This year I am going to smoke a turkey as well as the one the Mrs. will
roast in a traditional manner. I have successfully smoked a number of
turkeys in past years, but this year I want to try brining.

Brining is something I have never done and I could use some guidance and
advice. First, we don't have anything large enough to hold a twelve pound
bird. So we plan to use an ice chest. Obviously, the ice chest won't fit
in out fridge, so how do we keep it cold so the turkey doesn't spoil? I
thought about putting in a bag of ice - would that be okay?

We don't like things salty, and as I understand brining, the salt goes
into the bird and then somehow comes out, leaving the moisture and seasoning
in the bird. Is this true? What is the minimum time that I need to leave
the bird in the brine?

After removing the bird from the brine, is a good rinse in fresh water
sufficient to remove any residual salt or do I need to soak it in fresh
water for a while?

I though I'd use 1 cup of Kosher salt and 1 cup of sugar per gallon of
water, calculating the ice as well as the water. To that, I'd add some
seasoning - any suggestions what kind and how much?

Thanks in advance for your comments / help, and please wish me luck.

Bob-tx

On 11/22/2010 7:38 PM, Bob-tx wrote:
> This year I am going to smoke a turkey as well as the one the Mrs. will
> roast in a traditional manner. I have successfully smoked a number of
> turkeys in past years, but this year I want to try brining.
>
> Brining is something I have never done and I could use some guidance and
> advice. First, we don't have anything large enough to hold a twelve
> pound bird. So we plan to use an ice chest. Obviously, the ice chest
> won't fit in out fridge, so how do we keep it cold so the turkey doesn't
> spoil? I thought about putting in a bag of ice - would that be okay?
>
> We don't like things salty, and as I understand brining, the salt goes
> into the bird and then somehow comes out, leaving the moisture and
> seasoning in the bird. Is this true? What is the minimum time that I
> need to leave the bird in the brine?
>
> After removing the bird from the brine, is a good rinse in fresh water
> sufficient to remove any residual salt or do I need to soak it in fresh
> water for a while?
>
> I though I'd use 1 cup of Kosher salt and 1 cup of sugar per gallon of
> water, calculating the ice as well as the water. To that, I'd add some
> seasoning - any suggestions what kind and how much?
>
> Thanks in advance for your comments / help, and please wish me luck.
>
> Bob-tx
>
>
>


You gotta have a pan that'll hold that bird. Place bird in an oven bag.
Pour brine into bag. Tie up and place in refrigerator.

Here is a copy/paste of a post of Hounds Citrus from Brick a few years
ago. Thanks Brick.. RIP Hound.

Tribute to Cuchulain Libby AKA 'Hound'

We marinated a 6# chicken
for three days this year in an exotic citrus brine and then roasted it for
a little over two hours at 350°. I called it done when the fleshy part
of the
thigh reached 165°. We cooked it on a vertical bird rack in the convection
oven. It is one of the tenderest, tastiest birds we've ever done. Side
dishes
were early peas, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and pecan pie. The
gravy was made from the chicken drippings with a little sherry, flour and
chicken stock. (I take back what I said about two hours not being enough
for a bird this size. I don't know how, but it was damn well falling off the
bone done. This one got a head start from room temp for 20 mins at 425°,
then finished at 350° in a convection oven.) Skin was well crisped, but
meat immediately beneath was extremely moist and succulent. No
stuffing was used. The bird was basted at the beginning and end with
a 50/50 honey/butter misture and S&P.

God Bless you and yours.
--
Howard and Nathalie Bricker

Hound's Citrus Brined Chicken

Prepare the brine:
1 gallon water
1 cup Kosher salt or 1/2 cup table salt
juice of 3 oranges
juice of three limes
juice of three lemons
rinds from same
1 sliced white onion
1 head of garlic, crushed
stems from a bunch of cilantro, chopped
serranos to taste, minimum of 4
rough ground cumin and coriander 2 Tbsp each
1/4 cup chili powder or any ground chile you prefer
(1/4 cup onion powder is optional)
(1/4cup garlic powder is optional)

Place the bird(s) and plenty of brine solution in a ziploc bag(s) and
leave refrigerated overnight prior to cooking. A cooler works fine also.
I use a 5 gal beverage cooler for all but the biggest turkeys. Frozen
soda bottles, or ice can be used to keep the cold. {8 lbs of ice= 1
gallon of water} An hour before cooking take the bird out and
thoroughly wash it down with cold water for at least 30 seconds. You
can place aromatics like garlic heads, apples, citrus in the cavity of
the bird for the cooking. I like also to place orange slices between
skin and meat. Smoke rear end of chicken toward the fire for 45
minutes/lb @ 225°F until the thigh is about 170°F. You can rotate as
necessary to avoid charring. Cooking this way will result in inedible
skin, but juicy chicken. If you like the crispy skin then place the
chicken near the firebox. This works for either chickens or turkeys.
If you eliminate the brine (salt and water) the rest of the recipe makes
an excellent marinade for grilled chicken.

Recipe courtesy of the late Cuchulain Libby (AKA Hound)of San Antonio,TX.
The Hound was (and still is) renowned for his innovative outdoor cooking
style. This citrus brine recipe is just one outgrowth of his inventive mind.
The Hound was taken from us abruptly about two years ago at the tender age
of 52. He will be missed, but his recipies and style of cooking will live on
in the hearts and minds of his friends worldwide for many years to come.

Hound's instructions are reprinted verbatim. Deviations from Hound's
instructions are purely my own and are neither recommended nor discouraged.
--

Brick (Keep the shiny side up)

Hound mentions using a cooler also using frozen soda bottles.
Personally, I would go the bag route in the fridge.

I think all of your questions can be answered in this post.

This recipe is for a chicken. Adjust as needed for a turkey.

Enjoy,

BBQ



--

On Mon, 22 Nov 2010 19:38:48 -0600, Bob-tx wrote:

> Brining is something I have never done and I could use some guidance and
> advice. First, we don't have anything large enough to hold a twelve pound
> bird. So we plan to use an ice chest. Obviously, the ice chest won't fit
> in out fridge, so how do we keep it cold so the turkey doesn't spoil? I
> thought about putting in a bag of ice - would that be okay?

Put in ziplocked bags of ice so as not to water down the brine.
You only have to keep it cold for 18-24 hours, which shouldn't be a
problem.

The other solution is to get some large ziplock bags of the 3-5
gallon size (I forget the exact sizes). They are sold a lot around
this time of year specifically for brining.

> We don't like things salty, and as I understand brining, the salt goes
> into the bird and then somehow comes out, leaving the moisture and seasoning
> in the bird. Is this true?

No. But it won't be salty unless you use too much.

> After removing the bird from the brine, is a good rinse in fresh water
> sufficient to remove any residual salt or do I need to soak it in fresh
> water for a while?

Do not soak it in fresh water. Just rinse briefly and dry and let
sit in the fridge on a rack for several hours before cooking. To
dry out the skin.

>
> I though I'd use 1 cup of Kosher salt and 1 cup of sugar per gallon of
> water, calculating the ice as well as the water. To that, I'd add some
> seasoning - any suggestions what kind and how much?

Do not calculate in the ice as the brine will be too strong until
the ice melts. Do as I suggest above.

I would use half the amount of sugar you mentioned.

-sw

"Bob-tx" <NOBSPAM > wrote in message
...
> This year I am going to smoke a turkey as well as the one the Mrs. will
> roast in a traditional manner. I have successfully smoked a number of
> turkeys in past years, but this year I want to try brining.
>
> Brining is something I have never done and I could use some guidance
> and advice. First, we don't have anything large enough to hold a twelve
> pound bird. So we plan to use an ice chest. Obviously, the ice chest
> won't fit in out fridge, so how do we keep it cold so the turkey doesn't
> spoil? I thought about putting in a bag of ice - would that be okay?
>
> We don't like things salty, and as I understand brining, the salt goes
> into the bird and then somehow comes out, leaving the moisture and
> seasoning in the bird. Is this true? What is the minimum time that I
> need to leave the bird in the brine?
>
> After removing the bird from the brine, is a good rinse in fresh water
> sufficient to remove any residual salt or do I need to soak it in fresh
> water for a while?
>
> I though I'd use 1 cup of Kosher salt and 1 cup of sugar per gallon of
> water, calculating the ice as well as the water. To that, I'd add some
> seasoning - any suggestions what kind and how much?
>
> Thanks in advance for your comments / help, and please wish me luck.
>
> Bob-tx
>
>
For a turkey up to about 15lb use a Hefty 2.5 gallon ziplock bag and brine
in the frig. That changes everything as far as effort is concerned. You no
longer have to brine in your garage. Your ratio of salt/water is rigiht on,
depending on the brand of Kosher salt you're using. My table salt ratio is 1
oz by vol to 1 quart of H20. Seasonings are totally up to you. If you use
dry seasonings, microwave them first in water to make the flavor emerge.
Thanks to Swertz for that tip. I don't rinse after brining. I don't think
you need to.

Happy Brining,

Kent

"Sqwertz" > wrote in message
...
> On Mon, 22 Nov 2010 19:38:48 -0600, Bob-tx wrote:
>
>> Brining is something I have never done and I could use some guidance
>> and
>> advice. First, we don't have anything large enough to hold a twelve
>> pound
>> bird. So we plan to use an ice chest. Obviously, the ice chest won't
>> fit
>> in out fridge, so how do we keep it cold so the turkey doesn't spoil? I
>> thought about putting in a bag of ice - would that be okay?
>
> Put in ziplocked bags of ice so as not to water down the brine.
> You only have to keep it cold for 18-24 hours, which shouldn't be a
> problem.
>
> The other solution is to get some large ziplock bags of the 3-5
> gallon size (I forget the exact sizes). They are sold a lot around
> this time of year specifically for brining.
>
>> We don't like things salty, and as I understand brining, the salt
>> goes
>> into the bird and then somehow comes out, leaving the moisture and
>> seasoning
>> in the bird. Is this true?
>
> No. But it won't be salty unless you use too much.
>
>> After removing the bird from the brine, is a good rinse in fresh
>> water
>> sufficient to remove any residual salt or do I need to soak it in fresh
>> water for a while?
>
> Do not soak it in fresh water. Just rinse briefly and dry and let
> sit in the fridge on a rack for several hours before cooking. To
> dry out the skin.
>
>>
>> I though I'd use 1 cup of Kosher salt and 1 cup of sugar per gallon
>> of
>> water, calculating the ice as well as the water. To that, I'd add some
>> seasoning - any suggestions what kind and how much?
>
> Do not calculate in the ice as the brine will be too strong until
> the ice melts. Do as I suggest above.
>
> I would use half the amount of sugar you mentioned.
>
> -sw
>
>
Bob, as I mention below, use a 2.5 gallon "Hefty Bag" and put the turkey
directly in the frig. You can then forget the ice. I brine at least 24
hours. I'm have brined longer, up to 48 hours. I've used 1 oz by volume of
table salt per quart for years and it's never been overly salty. A lot of
briners use 1/4 cup table salt to each quart of water. You obviously have
to adjust for the specific gravity of the Kosher salt you're using[i.e.
1.5 - 2.0 times as much Kosher salt, depending on which brand you use] I'm
not sure how much you gain using Kosher salt. The longer I brine, the less
salt I use. I use 1/4 cup sugar to each quart of brine. It enriches the bird
a bit. It doesn't do anything adverse.

Kent

"Bob-tx" <NOBSPAM > wrote in message
...
> This year I am going to smoke a turkey as well as the one the Mrs. will
> roast in a traditional manner. I have successfully smoked a number of
> turkeys in past years, but this year I want to try brining.
>
> Brining is something I have never done and I could use some guidance
> and advice. First, we don't have anything large enough to hold a twelve
> pound bird. So we plan to use an ice chest. Obviously, the ice chest
> won't fit in out fridge, so how do we keep it cold so the turkey doesn't
> spoil? I thought about putting in a bag of ice - would that be okay?
>
> We don't like things salty, and as I understand brining, the salt goes
> into the bird and then somehow comes out, leaving the moisture and
> seasoning in the bird. Is this true? What is the minimum time that I
> need to leave the bird in the brine?
>
> After removing the bird from the brine, is a good rinse in fresh water
> sufficient to remove any residual salt or do I need to soak it in fresh
> water for a while?
>
> I though I'd use 1 cup of Kosher salt and 1 cup of sugar per gallon of
> water, calculating the ice as well as the water. To that, I'd add some
> seasoning - any suggestions what kind and how much?
>
> Thanks in advance for your comments / help, and please wish me luck.
>
> Bob-tx
>

Thanks much for the tips. I'll let you know how it turns out.
Bob-tx

On 22-Nov-2010, bbq > wrote:

> On 11/22/2010 7:38 PM, Bob-tx wrote:
> > This year I am going to smoke a turkey as well as the one the Mrs. will
> > roast in a traditional manner. I have successfully smoked a number of
> > turkeys in past years, but this year I want to try brining.

.. . .

> Recipe courtesy of the late Cuchulain Libby (AKA Hound)of San Antonio,TX.
> The Hound was (and still is) renowned for his innovative outdoor cooking
> style. This citrus brine recipe is just one outgrowth of his inventive
> mind.
> The Hound was taken from us abruptly about two years ago at the tender age
> of 52. He will be missed, but his recipies and style of cooking will live
> on
> in the hearts and minds of his friends worldwide for many years to come.
>
> Hound's instructions are reprinted verbatim. Deviations from Hound's
> instructions are purely my own and are neither recommended nor
> discouraged.
> --
>
> Brick (Keep the shiny side up)
>
> Hound mentions using a cooler also using frozen soda bottles.
> Personally, I would go the bag route in the fridge.
>
> I think all of your questions can be answered in this post.
>
> This recipe is for a chicken. Adjust as needed for a turkey.
>
> Enjoy,
>
> BBQ

That surely was a bunch of years ago, when Nathalie could still
make a Pecan Pie. I have nothing to add in hindsight at this late
date except, it doesn't need three days in the brine. It makes a
good bird.

--
Brick (Kinky is using a feather.
Perverted is using the whole chicken.)

On 22-Nov-2010, Sqwertz > wrote:

> On Mon, 22 Nov 2010 19:38:48 -0600, Bob-tx wrote:
>
> > Brining is something I have never done and I could use some guidance
> > and
> > advice. First, we don't have anything large enough to hold a twelve
> > pound
> > bird. So we plan to use an ice chest. Obviously, the ice chest won't
> > fit
> > in out fridge, so how do we keep it cold so the turkey doesn't spoil? I
> >
> > thought about putting in a bag of ice - would that be okay?
>
> Put in ziplocked bags of ice so as not to water down the brine.
> You only have to keep it cold for 18-24 hours, which shouldn't be a
> problem.
>
> The other solution is to get some large ziplock bags of the 3-5
> gallon size (I forget the exact sizes). They are sold a lot around
> this time of year specifically for brining.
>
> > We don't like things salty, and as I understand brining, the salt
> > goes
> > into the bird and then somehow comes out, leaving the moisture and
> > seasoning
> > in the bird. Is this true?
>
> No. But it won't be salty unless you use too much.
>
> > After removing the bird from the brine, is a good rinse in fresh
> > water
> > sufficient to remove any residual salt or do I need to soak it in fresh
> > water for a while?
>
> Do not soak it in fresh water. Just rinse briefly and dry and let
> sit in the fridge on a rack for several hours before cooking. To
> dry out the skin.
>
> >
> > I though I'd use 1 cup of Kosher salt and 1 cup of sugar per gallon
> > of
> > water, calculating the ice as well as the water. To that, I'd add some
> > seasoning - any suggestions what kind and how much?
>
> Do not calculate in the ice as the brine will be too strong until
> the ice melts. Do as I suggest above.
>
> I would use half the amount of sugar you mentioned.
>
> -sw

I can't contradict Sqwertz on a single point. Good post.

--
Brick (Couldn't figure out where to snip, so I didn't)

"Kent" > wrote in message
...
>
> You obviously have to adjust for the specific gravity of the Kosher salt
> you're using[i.e. 1.5 - 2.0 times as much Kosher salt, depending on which
> brand you use]

Kent, stick your specific gravity up your NOSE. (your ass is already full of
shit)



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