# Is brining boston butts worth the hassle?



## berger (Mar 13, 2013)

Whadda all think?  Is there really even a point to it?


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## frosty (Mar 13, 2013)

I have injected and it was fine, but never brined a butt before. I would think that a brining could go as long as 24 hours and you would be fine.  I remember Nepas did a brined butt a while back and the results were good.

I thought it might make it mushy, but have never heard anyone say it did.

Good luck with it!


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## 05sprcrw (Mar 13, 2013)

I personally just like to inject and let it sit for 24 hours. I can't say that I have tried to brine but I have not had an issue with dry pork so I figured it wouldn't give much benefit.


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## flash (Mar 13, 2013)

Rarely even inject, let alone brine.


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## jrod62 (Mar 13, 2013)

I say no need for it. I just smoke them in a pan and pour the juice back over the pulled pork


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## scootermagoo (Mar 13, 2013)

My 2 cents would be a "no" on the brine.  Dryness is not a problem with butt.


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## bruno994 (Mar 13, 2013)

Agreed with several of the posted opinions.  I have never tried brining, but I have also never been unhappy with my results.  I have injected with a mixture of apple juice, salt and sugar, mainly because I like a saltier taste to my pork, but as far as moisture, I have never seen the need to brine or inject.


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## kathrynn (Mar 13, 2013)

IMHO....never have ...never will on the brine or the injections.

Kat


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## mdboatbum (Mar 13, 2013)

I've had dry pulled pork and think it's disgusting. If you're doing it right, then no, brining isn't required. However, for those who, for whatever the reason, refuse to foil and/or maybe aren't quite comfortable with the process yet, brining can add an extra bit of insurance against drying out the meat.


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## smoke happens (Mar 13, 2013)

I don't inject, brine or foil my PP. Never had an issue with dryness or tenderness.


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## squirrel (Mar 13, 2013)

I brined once as an experiment, one brined, one not. The only difference was the brined one had a nice salty flavor that the other didn't. As far as tenderness I couldn't tell any difference. I don't foil mine, but I do use aluminum pans.


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## seenred (Mar 13, 2013)

jrod62 said:


> I say no need for it. I just smoke them in a pan and pour the juice back over the pulled pork










    DITTO


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## zahlgren (Mar 13, 2013)

I've injected some, mainly for added flavor, and haven't injected some, I usually lean towards no injection now...


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## rdknb (Mar 13, 2013)

I do not inject, used to though, or brine, nor do I foil and I have never had dry pulled pork.


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## damon555 (Mar 13, 2013)

I brine them...it turns an already delicious chunk of meat into work of art. 2/3 of a cup of sea or kosher salt and a gallon of water is the perfect ratio in my opinion. Soak it over night and be ready to eat your share....there won't be any leftovers.


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## woodcutter (Mar 13, 2013)

I don't brine of foil for pulled pork, but I do have 1 in brine for ham and use brine for buckboard bacon.


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## bama bbq (Mar 13, 2013)

I prefer not to inject because the meat rarely holds the amount you pump into it and it goes all over the place.  Brining is less messy and I have brined butts not for the moisture...for the flavor (salt and molasses).  However, the last few butts I've done I didn't do either.


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## rich- (Mar 14, 2013)

close to a year ago, I mixed up a gallon of POPs brine, I then cut a pork butt in half, did some heavy injecting with the brine, then submerged the butt in the brine for about 2 weeks.

After removing from the brine, I rubbed all sides with real maple syrup, and proceeded to cold smoke it for a couple hrs. I raised my chamber temps every hour or so until the It reached 155 degrees, and yes I did have a bit of fat rendering, but when I pulled it and chilled it down, it tasted absolutely awesom.

My wife called it HammyBacon as it had a cross between Ham and Bacon for flavor. Several of my family and friends that tasted it said it was awesome also.

Will be doing another here soon and now that I have mastered posting threads with pictures, I will post my project and experience.

Rich-


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## chef jimmyj (Mar 14, 2013)

Although I have not Brined or Injected I am researching Injection deeper and will try it when I get a proper Meat Pump. As far as Brine goes, you get 1 inch of penetration every 7 days, the average 8lb Butt is between 6 and 8 inches thick, so to get " full penetration " you will need to brine TWO MONTHS!!! 

So Inject if you wish but Brining anything Overnight, other than Poultry or Fish which has less muscle density, is a waste of time...JJ


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## BGKYSmoker (Mar 14, 2013)

Get your fav butt rub, PYM and rub it down and toss in your smoker.


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## pgsmoker64 (Mar 14, 2013)

What JJ said!

I don't brine, inject, or foil and my pulled pork turns out perfect every time!  Why mess with perfection?!

Bill


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## mdboatbum (Mar 14, 2013)

Brining is not about penetration. It's effective even after relatively short soaking times due to the effect the salt has on the proteins of the meat at and just below the surface. It allows the meat to hold its *own natural juices longer* during the cooking process. Consequently, adding flavorings to a brine is somewhat unnecessary, though the flavor WILL penetrate the surface of the meat often giving the illusion of complete penetration, especially on smaller cuts.

On something like a pork butt, while its effect is less obvious due to the forgiving nature of the meat, it will in fact help in moisture retention for those of us who, unlike PGSmoker64, have yet to attain a level of prowess assuring perfection every time we fire up the smoker. On things like chicken or pork loin/tenderloin, the effect is much more obvious.


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## ravenclan (Mar 14, 2013)

I inject when i want "more" flavor in the meat but i do not brine or foil , just did one with a friend who injected his with honey "talk about a mess!" but the end result was well worth it , had a real sweet taste to the meat .but you have to cook it in a foil pan with some water in the bottom other wise the honey makes a BIG mess in the smoker !


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## kryinggame (Mar 14, 2013)

Here's a question to you: Why would you brine a butt?


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## vtmecheng (Mar 14, 2013)

I have brined pork butts a number of times.  Personally I really like the results.  My brine is straight from Alton Brown:

• 8 ounces or 3/4 cup molasses
• 12 ounces pickling salt
• 2 quarts bottled water
• 6 to 8 pound Boston butt

The idea behind a brine is that the salt water draws moisture from the meat until the meat is at equilibrium with the salty water.  After that occurs the meat will begin exchanging moisture with the salty water and whatever you put in the water, in my case the molasses.  What I really like about doing it this way is that the sweetness from the molasses is in the final product but because I'm not putting in on as a rub, like using brown sugar, it doesn't burn as easily over a long smoke.  Also, the molasses adds a nice flavor over brown sugar but that's just personal taste.  Now because of the salt in the brine I don't add salt with my rub because it's already in the meat.  To each their own, that's the fun of cooking it yourself.  I love trying different things just to see how it turns out, you never know until you try.


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## mdboatbum (Mar 14, 2013)

VTMechEng said:


> To each their own, that's the fun of cooking it yourself.  I love trying different things just to see how it turns out, you never know until you try.


This is the answer. Thank you.


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## thsmormonsmokes (Mar 14, 2013)

Maybe somebody can explain something about brining that I don't understand.

Brining is supposed to leave you with a more moist end product.  Or at least that's what I understand the purpose to be (in addition to contributing whatever flavor profile you're going for).  So how does putting the meat in a heavily saline solution do that?  Osmosis will draw water out of the meat.  Wouldn't that tend to make it more dry?


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## diggingdogfarm (Mar 14, 2013)

I equilibrium brine (and pump), mostly for *flavor*, and I don't give a rat's butt what anyone else thinks about it!! :biggrin:



~Martin


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## diggingdogfarm (Mar 14, 2013)

ThsMormonSmokes said:


> Maybe somebody can explain something about brining that I don't understand.
> 
> Brining is supposed to leave you with a more moist end product.  Or at least that's what I understand the purpose to be (in addition to contributing whatever flavor profile you're going for).  So how does putting the meat in a heavily saline solution do that?  Osmosis will draw water out of the meat.  Wouldn't that tend to make it more dry?



Here's just about all you need to know about brining.....



























Source:IIF

~Martin


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## chef jimmyj (Mar 14, 2013)

Mdboatbum said:


> Brining is not about penetration. It's effective even after relatively short soaking times due to the effect the salt has on the proteins of the meat at and just below the surface. It allows the meat to hold its *own natural juices longer* during the cooking process. Consequently, adding flavorings to a brine is somewhat unnecessary, though the flavor WILL penetrate the surface of the meat often giving the illusion of complete penetration, especially on smaller cuts.
> 
> On something like a pork butt, while its effect is less obvious due to the forgiving nature of the meat, it will in fact help in moisture retention for those of us who, unlike PGSmoker64, have yet to attain a level of prowess assuring perfection every time we fire up the smoker. On things like chicken or pork loin/tenderloin, the effect is much more obvious.


I agree with you about what Brine does and it is of great value on smaller lean cuts like Pork Chops...My point was just not to expect much change in overall tenderness or flavor with an overnight soak on an average 8 pound Butt. If a 1/4 inch +/- flavor and tenderness change works for you, great, but honestly you will get the same or similar effect with a healthy coating of Rub containing Salt and an overnight rest ( Dry Brine, currently all the rage). This will also will take up a lot less space, not having to use a big Bucket or Pot to hold all that water. As far as Moisture Retention, the effect of the brine is only at the surface and will have zero effect on the overall moisture retention of the meat as the inner protein structure remains unchanged...JJ


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## mdboatbum (Mar 14, 2013)

Chef JimmyJ said:


> I agree with you about what Brine does and it is of great value on smaller lean cuts like Pork Chops...My point was just not to expect much change in overall tenderness or flavor with an overnight soak on an average 8 pound Butt. If a 1/4 inch +/- flavor and tenderness change works for you, great, but honestly you will get the same or similar effect with a healthy coating of Rub containing Salt and an overnight rest ( Dry Brine, currently all the rage). This will also will take up a lot less space, not having to use a big Bucket or Pot to hold all that water. As far as Moisture Retention, the effect of the brine is only at the surface and will have zero effect on the overall moisture retention of the meat as the inner protein structure remains unchanged...JJ


I agree, a dry brine would have much the same effect. However, I respectfully disagree with your point on moisture retention. Brining (wet or dry) will denature the proteins at and just below the surface of the meat. While I agree that the inner structure of the meat remains unchanged, the change in the outer structure effectively sets up a road block to the escape of the internal moisture of the meat. I think we all agree that as meat cooks it tends to squeeze out moisture. If, however, there is a band of denatured proteins surrounding the entire muscle, basically acting as a sponge, the moisture moving from the interior of the meat is going to have a harder time getting out. This will result in retention of a greater percentage of moisture. The perceived increase in tenderness is really just a byproduct of more moisture.

Otherwise, how else would a dry brine work? You're certainly not adding any moisture to the meat. Plus, conventional wisdom dictates that salting meat _removes_ moisture.  Look at things like Prosciutto. However, a short dry brine, while it does remove a little moisture, is really only affecting the outer few millimeters of the meat much the same way a wet brine does, and this is what allows the meat to retain more of its own moisture.

BUT, we are talking about a large cut of meat that's going to cook for many hours, so the effect is greatly reduced, and may be entirely unnecessary. Unless you're like me and tend to get distracted by things like sleep, TV, butterflies and shiny objects and forget to check on the smoker for a while. I'll take any little added insurance I can get.


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## dward51 (Mar 14, 2013)

I have not seen this comment yet, but apparently a lot of pork butts are already "enhanced" when you buy them and basically brinned before packaging. 

The two pork shoulders we picked up this week are "enhanced with a solution of up to 12% water, salt and sodium phosphates".  I usually check the label on poultry as I often brine those but never even thought about it with pork butts. You might want to read the label before considering a brine.

Here is a photo of the label on the two we just bought at Kroger. The one in this photo was 11.3 pounds.  Most of the time I get our large cuts of meat for smoking from Sam's Club as they are usually the lowest price around here.  I don' t know if Sam's pork is pre-brinned or not as I don't have any on hand from there right now to check the labeling. 













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__ dward51
__ Mar 14, 2013


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## diggingdogfarm (Mar 14, 2013)

Yeah, definitely read the label.
I avoid enhanced meat like the plague.
To each his own.

~Martin


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## diggingdogfarm (Mar 14, 2013)

Chef JimmyJ said:


> My point was just not to expect much change in overall tenderness or flavor with an overnight soak on an average 8 pound Butt.



I agree.


~Martin


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## chef jimmyj (Mar 14, 2013)

Mdboatbum said:


> I agree, a dry brine would have much the same effect. However, I respectfully disagree with your point on moisture retention. Brining (wet or dry) will denature the proteins at and just below the surface of the meat. While I agree that the inner structure of the meat remains unchanged, *the change in the outer structure effectively sets up a road block to the escape of the internal moisture of the meat. I think we all agree that as meat cooks it tends to squeeze out moisture. If, however, there is a band of denatured proteins surrounding the entire muscle, basically acting as a sponge, the moisture moving from the interior of the meat is going to have a harder time getting out.* This will result in retention of a greater percentage of moisture. The perceived increase in tenderness is really just a byproduct of more moisture.
> 
> Otherwise, how else would a dry brine work? You're certainly not adding any moisture to the meat. Plus, *conventional wisdom dictates that salting meat removes moisture.  Look at things like Prosciutto. *However, a short dry brine, while it does remove a little moisture, is really only affecting the outer few millimeters of the meat much the same way a wet brine does, and this is what allows the meat to retain more of its own moisture.
> 
> BUT, we are talking about a large cut of meat that's going to cook for many hours, so the effect is greatly reduced, and may be entirely unnecessary. Unless you're like me and tend to get distracted by things like sleep, TV, butterflies and shiny objects and forget to check on the smoker for a while. I'll take any little added insurance I can get.


I am not sure where you are getting this from. The bulk of the extra Moisture comes from the brine solution denatured proteins do not act like a Sponge absorbing moisture coming from the interior. The protein absorbs Brine liquid and retains existing moisture unless over cooked to the point they Squeeze this moisture out. Another example is a Quiche or Custard. Cooked exactly to the right temp, solid, firm and creamy...A couple of degrees too far and you get a pile of Curdled Egg Protein at the bottom of a pool of Water... Denaturing also happens when the protein is Cooked. If denatured protein set up a road block then a Well Seared Steak or Butt with Heavy Bark would not lose one drop of moisture during the rest,  we know from the bottom of a Plate or Pan after resting this is not true. 

This is from an article by Shirley Corriher, a well respected Food Scientist...   Brining enhances juiciness in several ways. First of all, muscle fibers simply absorb liquid during the brining period. Some of this liquid gets lost during cooking, but since the meat is in a sense more juicy at the start of cooking, it ends up juicier. We can verify that brined meat and fish absorb liquid by weighing them before and after brining. Brined meats typically weigh six to eight percent more than they did before brining—clear proof of the water uptake.

Another way that brining increases juiciness is by dissolving some proteins. A mild salt solution can actually dissolve some of the proteins in muscle fibers, turning them from solid to liquid.

Here is the Hardcore Science behind Brining...http://www.edinformatics.com/math_science/science_of_cooking/brining.htm

The second statement is also not entirely true...Taken from Modernist Cuisine which is the latest and greatest info on Food Science to date... 

https://www.stellaculinary.com/podcasts/video/the-science-behind-brining-resource-page

*Now the naturally intuitive question arises*; why do both dry salt rubs and brines yield juicier meats?  In fact, there is a blatantly false culinary dogma that states salting meat before cooking will draw out excess moisture, yielding a dry, finished product.

This however is not only false, but the exact opposite of what happens when a protein is salted.

_"...even if there is no surrounding water to draw in, proteins are modified by the ions in ways that cause them to bind the water in the flesh more tightly -- as well as to resist the shrinking of muscle fibers that squeezes juices out during cooking. The flesh continues to swell and bind water more tightly until its salinity increases to 6%, and then it shrinks and begins to lose water._

When making a dry brine, salt is usually mixed with other dry seasonings such as herbs and spices and rubbed onto the surface of the protein. A good starting point for the amount of salt to use is around 1% based on the protein’s weight.

The salt rub is left on for a given period of time, (anywhere from 4-48 hours), and then cooked as is, usually without being rinsed.  Although this method doesn’t introduce excess water to be absorbed, the salting does allow the protein to bind moisture more tightly, yielding a moister finished product, assuming of course that the protein is cooked properly.

This Dry Brine binds existing moisture in the protein but does not absorb any from the interior meat.

Here is another Science Geek/Writer who did an article on Brining for the Huffington Post... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/craig-goldwyn/brining-a-turkey_b_1093300.html
[h2]What to brine[/h2]
Brining works best on chicken breasts, turkey breasts, lean pork loins, salmon and other oily fish. Chicken and turkey thighs and other cuts of pork usually are moist enough from fat that they don't need brines. But it can give them a boost. I have been known to brine pork ribs but most of the time, I don't bother. The return for the effort is minimal. I never brine red meats unless I am making corned beef.

I have additional information from the text books I used when I taught Food Science and Brining but I have no idea where they are since the last move...
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





...JJ


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## ironhorse07 (Mar 14, 2013)

I do 8 to 10 butts a week no brine, injection or foil and folks come back for my pulled pork.


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## tomolu5 (Mar 15, 2013)

My god I love a good thread like this where the big brains battle it out! Just to be clear, I'm not picking up on any combative vibes, but rather a more debate like environment! I don't think I could pay for an education like this!

Many thanks Jeff

Tom


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## ksmedic (Mar 15, 2013)

Wow, very informative, if not a bit confusing for a newbie like myself... A great read!


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## damon555 (Mar 15, 2013)

It's not that difficult just to try it and see how it turns out


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## chef jimmyj (Mar 15, 2013)

tomolu5 said:


> My god I love a good thread like this where the big brains battle it out! Just to be clear, I'm not picking up on any combative vibes, but rather a more debate like environment! I don't think I could pay for an education like this!
> 
> Many thanks Jeff
> 
> Tom


No combat at all me and the Boatbum are Buds, we just go in deep once in awhile. It is interesting to know the Science and Why behind how meat turns out the way it does. Besides it give you an excuse to Play and Smoke more Meat...JJ


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## maple sticks (Mar 15, 2013)

And that folks is why I joined


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## toby bryant (Mar 15, 2013)

Ok, my head is spinning.  WOW, I now understand the science behind brining.  Somebody send me my diploma please.

Oh yea, I almost forgot, I do not brine, inject, or foil pork butts. 

Anyway, thanks again for the lesson! I love this place.


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## mdboatbum (Mar 16, 2013)

I was afraid of sounding like I was arguing, and didn't want to derail the thread, so I moved the conversation offline. However, Chef Jimmy made some great points that I think should be shared. His comments are in bold.

1. As opposed to denser cuts like pork butt-- _*"Poultry is a completely different story. The powers in the know like Shirley claim the average Chicken or Turkey will be completely Brined, through and through, in 4 to 8 hours depending on which authority you listen to."*_

This is something I didn't know, I always thought poultry behaved much like other meats and took much longer to be fully saturated by a brine.

2. On whether the effectiveness of brining is due to take up of the actual brine, or the denaturing of the proteins allowing the meat to hold it's own moisture more effectively---_*"yes the surface protein does grab and hold brine water there by increasing the surface moisture or in the case of Dry Brining, retains it's existing moisture better unless excessively heated...."*_   So I think it's safe to say that it's a double edged sword. The salt in the brine denatures the surface proteins thus ALLOWING the meat to absorb AND HOLD ONTO the brine, while at the same time preventing the loss of existing moisture, thus the effectiveness of dry brining. By the same token, a piece of poultry that is soaked in plain water will absorb just about as much as one soaked in a brine, but will lose almost all of it during the cooking process.

I've learned a lot in this little exchange. One of the main things I've learned is to shut up and listen to those who have put in the time and research to draw conclusions based in hard facts. I'm still going to maintain that even an overnight soak in a brine will have a positive effect on a pork butt, but until I do a little (lot) more research and experimentation it's all just speculation on my part.

This forum is a great resource due in no small part to people like Chef Jimmy putting in the time and freely sharing their knowledge.

Now, before this turns into a touchy feely love fest, I think I'll go yell at somebody about brisket.


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## mountainhawg (Mar 16, 2013)

I currently have a shoulder in the reefer that is rubbed and ready to cook tomorrow. Normally I brine shoulders and butts with spices for flavoring and find it works quite well for me. The only problem I see with brining for flavor is it takes quite a bit more seasoning to accomplish the mission, but I think there is better penetration with the brine. I brine for up to 48 hours with no problems.


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## chef jimmyj (Mar 17, 2013)

Thanks for the Kudos guys...Mdboatbum made an interesting deduction as we discussed the benefit of Brining...We know for a fact that the Sear or Heavy Bark on meat has some yet limited ability to retain moisture...As it rests some juice leaks out but pull the Therm Probe too soon and you got a gusher shooting the juices on the floor! So Bark retains some moisture. The Boatbums deduction was if the brined meat retains moisture it is reasonable that the these moisture retaining denatured proteins may also act as a Sponge, we came to the conclusion the Barrier would be more accurate, holding back or reducing the amount of interior moisture being squeezed to the surface and out as the meat cooks...
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





  Though I have not heard of this in my research, it is a pretty reasonable assumption and entirely possible this effect does take place. I think this is a pretty cool concept.

The test will be taking Butts of similar weights and Brining one for 3-4 days. This should give about 1 inch of brine penetration. The Brined Butt should be weighed to see how much moisture was absorbed. The butts should then be smoked to an IT of 200*F and weighed again. If the Brined Butt is significantly heavier, taking into consideration the brines added weight and that some of the brine moisture will evaporate, then it may very well be that the Brined 1 inch of meat did act as a Barrier and did help retain moisture...This test is far from scientific because there is no weigh to tell exactly how much weight is lost from the Brined portion of the meat or the meat overall, but if the finished weight is WELL above the brined weight then the Mdboatbum should be nominated for the Nobel Brined Butt Award...
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





...JJ


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## redwood carlos (Mar 17, 2013)

Well, who is doing the test?


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## micker (Mar 17, 2013)

I almost always brine my butts.  

I think the first butt I smoked was brined and everyone loved it so I've been making it that way since.


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## mdboatbum (Mar 17, 2013)

There is another possibility that just occurred to me. What if capillary activity and/or osmosis come into play during the cooking process?

Let's say you brine a butt for 4 days and get between a half and 3/4 of an inch penetration. We've all agreed somewhat on the fact that the proteins in the part of the meat directly affected by the brine denature and hold onto not only the brine, but also the naturally occurring moisture. So, the outer half inch of the meat is going to be, and remain, moister during the cooking process. This is pretty much a given. Now, WHAT IF, the internal meat fibers, being basically unaffected by the brine, denature during the cooking process and then, being more receptive to the absorption of liquid, and osmosis being what I think it is, draw some of the salt laden liquid from the outer part of the meat further into the (comparatively) salt free interior meat?

So maybe during the cooking the cooking process, the inner meat and the outer meat reach, or at least move closer to, equilibrium?

Now I know what you're going to say. "Ok smarty pants, if osmosis is in play here, then why doesn't the moisture just move OUT of the surface of the meat and evaporate?"

Well, I don't have an answer. Yet.


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## chef jimmyj (Mar 17, 2013)

Osmosis defined...The tendency of molecules of a solvent ( Water ) to pass through a semipermeable membrane ( Meat ) from a less concentrated solution into a more concentrated solution ( Brine )...In other words the moisture liberated in the newly denatured protein would move toward the Salt laden, more concentrated, moisture in the Brined 3/4 inch layer. The complete opposite of what you suggest.  Now what does happen as the temp increases the Sodium Chloride Ions become more excited (Move Rapidly) and Diffuse into the moisture in the increasingly denatured internal protein until the ions are used up. The Interior meat becomes Saltier but just until equilibrium is reached, it taste better that's about it... Osmosis and Evaporation have nothing to do with each other. There is  nothing so concentrated in Air that would cause Osmotic Pressure, that is, cause the water in the meat to move out and try to dilute the Air? Maybe over thinking just a bit...
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





...JJ


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## mdboatbum (Mar 17, 2013)

Ok, so I had osmosis backwards. I majored in English, not physics. What I was actually referring to was SISOMSO, the process by which molecules move from a higher concentration to a lower one. It's really only really been recognized by one university, which coincidentally, also is home to the leading Dyslexia research lab in the world.

At least I spelled it right. :)

I give up.


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## chef jimmyj (Mar 17, 2013)

LOL...That's Diffusion...Molecules moving from High concentration to Low. But SISOMSO is creative...
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





...Never give up!...JJ


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## pgsmoker64 (Mar 18, 2013)

I love the back and forth guys!  Great information and a brilliantly conducted debate!

By the way MBB...It took a lot of failure before I was able to, in your words "[color= rgb(24, 24, 24)]*attain a level of prowess assuring perfection every time we fire up the smoker*".  And my magic only seems to work on Pork butts and Ribs!!!  [/color]
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





   I struggle mightily with briskets...they kinda piss me off.  'Course I don't practice with them as much because of the price!

Once again though, great information.  Don' t know that I will remember it all but then that is why I have a computer!

Have a great day guys!

Bill


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## mountainhawg (Mar 18, 2013)

As I had mentioned above I normally brine but had one rubbed in the reefer (48 hour sit). Well the taste of that rubbed shoulder was fabulous. Actually had not rubbed one in over 20 years but will rub the next one to see if I now have a change of heart or just a great rub.


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