Brine and Rub?

[JML54]

Hi All
I will be preparing my first smoked turkey Thursday.  In the past I have soaked my birds in a brine overnight before cooking in a Weber Kettle with indirect heat.  I was wondering if anyone here has experience with Jans rub and brining?  Is that compatible?  The bird in question is locally produced and doesn't have any of the salt and water concoctions that some of the commercial products have.  I was planning on smoking with cherry at around 250 for 3 to 4 hours, then finishing on the Weber indirect at around 350 to 375.
Any advice will be welcome.
Thanks
Joe Luebeck

[Thomas DeWitt]

I have the exact same question. I want to brine and apply Jan's rub. Hope some one can answer.

[Ka Honu]

I'm pretty careful about using low- or no-salt rubs after I brine but I haven't used Jan's rub after brining so don't know if the result would be too salty or not.  Unless one of the "experienced ones" addresses that, I'd probably mix up a low-salt version of the rub (using granulated garlic, celery, and onion instead of the salts). 

[KyNola]

I know a little about Jan's Rub seeing as how Jan is my wife. :)  Jan and I developed the Rub specifically for poultry.  I would not be concerned about brining a turkey and then using Jan's Rub on it.  I have brined lots of birds and have never had one to go salty on me.  If it goes salty it is probably one of two things.  There was too much salt in the brine and/or the turkey stayed in the brine too long.  For my taste Jan's Rub is not overly salty even though there are several different salts in it.

You will have to be the judge and decide what is best for you.  Personally I would forego the brining and use the Rub.

[JML54]

Thanks and have a great holiday!
Joe Luebeck

[zueth]

I have always brined first then applied a rub, never have had any problems.

[Thomas DeWitt]

I know a little about Jan's Rub seeing as how Jan is my wife. :)  Jan and I developed the Rub specifically for poultry.  I would not be concerned about brining a turkey and then using Jan's Rub on it.  I have brined lots of birds and have never had one to go salty on me.  If it goes salty it is probably one of two things.  There was too much salt in the brine and/or the turkey stayed in the brine too long.  For my taste Jan's Rub is not overly salty even though there are several different salts in it.

You will have to be the judge and decide what is best for you.  Personally I would forego the brining and use the Rub.

KyNola, can I ask one more question.  I brined for 14 hours on a 14 pound turkey.  It was in a bag in a cooler with Ice.  I have now dried the turkey and it is in my fridge sitting uncovered to further dry until tomorrow morning.  Is it best to use Jan's rub tonight and leave on over night or just put it on in the morning before going in the smoker. Also, I heard it is good to put on some peanut or canola oil also to crisp the skin? Sorry for the simple questions but I have a lot of people that I don't want to disappoint.

Thanks,
Tom

[KyNola]

Pull the bird out of the frig an hour or so before you're going to the smoker.  Rub very lightly with canola or peanut oil and apply the Rub.  My thinking is if you apply the Rub for an overnight sit, then the salt may begin to draw the moisture out of the bird.  I have never applied Jan's Rub to poultry the night before.  Don't know why but the Rub seems to do a nice job of trapping the moistness of the poultry inside when applied just before going into the smoker.

One thing to remember.  Even with the oil on the skin if you cook it entirely in the Bradley the skin will not crisp up and will be rubbery.  To insure a crisp skin I would go into the house oven at 325 for the final 30 minutes or so.

Hope all goes well.  Please report back how you liked the Rub and if it did what it was supposed to do Thomas.

happy holiday to you!

[Thomas DeWitt]

Thank you so much for the response.  Will be up tomorrow cooking early.  I will try to remember to take pictures.

Tom

[TedEbear]

Pull the bird out of the frig an hour or so before you're going to the smoker. 

I've heard that it's not a good idea to let poultry reach room temperature prior to cooking it due to the dangers of food poisoning.  They say once it reaches 41*F it has 4 hours to get past 135*F to be safe.

Anyway, I brined mine for 13 hours (13 lb bird) and then applied some Rub with Love Turkey Rub and put it back in the fridge overnight.  Started smoking at 9:15 this morning.  It's currently at 131*F and I'll transfer it to the oven at 140*F to crisp up the skin for a final internal temp of 165*F.

[NePaSmoKer]

I have to agree with Ky

Leaving your turkey out of the fridge for a couple hours IS NOT GOING TO RUIN THE TURKEY.

Hell i have left deer hanging for a day before cutting.

IE

A cold item put right in the smoker will drop the IT of the smoker very low. A room temp item will only drop the IT of the smoker a few degrees.

But hey lets see.

Ky...7124/2007/nepas....12162/2006....Oh yeah we are old, drunk gay guys..... ;D  ;D   

USDA/FDA=====Commies

[viper125]

A lot of people here leave their deer hang a week after cleaning and be fore butchering. Says they get tender. They do the same with all store bought beef.
I leave all my brined meat including bird and fish war to room temps before cooking. Doesn't hurt a thing. Also any pork or beef or venison sausage or muscle meat. It won't spoil or ruin and it's easy to get cabinet back to temps.
No dead or sick yet.

[TedEbear]

A lot of people here leave their deer hang a week after cleaning and be fore butchering. Says they get tender.

Not the same as poultry.  I've read too many warnings similar to the one below to risk food poisoning by letting it warm up to room temp before cooking.

Should the turkey be brought to room temperature before cooking?
No, turkey should be kept refrigerated at 40 degrees F. or below until it is ready to be cooked. Turkey thawed in the microwave should be cooked immediately. Never defrost a turkey on the counter.

[viper125]

No I wouldn't hang turkey like that. But I do let them warm up to about room temps and no body has ever has a problem But I do brine them first. It only takes 1-3 hours if that, I'm not saying you should do it. You should do what you feel is right. But we have let our turkeys and chickens sit out at room temps till almost defrosted as long as I can remember than cook or put in back in fridge over night to thaw the rest of the way. . And Im 58. My mother did it also. So I feel comfortable with this. My bacon,sausage and all sit around 2 hrs warming before smoking also.

[Tenpoint5]

A lot of people here leave their deer hang a week after cleaning and be fore butchering. Says they get tender.

Not the same as poultry.  I've read too many warnings similar to the one below to risk food poisoning by letting it warm up to room temp before cooking.

Should the turkey be brought to room temperature before cooking?
No, turkey should be kept refrigerated at 40 degrees F. or below until it is ready to be cooked. Turkey thawed in the microwave should be cooked immediately. Never defrost a turkey on the counter.

And You folks wonder why Ole Tenpoint don't like Chicken and Turkey!! Nasty disease infected birds!!! YUCK YUCK YUCK!!! Don't have that problem with Beef and Pork now do you?? How ever leaving the bird warm up then going directly into a warmed smoker or oven to cook is the what the women folk in my family have been doing for years