What's the advantage to brining a chicken / turkey before smoking.
Thanks in advance.
Chris
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It adds to the flavor and makes it more moist. Turkeys are usually brined so check the label before you do your own or it could make it too salty.
Adding to what TedEbear mentioned, there's a few types of brining to consider - wet brine vs dry brine and also one that uses salt and spices vs Prague Powder #1 for sodium nitirite. Each has their applications. I've wet brined my chickens with just salt, sugar and a few spices as well as using cure #1. Adding the cure, smoking and then cooking/finishing on bbq gives your meat that red 'ham' look and taste while using just salt, sugar and spices keeps the bird moist and does promote a small ping smoke ring but not to the length that cure does.
For wet brining times without cure, I usually brine a small 5lb spring chicken for 3-4 hours. If you have a larger bird I'd consider 10-12 hours but it depends on the salt % and ability to keep the birds out of the 40-140F temp range(to keep the bacteria from growing).