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