Brine?

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basuraman

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I am about to try and make smoked turkey legs. I have seen that doing a brine is best. My question is what brine them in. Can I just heat the brine in a stew pot, let it cool and then just brine in there?

Sorry if it is a dumb question.

:doh:
 
I've brined in trash bags, 5 gallon buckets, ziplock bags, and bowls. You really just want the brine to be cool, and have enough room for your meat.

Matt
 
When I brine, I often use less water than I need when heating to dissolve the salt and sugar, and then add ice to cool down quicker. I usually use zip lock bags or pots for larger peices of meat that won't fit in a ziplock.
 
I use a 5 gallon bucket w/ a lid specially designated for brining turkeys. My refrigerator is designed in a way that I can easily take out a shelf to accommodate the bucket.

For chicken I have a nice sized tupperware container that will fit up to two fryers. For parts, I have yet another tupperware container that I use.
 
To actually answer the question you asked...

Yes you can brine right in the pot. Just let the brine cool and brine in the fridge.

You might want to add a plate on top of the legs to help hold them under the surface of the liquid. Just put a plate in the pot that is small enough to clear the sides. That should do it.
 
If ya need more room than stew pot, the Xip lock 2 xl will fit in a cooler nicely. You can brine almost anything in something that big.
 
I use one of these It's a great size for doing a turkey around thanksgiving time. If I were just doing a couple legs or breasts I would just leave it in the pot I made the brine in and stick it in the fridge.

I try to only heat my water enough to melt the salt. If you bring it to a boil you waste a lot of ice trying to cool it off again and it takes longer until you can put the meat in. I also use a heavy ceramic dish to keep the bird submerged.

Oh yeah I also keep that particular cooler strictly for brining in. I would not want to drink out of it again no matter how well I washed it. Just in case.
 
To more completely answer your initial question, yes you can brine in a soup pot as long as it's non reactive. Stainless steel, glass or enamel are OK, aluminum, copper and cast iron are not.
 
when I brine a Turkey I use a tall ss pot the kind you would use for frying a turkey...then I use Mortons tender quick cureing salt.....1 cup for a 16lb bird....adjust for size...1TBS per pound.... soak over night then rinse and dry..place it back in the refir overnight to dry the moisture out. then rub it ..smoke it and eat

Tony
 
All of the above ^^^^^ is great advice!!! biggest thing make sure brine is cold and refrigerate!!!! other than that Smoke on Brother!!!:thumb:
 
5 Gal food grade bucket and a fridge I just turn on for brining. Having a spare fridge is something to consider for brines that are overnight, or for a few days. You just can't find room in your regular fridge for a 5 gallon bucket otherwise... and God forbid using the BEER fridge!!!!:thumb:
 
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