets less salty, and the interior more
salty.

Kent

Kent > wrote:

> How much salt/quart do you use in your brine? Of the myraid
> of brine recipies floating about the ratio varies from 1/2
> cup[my God!], to 2 oz/quart to 1/2 oz/quart.

As a datapoint, for the smoked sable I just made, I used
1/3 cup of salt per quart of water. The original recipe
called for 1/2 cup per quart, but that I decided was too high.

Steve

JC Dill wrote:
> How long is too long to brine a turkey? I'm picking up my turkey
> today, BBQing it on Thursday. Are there any reasons to NOT brine it
> for more than 24 hours?
>
> I'm planning on cooking it stuffed. I know that most sites say "don't
> do that" but I'm going to bring the grill up to oven temp (350 or
> higher) and use it like an oven. If anyone has any *grill-specific*
> reasons that cooking a stuffed turkey this way is a bad idea, I'd love
> to hear your reasons.
>
> I've detailed my cooking plan in my blog:
>
> <http://jcdill.com/blog/?p=61>
>
> Comments on my blog or here in the newsgroup(s) (ba.food,
> alt.food.barbecue) are both welcomed.
>
> Thanks!
>
> jc

Have you tried calling the Butterball Turkey Talk-line
(1-800-BUTTERBALL, i.e. 1-800-288-8372)?

You don't have had to purchase a Butterball turkey to use this free
service. They're open between 6:00 AM AND 6:00PM Pacific Time daily
before Thanksgiving.

- Peter

Peter Lawrence wrote:
> Have you tried calling the Butterball Turkey Talk-line
> (1-800-BUTTERBALL, i.e. 1-800-288-8372)?
>
> You don't have had to purchase a Butterball turkey to use this free
> service. They're open between 6:00 AM AND 6:00PM Pacific Time daily
> before Thanksgiving.

Butterball.com says this:
"Brining, or soaking a turkey in salt water, started popping up on many
Talk-Line calls. Since frozen Butterball turkeys are pre-basted to
maintain juiciness, they don't need to be brined or basted at home."

I had a fresh brined turkey from Trader Joe's last year. Never again
para mi. Changes the texture, flavor, and midnight thirsty level, too.

Karen

In article . com>,
Karen > wrote:
>I had a fresh brined turkey from Trader Joe's last year. Never again
>para mi. Changes the texture, flavor, and midnight thirsty level, too.

Which Trader Joe's was this? The only thing I've seen at my local markets
(TJ's included) are "pre-basted" (i.e. injected with sodium phosphate) and
"kosher", which as far as I know is a bit different from brining. Also,
which brand?

"JC Dill" > wrote in message
...
> How long is too long to brine a turkey? I'm picking up my turkey
> today, BBQing it on Thursday. Are there any reasons to NOT brine it
> for more than 24 hours?
>
> I'm planning on cooking it stuffed. I know that most sites say "don't
> do that" but I'm going to bring the grill up to oven temp (350 or
> higher) and use it like an oven. If anyone has any *grill-specific*
> reasons that cooking a stuffed turkey this way is a bad idea, I'd love
> to hear your reasons.
>
> I've detailed my cooking plan in my blog:
>
> <http://jcdill.com/blog/?p=61>
>
> Comments on my blog or here in the newsgroup(s) (ba.food,
> alt.food.barbecue) are both welcomed.
>
> Thanks!
>
> jc
>
> --
>
> "The nice thing about a mare is you get to ride a lot
> of different horses without having to own that many."
> ~ Eileen Morgan of The Mare's Nest, PA
>
>
If you're going to brine a long time use less salt per quart of water. The
longer the turkey sits in the brine the more will the salt penetrate. In
theory I think it makes a lot more sense to brine longer with a relatively
low salt/H2O ratio than to brine with a higher ratio for a shorter period.
The brine gets through to more of the meat.

Kent

In article >,
Kent > wrote:
>"JC Dill" > wrote in message
.. .
>> How long is too long to brine a turkey? I'm picking up my turkey
>> today, BBQing it on Thursday. Are there any reasons to NOT brine it
>> for more than 24 hours?
>>
>If you're going to brine a long time use less salt per quart of water. The
>longer the turkey sits in the brine the more will the salt penetrate. In
>theory I think it makes a lot more sense to brine longer with a relatively
>low salt/H2O ratio than to brine with a higher ratio for a shorter period.
>The brine gets through to more of the meat.

You also have to consider the geometry of the meat. Unlike perhaps a giant
pork roast, brine solution will also be entering the flesh from the cavity
as well as from the outer skin layer.

If the long brine is for scheduling reasons, you could brine, rinse, dry
and then stick it in your fridge until it's time to cook. Being in the
fridge after the brine also supposedly makes the skin crisper.

"(null)" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> Kent > wrote:
>>"JC Dill" > wrote in message
. ..
>>> How long is too long to brine a turkey? I'm picking up my turkey
>>> today, BBQing it on Thursday. Are there any reasons to NOT brine it
>>> for more than 24 hours?
>>>
>>If you're going to brine a long time use less salt per quart of water. The
>>longer the turkey sits in the brine the more will the salt penetrate. In
>>theory I think it makes a lot more sense to brine longer with a relatively
>>low salt/H2O ratio than to brine with a higher ratio for a shorter period.
>>The brine gets through to more of the meat.
>
> You also have to consider the geometry of the meat. Unlike perhaps a
> giant
> pork roast, brine solution will also be entering the flesh from the cavity
> as well as from the outer skin layer.
>
> If the long brine is for scheduling reasons, you could brine, rinse, dry
> and then stick it in your fridge until it's time to cook. Being in the
> fridge after the brine also supposedly makes the skin crisper.
>
>
You're absolutely right. You can't vat brine a ham or even a pork loin. I
routinely brine 12-14lb turkeys with 1 oz table salt per quart of water for
at least 24 hours, and I haven't ever felt the result was too salty. If
anything, the salt doesn't totally permeate through the breast meat.

Kent

With fish, at least, part of the point of "curing" (letting
it sit ~12 hours after brining and rinsing) is so that the
brine spreads evenly throughout the fish. If taken directly
from brining liquid to the smoker the outside will always
be saltier, due to the laws of equalibrium or some such.
It has to be out of contact with the brining liquid for a
length of time.

I have some sable brining right now, and I'll cure it
overninght before smoking it.

Steve

"Steve Pope" > wrote in message
...
> With fish, at least, part of the point of "curing" (letting
> it sit ~12 hours after brining and rinsing) is so that the
> brine spreads evenly throughout the fish. If taken directly
> from brining liquid to the smoker the outside will always
> be saltier, due to the laws of equalibrium or some such.
> It has to be out of contact with the brining liquid for a
> length of time.
>
> I have some sable brining right now, and I'll cure it
> overninght before smoking it.
>
> Steve
>
>
A very good point, Steve,
Thanks

Kent