[mrboy]

Did a practice smoke on the UDS with a Turkey today. First time I used the surface brine method rather than water/salt brine and I liked it.

Typically I make a 6% brine solution and brine bird for a couple of hours and then smoke it.

This time I slathered the bird in butter and then covered it in a heavy dusting of kosher salt. Let it sit overnight in the fridge, peppered it and then smoked it with some apple wood at 350º for three hours in the UDS.

Breast/thigh 165º/185º... let it rest for 15 min. and then foiled and put into the cooler wrapped in towels for two hours.

The bird stopped cooking with the rest and still was well above 140º at serving time.

The texture was firmer than typical brine (not as rubbery), juicy and flavorful.

I'm a convert to surface brine for flavor, texture and its a lot less trouble than water brine in a cooler.