Brine ?

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fishwrestler

Smoking Fanatic
Original poster
OTBS Member
Apr 4, 2010
646
34
Loomis,CA
OK do not have enough room in the refrigerator to brine all four chickens I am doing. Is it ok to ice the brine and let them soak over night in an icechest that has been cleaned with bleach?
Thanks for the help
Robert
 
You can do that, just make sure that the amt of ice you're adding doesn't dilute the brine too much.

I get some 2.5 gallon ziploc baggies and place the chicken and brine, into a bag. Throw those bags in a cooler full of ice and you're good to go.
PDT_Armataz_01_34.gif
 
Thank I am on it going to store right now to get the stuff.
Thanks should be smoking tomorrow

Love this site.
Robert
 
I would do just what laurel (sumosmoke) said and put the birds in a ziplock bag.They doi make them really big too easily big enough for a bird or two. Then you can throw then into the refrig or the cooler with more ice. Then smoke then and take somw Qview too.
 
OK
Got some 2.5 Gallon zip locks and used the brine rbrastner posted up.Using the ice chest and iced them down in the zip locks. I figure I will brine them over night pull them and inject them then Smoke them in the PM tomorrow. Safeway had yard bird on sale buy one get one free. So I am doing 4 of these tomorrow. Another question most sites i read say brine for 8 hours if I leave them in for 12(overnight) will that be a bad thing. Or should I wake up after 8 hours and pull them from the brine.

Ok never mind I read some more here and I think i will be fine with a 12 hr Brine. Off to bed. I will see you all in the morning

Thanks for all the great information.
Robert
 
Just make sure you rinse them really good after a 12 hour soak, or they might end up salty.I stocked up on those Safeway chickens a few weeks ago they had the same deal going.
Dan
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OK I injected three birds with the Slaughterhouse Poultry Injection that rbranstner posted. One bird I rubbed with a BBQ rub I got at Safeway.
Started the smoke at 2:30. got a late start wanted to get it on by 2:00

Let it go until 6:30 pulled it at 160 deg. wrapped an let it sit for 15 minutes

So juicy, My little guy who is 5 ate two legs and a thigh.
oops left out the best picture

Froze 4 halfs for later ate a little of the BBQ rubbed and injected one for dinner. Only complaint was skin was rubbery. I smoked at 225 deg until the last hour then jacked the heat up to 300 degs. for a total of 4 hours
Thanks for all the help.
Robert
Got to tackle some smoked coho salmon tomorrow if the weather cooperates.
 
Those looked very good. I've had the same problem with Chicken skin coming out rubbery. I read somewhere that you can crisp the skin in the broiler for a couple minutes or throw them on the grill and do the same thing. Maybe someone else knows a trick or three?

EDIT: I forgot the initial reason why I posted! I have brined 6 chickens in a cooler just like that save I put the ICE in the bags instead. Brine didn't dilute and I got great results. Something to keep in mind if you're brining a real big turkey or a lot of chicken or pork.
 
Fishwrestler, great job on them yard birds. One thing to keep in mind is that poultry doesn't really need the "low and slow" that briskets, butts and ribs do; but if you have the time to do them that way then by all means have at it.

I usually do my yard birds with the chamber temps between 275°-300°. The higher heat will help in crisping up the skin and shorten the cooking time.

If I'm doing poultry along with some butts or ribs, I'll time it so that the birds go in to the smoker when the rest of the meat has about 4 hours to go. The last 30 minutes of the smoke, I'll kick the smoker temps up higher to crisp up the skin.-YMMV
 
I am pretty new to smoking, i have so far smoked ribs and steaks, the steaks truned out rather dry.  I have 2 young chickens, about 4.5lbs each, and want to smoke them in the brine.  However the largest ziplocks bags I have are only 1 gallon.  Can I put them in a huge pot, put a lid on it, then throw them in the fridge overnight?  Would that work as well as ziplock bags?

Thank You

Shea
 
I am pretty new to smoking, i have so far smoked ribs and steaks, the steaks truned out rather dry.  I have 2 young chickens, about 4.5lbs each, and want to smoke them in the brine.  However the largest ziplocks bags I have are only 1 gallon.  Can I put them in a huge pot, put a lid on it, then throw them in the fridge overnight?  Would that work as well as ziplock bags?

Thank You

Shea
Look at your local walmart, kmart, ect. In the storage section where they sell plastic totes and bins there is usually a shelf with those vacuum store bags and the large ziploc bags.
 
Fishwrestler, great job on them yard birds. One thing to keep in mind is that poultry doesn't really need the "low and slow" that briskets, butts and ribs do; but if you have the time to do them that way then by all means have at it.

I usually do my yard birds with the chamber temps between 275°-300°. The higher heat will help in crisping up the skin and shorten the cooking time.

If I'm doing poultry along with some butts or ribs, I'll time it so that the birds go in to the smoker when the rest of the meat has about 4 hours to go. The last 30 minutes of the smoke, I'll kick the smoker temps up higher to crisp up the skin.-YMMV
Fishwrestler... Dutch is the man!! He's probably forgot more about smoking than I will ever learn. I just wanted to second what he said. I've tried low and slow on poultry and not only do I feel like it doesn't add anything... I think it takes away from overall quality. When Chickens or Turkey the temps are even a little higher than Dutch mentions. 300 is my bottom end and I don't mind if it creeps up towards 350. I wouldn't want to go over that but in that range has always worked well for me. 

 
I am pretty new to smoking, i have so far smoked ribs and steaks, the steaks truned out rather dry.  I have 2 young chickens, about 4.5lbs each, and want to smoke them in the brine.  However the largest ziplocks bags I have are only 1 gallon.  Can I put them in a huge pot, put a lid on it, then throw them in the fridge overnight?  Would that work as well as ziplock bags?

Thank You

Shea
Shea... your post mentions that you want to "smoke them in the brine". I think you mean you want to brine your chickens. Then smoke right? Just making sure. And yes... the big pot and overnight in the fridge works just fine. The only advantage I can think of with the zip lock is that it makes more efficient use of the brine since you can squeeze the air out and bag conforms to the shape of the chicken meaning less brine to cover the chicken. With the pot... you just use more brine. However much it take to completely cover the chicken.
 
 
Opps that is what I meant brine and then smoke them Smoke_Chef.  I will put them in the pot tonight and stick it in the fridge.  Next time I am at walmart I will check to see if I can get larger size ziplock bags, but if I remeber correctly I have only seen 1 gallon to be the largest.  We live in a small town, so tath might be why they don't sell the bigger ones.

One more question.  Aproxamitaly how many hours would it take to smoke 2 4.5lb chickens?

Thank You for the help

Shea
 
Well... it depends. I would plan for three hours but it should be closer to two. However, with chicken never go by time. You know it's done with the juices run clear. But, by all means temp it too. I go to 170 in the breast and if it goes over some I'm fine with that. I've gone as much as 180 and thought it was still totally fine. It wasn't dry at all. The brine is the key. Poultry is the one meat that I would rather over cook than under cook. After ribs... smoked poultry is my favorite of the smoked meats. You just have to be careful with it.

Good Luck... be sure to post your brine, rub, q-view... ect. We'll be looking for it.
icon_smile.gif
 
Go ta yer local bakery, they get food grade buckets all the time, I get mine fer free there an usually with lids.  Can get em in 3 gallon an upta 6 gallon.  Smaller ones be nice if yer just doin a bird er two.
 
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