We purposely bought an un-brined bird to do it ourselves. Other than just googling it does anyone have any advice?
Im just assuming you soak the whole bird in a salt-brine mix overnight in the fridge?
Correct. Fridge or ice in a cooler or bucket. Add whatever flavors to brine you want after the initial brine mix.
Make sure you use Kosher salt.
You could get by with it in the garage Id imagine at the temps forecasted.
Make sure you use Kosher salt.
Or pickling salt. Pickling salt will dissolve at a much lower temperature than kosher.
Add enough salt to the water until a egg floats. Soak 24 hours
Like with a steak its the salt that is doing the work so you can do a dry brine with salt, much easier.
BTW where did you get the unbrined? Mine was hard to find and a bit expensive.
I get that if 8 percent of what they are selling you is brine that an unbrined bird will cost more, but why is it 2-3X! more?
I just use a cooler with ice. Pickling or kosher salt. Lemons, onions, apples, oranges, garlic, etc. whatever you want in the brine. I always brine 12 to 24 hours.
Like with a steak its the salt that is doing the work so you can do a dry brine with salt, much easier.
BTW where did you get the unbrined? Mine was hard to find and a bit expensive.
I get that if 8 percent of what they are selling you is brine that an unbrined bird will cost more, but why is it 2-3X! more?[/quoe]
Kowalskis. The brand was Ferndale. It was $2.49 per lb.
I don’t brine. A good quality bird will not need it.
I use a dry rub with the following:
garlic cloves under the skin and cavity
butter smeared over skin with dry spice blend rubbed into (or alternatively mixed with the butter)
cut a lemon in half, squeeze juice over turkey and toss the halves in the cavity
place turkey uncovered in preheated oven ~425 for 25-30 minutes (for a 12-14# bird), then turn temp down to 350 and check temp every 30 minutes (or so) until deepest part of breast is ~160
The higher temp causes the skin to crisp and helps to retain the juices.
We have been buying free range organic last few years – the difference in taste is worth every penny.
Add enough salt to the water until a egg floats. Soak 24 hours
Eggs vary in density. I use 5/8 cup pickling salt per gallon of water, some brown sugar and a few bay leaves, 16-18 hours. Old timer I learned from also added a beer. If cooking over charcoal or wood adding brown sugar to the coals will give it a nice golden brown color.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Coletrain27 wrote:</div>
Add enough salt to the water until a egg floats. Soak 24 hoursEggs vary in density. I use 5/8 cup pickling salt per gallon of water, some brown sugar and a few bay leaves, 16-18 hours. Old timer I learned from also added a beer. If cooking over charcoal or wood adding brown sugar to the coals will give it a nice golden brown color.
I’ve never had one turn out bad doing it that way 
We used this last year, got it at Runnings. Smoked it 275* for about 9 hours (22lbs). Best turkey I’ve ever had.
48588C22-7A4E-448D-833E-1BB204B96FEE.jpeg
5 gallon bucket, food grade
For turkeys you will need to double all of the following ingredients.
Standard wet brine:
1 gallon distilled water (our water here is rather good so I use tap)
1 cup kosher salt
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
(so for turkeys:
2 gal water
2 C, K salt
2 C, DBS
2 C, WS)
mix thoroughly till completely dissolved, heating is not necessary
Rinse and clean bird then ease it into the bucket breasts first and tail up.
Set bucket a 34 to 40 degree containment over night but not more than 14 hours.
Remove and rinse very well to remove the surface salt flavor.
Pat dry, some let it air dry in the fridge for 24 hours.
Season, and cook to your liking.
I do too. I’ve received compliments on my turkey for several years using this brine. You can sort of clean out the produce drawer when making the vegetable stock part of the brine. Fold over a piece of alum. foil to make a triangle, place that over the breast of the bird when roasting to slow down the cooking of that part. The legs and thighs will cook to a higher temp and the breast will cook to a lower temp.
Picked up a food grade bucket today!! woo hoo
I was just at McDonalds Meats and they had this brining kit so I grabbed it I am going to give it a shot.
Thanks suzuki I will go to Kowalskis next year-got mine at Cub for 3 per lb.
vice/how-to-dry-brine-a-turkey-step-by-step-thanksgiving-article
I hope this link works- When you brine the salt pulls juices from the meat, that will happen with a wet brine too but it is getting nothing from that water. When you search how to make steak they will tell you to add salt hours ahead of grilling. THAT IS A BRINE. Would they have you float a T-bone in salt water? That would work but you would know that the water would take away flavor. So cumbersome all that heavy water and space that you need. I have used both ways, all that water-just not needed-anyway happy Thanksgiving 
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