Brining whole chicken before smoking in smoker

[JBinMN]

I have been smoking all sorts of meats, fish & cheeses for many years & other than the exception of fish, like salmon & trout where I use a brine before smoking, I have not ever brined any other meats before smoking. So, a couple of days ago I decided I wanted to try my hand at brining a whole chicken before smoking it.
I generally use a "dry rub" method & even though that has worked great for me in the past, I just wanted to try something different this time. I guess I am just feeling a bit adventurous & willing to gamble a perfectly good yardbird on a "new to me" style of prepping for smoking... LOL

I did a bit of research by looking through some books on smoking foods to see what I could find out, as well as on the internet for different recipes. I came up with just a simple recipe to use for the brine for this chicken & have made it this morning & it is now cooling before I put the chicken in it to soak overnight.

Water to cover chicken in pot,
3/4 cup pickling salt,
1 cup white sugar,
1 Tblspn cayenne pepper & 1 Tbspn black pepper

All brought to a rolling boil & stirred for a minute or so to dissolve everything into the brine & now cooling.

I think I may sprinkle & rub in my regular spice "rub" on this yardbird before it goes into the smoker, but have not made a firm decision on that yet.


Anyway.... While I wait for the brine mix to cool enough, I thought I would ask here if anyone who has experience doing a smoked "brined" chicken has any tips to share with me & others who might decide to try out this method.

Any tips or anecdotal stories about smoking brined chicken?

Thanks in advance!

[Hossfly]

I use regular salt about 1/2 cup to water that will cover bird. Always done this with chicken and especially turkeys at Thanksgiving. I rinsed off bird next morning to get some salt off. I think the salt helps enhance flavor of the meat even gets thru the skin. Big turkey gets shot up with Cajun butter injector that has spices to help with moisture. Hickory and msequite wood soaked for lots of Smokey flavor. 3hrs. Small chicken on rotissery and about 12 for turkey over water pan. Enjoy

[JBinMN]

Hey ! Thanks for the tips & reminder about the injector! Just what I was looking for!


I haven't used an injector for some time, but I think I may do that with this bird this time. Gonna ponder on that. I will post if I do, as well as maybe some pictures.

I haven't decided on the wood I am going to use, but I am likely going to use Apple & cherry with some hickory & mesquite as well. Another thing I am pondering on while waiting to see who else might add some of their ideas & such!


Thanks again!

[texasnative46]

JBinMN,

ImVho, "Hossfly" is 100% correct & plain salted water works about as well as anything to brine poultry. At least 4-6 hours "in the salt" does GOOD things for poultry.
(Fwiw, I used to cook literally hundreds of chickens & turkeys each month for church picnics, school fundraisers & other gatherings.)
To me (& when I could get it) freshly-cut peach, pear, apple or other similar fruit-woods work best for poultry/veal/lamb, with GREEN hickory close behind.
It's been my experience that mesquite "overwhelms" poultry/veal/lamb's taste. Otoh, poultry smoked over oak NEEDS a lot of spices to make it taste best.
(Like "Hossfly", I also INJECT turkeys with copious melted butter/spices, to keep it from drying out before it cooks thoroughly.)

Mesquite (IMO) is THE BOSS for BBQing BEEF. - Nothing else does nearly as well.

just my opinions, tex

[Camper64]

I brine whole bone-in turkey breasts.

[Hogtamer]

apple cider/juice, 3/4 C salt to gallon liquid. Big bunch of fresh thyme or Tbsp of dry. A dozen or so whole peppercorns. Excellent for chicken, turkey, pork loin. The salt acts like it does in living tissue, moving liquid through cells walls, so the flavors in your brining liquid absorbed into meat. Also allows for more even cooking and a juicier finished product. I generally use various red oaks as that is what usually is close at hand in these parts.

[JBinMN]

Thanks All for the helpful tips!


I put the yardbird into the brine I had made last night about 8PM. I see that most of ya had only used salt & maybe some thyme, but since I had already made it, I used what I had.

I am going to inject with some unsalted butter and I have some bacon grease I am going to brush on the outside, then add a simple rub/costing I have used for year, with the salt part omitted, to keep from adding more salt.

Going to use some freshly cut apple wood I got from a friend on Saturday, maybe some cherry if I still have some left, and I might plop a couple of small chunks of hickory & mesquite in as well, but it will be primarily apple this time. I have oak & plum I think, out in the pile, but not sure, so I will have to just stick with what I do know I have.

Anyway, I will check back later & I will try to remember to post some pics.


Thanks again!

[DerekP Houston]

I'm a fan of brining chickens and turkeys for the smoker, If you have the time pull them out ~12 hours ahead and let them dry in the refrigerator, the skin will crisp up better. I use brown sugar in mine, 1 cup salt 1 cup sugar, water to cover. It should have a pretty decent taste in the water. Citrus makes a good addition as well. Depending on the chicken brands you get some are already injected with water.

Just read the rest of your post again, I *do* season mine after brining. If you are pressed for time just towel it off then sprinkle on your regular rub. I like a nice crust/heavy seasoning layer on mine =). Injected butter in the meat will help keep it juicy in my experience.

[JBinMN]

Thanks Derek!


I am a bit pressed for time today. It is supposed to be ht & sticky today with T-storms later. so I want to get it done before the storms arrive.

I have it sitting in a tilted pan in the sink, drying and draining a bit right now. I will pat it down after I get ready to place it on a rack.
I was going to put it on a particular rack( I have a few), but the racks I have seem to have migrated from where I stored them & I think my oldest son may have borrowed them since I last used them. He is an avid meat smoker as well, but doesn't have the amount of stuff I have accumulated over the years, so he uses some of my stuff on occasion. He likely told me he was going to borrow them earlier this year & I just plain forgot.

Anyway, I will make do with getting one of the racks out of my "cabinet smoker" or the Brinkman stacked cylinder smokers, & use that for the final preps of injecting butter, painting on the bacon grease & coating with the rub. I will likely let it sit to get closer to room temp & then put it out into the smoker in a few hours.

Thanks for the tips & I will keep them all in mind when I go to do another brined yardbird next time. I have 3 more in the freezer & in less than a month a great buddy of mine who raises birds will be butchering again & I will get a few more. We do smoked & beer can style whole, as well as grilled in pieces, and eat yardbird about once a week or so, so they get used up quite quickly. Even more so when the whole family is together & we make a day of it.


Thanks again to everyone!

Please keep the tips & helpful hints coming, as it will certainly help not just me, but others who may pop in to read.


I will try to remember to take some pics too. Everyone seems to like pics!

[JBinMN]

Some "before pics" during the "prep" process:

Spiced with Rub & some bacon grease paint strips in certain locations:


Starting butter injections:


Place on "beer can style" wire rack to hold it up right:


Other side:


I realize that the pics are sideways 90 deg. , but am not feeling like taking the time to turn them.
Oh well. LOL

The bird is now on the smoker & has been for about a half hour. Gonna go check in a little while & if I see something "pic worthy" I will take one or two to share.

[JBinMN]

Beginning the smoke, inside the smoker:


Some exterior shots to see how they show up:





It has not started rockin & rollin the smoke yet, but it will. When I go out next I will see if I can catching it doing it.

[JBinMN]

Reloaded smoker and starting to rock and roll again:

[JBinMN]

Smoking part is about done, just the "finishing"/slow cooking part left. I will try to take some pics after I feel it is done. It is looking good right now, but I left my camera/phone on a charger inside, the last time I was out.

No more updates until then.
I think I am going to have to force myself to enjoy a cold one now...

[DerekP Houston]

that's a heckofa collection of smokers you have there! I'd rather be bbq'ing than working any day

[JBinMN]

that's a heckofa collection of smokers you have there! I'd rather be bbq'ing than working any day

Thanks! I have wore out more than a few since the late 70's/early 80's.


Most of the ones you see are on their last legs, with the exception of the cabinet one I was using today. It is only about 8 years old or so, IIRC. LOL


I have a Stainless Steel Commercial reefer sitting out of the pic that I got last year to make a nice big "fancy" homemade one, but my 2 sons have found that they are happy to use what they have & I do not have the help I think would be necessary to do what I think would be the best. I will likely offer it to a couple of friend s& see if they want to tackle it. Otherwise it will go to Craigs list for what I have into it.

[JBinMN]

-------

Well, here are the last pics of the doins today... I am highly satisfied with the results & even better, the Missus is extremely satisfied with the results as well!


Here are some pics:
Finished...




We got approx. 1-1/2 inches( 3-7/8ths CM) of rain in around an hour or so, in between the time I posted last & was waiting for the last of the cooking to get done & when these last pics were taken. Here is a pic of the small rain gauge I have on the deck:



ANd... Here is the , "Tell" on how it looked & the "Drive" of the smoke it was given. about an 1/8" or so, on the breast, deeper on the outside & bottom & particularly around the joints like the legs & wings, but I do not know if it will come thru in the pic of the breast cut very well.
Overall, a good "drive", considering I held off on pushing the smoke too long, since I was worried about maybe overdoing it...
Regardless, it came out Tender as it could be, & tastes Outstanding. I "will" be doing this method again...


Here is that "Tell" pic from a breast cut:



{ Yes, once again some of the pics are "sideways" but I am just gonna let them be... I think you will "get" what I am trying to show. }

Thanks So Much! for all the help & tips!


This came out so well, & my missus asked me to do it this way again for the Boys(Sons), DIL, & Grandboys the next time so they can try it done this way...
I really wish I had tried it long before now. I like the other ways I have done it, but this one looks to be a Great addition to the methods to share with others!


I had fun & appreciate the efforts made to pass on some of what ya might share to make this turn out out well! Thanks again for the help!



to you all!


Edited to see if I can fix pics to get them to show.

[Camper64]

Well, I'm a day late to the party. Drove through Goodhue yesterday on my way home to Iowa. Sounds like everything came out great, I'm not able to see the attachments but I'm sure it would make me more hungry than I already am.

[JBinMN]

Well, I'm a day late to the party. Drove through Goodhue yesterday on my way home to Iowa. Sounds like everything came out great, I'm not able to see the attachments but I'm sure it would make me more hungry than I already am.

Well, ya missed out then... It is some great stuff! LOL


Well, I tried to fix the pics & they are showing up for me now. Maybe you can see them now?

[Beagle333]

That looks awesome. Now you got me wanting to brine mine before smoking in the Big Green Egg. I usually just plump it up as much as it'll take with the injectors, but doing both will surely result in an even juicier bird. Thanks for posting!

[Fishman]

That looks like fantastic results.