Brining whole chicken before smoking in smoker

[JBinMN]

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!

It worked excellent for me & I would suggest that ya try it at least once!


BTW, I only used about 1/4 of a stick of plain melted butter to inject for this one. It is/was about a 6-7 pounder.

That looks like fantastic results.

Yes, It looks & tastes fantastic!


Definitely a good method & one I think everyone should try, if they can! So, Give it a shot!


Thanks again to all who have commented.

[DerekP Houston]

man that looks delicious! Don't knock those old "worn out" smokers...I've rigged them back together with spare parts and they smoke good as new! Looks like another successful 'q

[JBinMN]

Yes, it was certainly a success!



The Brinkmans"cabinet" one is working fine as you can see, and the Brinkmans "cans" ( there is 1 bottom, 2 middle & 2 tops there, out of 2 smokers, although one top is out of the pics.) are still relatively intact & usable. The "barrel" ( IIRC a "CharBroil" or something like that) , needs a new firebox, but can still be used as well even without the firebox. So, yes they are kind of "worn", or "well used" one might say, but I do not do as much smoking of stuff as I did in the past so have not been in any hurry to repair yet. It is one of those, "Yeah, I will get a round to it eventually" type of things.

Lots of memories from being around those smokers with parties & catering type deals for friends & family. I always hate to let one go when it just gets to the point where it is not worth the effort to try to repair any longer.

I reckon you know what I mean...

[smokeywolf]

Nice write-up JB. Excuse me while I wipe the drool off my keyboard.

I use a stick-burner the majority of the time. Did a beercan chicken and a tri-tip the other night. While I always brine the turkeys (usually two 12 pounders) at Thanksgiving, I'm too lazy to do chickens.

What I do with the beercan chickens is, make up a solution of:
2 oz. good Spanish olive oil
1 oz. lite soy sauce
2 oz. Italian dressing
1/4 stick butter
1/3 tsp. of sesame oil
1 tsp. rubbed sage
2/3 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 tsp. black pepper

Put that in the stainless cup that is part of my beercan chicken roasting kluge, rub the chicken in and out with olive oil and sage, plug the neck hole of the chicken with a cut lime and put it on rack on the firebox end of the smoker.
The mixture in the cup is less for imparting flavors to the chicken than for providing a killer dipping sauce for the chicken after it's done.

[JBinMN]

Not really a "write up", but just sharing what I was doing & hoping for more tips & tricks.


That recipe you are providing looks like a great solution for BC chicken! I will try it next time I do one.


I use an onion chunk usually to cover the neck & I drape bacon strips across the "shoulders" to help self baste.

Have'nt done a BC chicken since last year. Maybe that will be next on the menu in a week or so.

[Moonie]

I used to wet brine my poultry before smoking or cooking by any method. I've started dry brining over night, gives a crispier skin. Smoked, roasted in my convection oven or rotisserie. Wet brined is very good but tends to lessen the poultry flavor, dry brined intensifies the poultry flavor and is just as juicy.

[MT Gianni]

I have done Cornish Game hens with a pineapple sauce marinade then cooked them on the small pineapple cans. Its all good.

[JBinMN]

I used to wet brine my poultry before smoking or cooking by any method. I've started dry brining over night, gives a crispier skin. Smoked, roasted in my convection oven or rotisserie. Wet brined is very good but tends to lessen the poultry flavor, dry brined intensifies the poultry flavor and is just as juicy.

Other than using a "rub", which, until this last brining adventure, was the way I have always done yard bird in the smoker & it has always done well for me. I am not sure what the term "Dry Brining" would entail, other than what I have done with a "Rub", and I would have to go look the term up , unless you wish to describe the process any more here.

I would appreciate your advice & tips if you would care to elaborate a bit more on that method. Please share!~

[JBinMN]

I have done Cornish Game hens with a pineapple sauce marinade then cooked them on the small pineapple cans. Its all good.

I have done the cornish game hens as well, but not with pineapple. Makes my mouth water thinking about it though.

Did a lot of Waterfowl with pineapple, as well as other fruits like oranges & such.

Please share more & I would bet I am not the only one to read & perhaps try the method(s) you could offer.

[frankenfab]

Been wanting to do Cornish game hens in my Ronco rotisserie, but haven't done it yet.

I know I can Google dry brining, but from someone with personal experience, how do y'all do it?

[Moonie]

Other than using a "rub", which, until this last brining adventure, was the way I have always done yard bird in the smoker & it has always done well for me. I am not sure what the term "Dry Brining" would entail, other than what I have done with a "Rub", and I would have to go look the term up , unless you wish to describe the process any more here.

I would appreciate your advice & tips if you would care to elaborate a bit more on that method. Please share!~

https://www.seriouseats.com/2016/10/...ng-powder.html

[frankenfab]

Thanks for that. I love me some crispy skin.

[JBinMN]

https://www.seriouseats.com/2016/10/...ng-powder.html

THANKS! That was pretty quick!


I will be reading up on it tonite.


I just picked up another yardbird from my "source" for "range fed" birds tonite before I posted earlier.

Told him I was gonna share half of it with a "brine" done bird so he & his missus could try it.

If this "read" ya shared, hits me right, I will be trying that next!


Thanks again for the share!

[Moonie]

Do be easy with the dry brine mix, I used too much the first time and it was rather salty.

[MT Gianni]

I found the small pineapple juice cans the perfect fit for a game hen soo....... I mixed pineapple, soy sauce and a little cayenne, garlic and Johnnys salt together while saving the cans. Putting the bird in a gallon zip lock then pouring the juice about 1/4-1/3 back into the can left it with enough weight to balance a bird on. Straight up inderect heat [burners on on only one side of the gas grill. I am a heretic.] heating to about 425 for 45-50 minutes. I checked doneness at the thigh for flexibility before I got a thermometer. Pull it and make sure the marinade is no longer used as a dipping sauce as it had raw bird in it for 12+ hours. A dipping sauce can be made by reserving some of the marinade before the bird gets in and heating it to thicken slightly.

[Lloyd Smale]

my method is the same as brining fish. A 5 gallon bucket about 2/3s full of water with enough kosher salt to float a raw egg and a cup of brown sugar.

[Lead pot]

I just got a new Webber 22" performer premium charcoal grill and tried the wet brine. I think I left it in the brine to Long for about 6 hrs and let it dry over night in the fridge over night and it turned out a little to salty for my last but it wasn't to the point of being bad. I also added some other spices to the brine that added to the taste. I used green cut chock cherry wood that really enhanced the flavor.

I used a small turkey brest for this try and had to do a little adjusting to make it fit under the lid but all turned out just fine.

[JSH]

I thought the little Cornish game hens expensive. Well, changed my mind as I can hardly eat a whole one before I tire of it, usually a couple of days worth for one person. And, I darn sure can't eat a whole chicken any more.

JB, you want to see a cheap cool smoker, do a search on filing cabinet smoker.
I have one with all the holes cut, but have not fired it up to cure the inside yet.
Buddy made on to smoke fish. Just used a cheap electric hot plate and and old pan for wood chips.
Unfortunate to not have many good fish for smoking around here. Though I have eaten some smoked blue gill and crappie filets years ago.
Jeff

[MaryB]

Flathead catfish is awesome stuff brined and smoked!

[Lead pot]

Don't overlook the lowly carp smoked. Just cut the mud vain out and enjoy it.