How to brine my turkey before smoking it?

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Since I'm a novice at brining foods before cooking them , I purchased a "brining kit" from my local grocery store last year. I brined my turkey and then cooked it in my electric smoker, and it turned out great! Since the turkey turned out so well, I thought I'd look for any additional tips to improve my results.

My brining kit says to brine the turkey for no more than 1 hour per pound, then rinse, season and cook. However, I see Charbroil says "Remove the turkey from the brine, rinse it in cold water. Be sure to rinse all surfaces of the bird, including the body cavity." and "Dry off the turkey with a towel, and let it rest for about 12 to 24 hours so that the salt and flavors can really disperse throughout the meat." Source: https://www.charbroil.com/learn/smoke-turkey-electric-smoker

From those of you smoker connoisseurs, does the Charbroil method sound like good advice? Any other tips, hints, etc., for an amateur turkey smoker?

Thank you!

Ed
 
I tried to brine turkey and it just does not do well cuz of the size,
I watch oscar myer do the injection thing.
I bought a turkey injector and mixed up my brew and injected the turkey all around and let it chill.
I baked it and the result was YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMY.

I am going do the next one with a rub along with the injection.
 
we brine our turkeys using a dry rub salt mixture rubbed all over the bird. The bird stays in a big plastic bag in the fridge for about 2 or 3 days prior to cooking....very juicy turkeys
 
We have a 5 gallon bucket with a lid - immerse 20 lb turkey along with a bunch of garlic, herbs, salt. (search for brine recipes)

We let ours soak for at least two days in the fridge.

Remove from brine, we don't rinse it, place in cooking bag and put in oven.

Always comes out delicious!
 
I've been doing a dry brine with salt, pepper and a little baking powder to help with the skin.

I used to do the Alton Brown brine with veggie stock, kosher salt, brown sugar, allspice and cinnamon. While it does help with the olfactory senses, I doubt it makes a meaningful difference in taste.

Most turkeys that aren't purchased at Whole Foods, a reputable butcher or hunted are injected with a broth/sodium phosphate/salt and in some cases MSG or yeast extract mix. Up to 15% of the bird is treated. My mom is used to an "injected" bird.
 
Originally Posted By: nthach
Most turkeys that aren't purchased at Whole Foods, a reputable butcher or hunted are injected with a broth/sodium phosphate/salt and in some cases MSG or yeast extract mix. Up to 15% of the bird is treated. My mom is used to an "injected" bird.


Correct!

If you bought your bird at a supermarket and it wasn't a high dollar "free range" or "amish" bird, it likey has already been brined or injected with brining solution. Sometimes this will be described as an "enhanced" turkey.

The bird currently defrosting in my fridge say: "Enhanced approximately 9.5% of turkey broth, salt, sugar, and natural flavorings."

If your turkey comes from a grocery store and you're brining it right now, you're putting salt into an already salted turkey.
 
I (wet) brine my turkeys with an ordinary chicken spice pack a day before. Dry him off, coat with olive oil, salt and pepper and into the oil less fryer he goes. My experience with the big easy turkey fryer is that brining the bird helps keep the inside moist.
 
You'll want your bird sitting in brine at least 3 days prior to the cook date. Put the stuff on and put that thing in a trash bag so it's fully covered then put it in the fridge. (Garage fridges help.) You did good by buying the brining kit. Take not of the ingredients so you can make your own next time. You'll get better over time and make your own changes, recipes, etc.

(If you bake it, the white meat literally can be cut with a fork.)

I'll be doing a turkey breast on the smoker this year. I'll basically repeat the above process, but use a Texas style dry rub. This will be over charcoal (Kingsford original briquettes) with hickory chips. I may add a splash of Frank's Red Hot Sauce. I want to say it'll take around 5 hrs to cook. ~45 mins per lb at 220*F, but use a meat thermometer to be certain.

I am going to try a new to me thing. I'll take it out ~2 hours into the cooking process and wrap it with foil and throw it in a cooler to keep it warm for an hour. Apparently it's a flavor booster. We shall see. Never done with with the many chickens I've smoked.

Good luck and Happy Thanksgiving.
 
We rub ours with rosemary, thyme, and garlic and then stuff under the skin with about three sticks of butter. Then we put it in a cooking pan to soak in its own juices while smoking.

We smoked our turkey today, so it’ll be ready for tomorrow.
 
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