Dry or wet brine?

[SirPorkaLot]

Originally Posted by Smoking Piney

Please explain "dry brine" to me.

Brine means seasoned, salted water to me. "Dry" sure sounds like rub to me.

I don't get it.

Sure!

Dry brine is another term for the ancient practice of “salting”

In a wet brine, the bird is submerged in a salt water solution.

In a dry brine, a specific amount of salt is added to the exterior of the bird and through the process of diffusion, the salt pulls the natural moisture from the bird, which dissolves the salt making a salt water solution. If you are able to keep the solution close to the skin, it will get pulled back in, brining the bird.

The advantage of a dry brine over a wet brine is you can control the amount of salt going in the bird and you don’t water log the bird, which can happen in a wet brine.

I wrote a blog post detailing it out a few years ago

https://www.naturiffic.com/blog/intr...-brine-brining

[okiesmokie78]

Originally Posted by SirPorkaLot

Sure!

Dry brine is another term for the ancient practice of “salting”

In a wet brine, the bird is submerged in a salt water solution.

In a dry brine, a specific amount of salt is added to the exterior of the bird and through the process of diffusion, the salt pulls the natural moisture from the bird, which dissolves the salt making a salt water solution. If you are able to keep the solution close to the skin, it will get pulled back in, brining the bird.

The advantage of a dry brine over a wet brine is you can control the amount of salt going in the bird and you don’t water log the bird, which can happen in a wet brine.

I wrote a blog post detailing it out a few years ago

https://www.naturiffic.com/blog/intr...-brine-brining

EXACTLY!! Its not the same as a rub because it is VERY salt heavy in order to allow it to absorb into the meat.

[okiesmokie78]

For the record, I did the dry brine and injected it and everything was fantastic! I only wish I'd have let it sit for 48 hours instead of 24. I used a recipe for dry brine that called for a tablespoon of kosher salt per 5lbs along with other herbs and pepper. I had a 20# bird so i used 4 tablespoons of salt and added my other seasonings without really measuring, I just eyeballed it until it looked and smelled right! I added garlic powder, basil, poultry seasoning, rosemary, thyme and black pepper. Separated the skin and put about a tablespoon of the mixture under the skin on both legs, and the same on each breat half. Then I massaged it all in and sprinkled the rest around the outside and in the cavity. Then I put in on a baking rack on a cookie sheet for air circulation and placed it in the fridge for 24 hours. about an hour before roasting I brought it out and let it rest for a few, then injected with Tony Chacheres creole butter injection. Turned out damn good!

[Smoking Piney]

Originally Posted by SirPorkaLot

Sure!

Dry brine is another term for the ancient practice of “salting”

In a wet brine, the bird is submerged in a salt water solution.

In a dry brine, a specific amount of salt is added to the exterior of the bird and through the process of diffusion, the salt pulls the natural moisture from the bird, which dissolves the salt making a salt water solution. If you are able to keep the solution close to the skin, it will get pulled back in, brining the bird.

The advantage of a dry brine over a wet brine is you can control the amount of salt going in the bird and you don’t water log the bird, which can happen in a wet brine.

I wrote a blog post detailing it out a few years ago

https://www.naturiffic.com/blog/intr...-brine-brining

John, I trust every word you print here and you rock! Thanks for the explanation.

[TravelingJ]

Originally Posted by Eads Ranch

My best luck has been with injecting Oakridge Game Changer brine mixed with Peach Nectar and Ginger Ale per Mike's recipe on the Oakridge website.

Just wanted to follow up on this. Went onto Oakridge's site and found the ratio (8 ounce Peach Nectar, 8 ounce ginger ale, 1/4 cup Game Changer) and mixed that up. My bird had a solution already, so I used half the amount of injection (per the site recommendations)

I injected around midnight, then wrapped and into the fridge. Dried it the next day at noon and hit it with duck fat spray, and his suggested Santa Maria, fired up the smoker and bird was on an hour later.

She said it was the star of the meal, and that's knowing that Turkey is the protein she's least excited about. Definitely a winning idea that I'll be using again.

[a7las]

I did 2 birds this Thanksgiving because I too wanted to know which one produced better results. The wet brined bird was 20# and the dry brined was 16#. They both came out great but based on families feedback the wet brined took the top spot.

[nweave2614]

Originally Posted by Smoking Piney

Please explain "dry brine" to me.

Brine means seasoned, salted water to me. "Dry" sure sounds like rub to me.

I don't get it.

When you "dry" brine the salt pulls the internal moisture to the surface, mixes with the salt and gets pulled back into the meat, with "wet" the brine solution pulls moisture out and the solution gets pulled into the meat, they are the same process.

For my moneys worth I have used Alton Brown's wet brine and harvest brine and I prefer the dry harvest brine, less mess, just as juicy if not more so, and less contamination risk since wet brining a huge bird requires a large vessel which will not fit in my fridge so I used to do it in the garage since I live in a cold climate.

[93_confirmed]

I'm late to the party but dry brine for the win. For the past 5 years I've been doing Meathead's kosher salt dry brine the day before I smoke a whole (spatchcocked) turkey and it has been consistently phenomenal. All I do besides the brine is a herb butter rub inside and out and a black pepper/gran onion/gran garlic rub to finish. Rock solid bird.