Smoked Brined Chicken ~ Foamheart

[foamheart]

Man it's good to see you posting again. You are a world of Colaneri wisdom in my humble opinion and much appreciated. So did that chicken have a good maple flavor?

Randy,

I always get a bit heavy handed with maple. Before the service I though "Log Cabin" syrup was maple. Then I went north and fell in love with maple. 

We all use a lot of Salt & Pepper with food, some time try backing off the salt a little and add a bit of maple aroma. "Cause oil and extract are basically just aroma tricking the taste buds.

 

[foamheart]

Prob wouldn't have to good of a flavor after sitting in suds lol

Sure it was have a fresh clean chicken taste....LOL

 

[remsr]

I'm bringing, rubing and smoking 20 pounds of chicken quarters. How much brine do I need and what is the best recipe for the brine?

Randy,

 

[foamheart]

I don't know what exactly to tell you. First I never brined quarters only whole birds. <shrugs> 

I brine in a 5 gallon bucket, I have a 10 pound bag of quarters in the reefer so I assume it would take about 2 gallons of brine for 20 lbs..

A basic brine /per gallon

3/4C salt If canning salt, I drop to 2/3C)

1C light brown sugar

1C refined sugar

Then just add to that what you like. Spices, herbs, fruit & veggies.

Apple juice is good, Tabasco, Tonys, Bay, rosemary, thyme, sage, ginger, etc etc. See what I mean, use what you like. The brine plumps the meat while adding whatever flavors you chose to imbue.

Its best to heat a small quantity of the liquid and boil, to disolve the sugar and salt, and throw in your spice, herb, and veggie.

I'll suggest you chose one from each catagory to start. You like onions a lot, use onions, or garlic, but only one. Be careful with seasoning combo's they generally have large amounts of salt. Stay with one from item 1, on from item 2, and one from item 3. Then keep notes and build upon it.

The brine only adds fluid. you are adding your own tastes with it. 

There used to be a slaughter house chicken brine on here. Wasn't what I was looking for, for my taste but seems its was pretty basic.

Let it set 24 to 36 hours hours, anything longer and I'll throw in a bit of cure #1. not a lot but I like that taste anyway and in most commercially smoked turkeys you'll usually be able to identify that taste. Try it sometimes when you are just experimenting for yourself.

Finally and most importantly you must dry and form a pellicle before smoking!

Why not do 1/2 & 1/2 and see who likes what? I hate to see ya jump out there with something new when you are getting so much exposure. You might wait till you are not feeding so many. Unless you don't know 'em, ..LOL 

 

[remsr]

Thanks Foam,
I have done basic brines before but never more than a gal. I knew it would take at least 2 gallons for 20 pounds of chicken quarters, but I was concerned about th the salt content. Doubling it seemed to much?
About the pellicle, I put a rub on my chicken and generally remove the skin only because it sticks to the grill and pulls off when I sauce and sear them. I have never tried, but I tend to think that my rub won't stick to the pellicle?
Interesting about the bit of cure you put in your brine, I like that taste too. How much do you suggest for 2 gallons?
And last but not least. My first chicken brine a few years ago was the basic brine 1 gal water, 3/4 cup Kosher salt and 1cup brown sugar. I was brining chicken drum sticks and thighs. The recipe called for 3 to 4 hours in the brine but I went with over night and the result was supper salty. I have been gun shy ever since. Wouldn't 24 hours or more cause salty chicken? Or is it like bacon that gets less salty the longer it brines?

Randy,

 

[foamheart]

Thanks Foam,
I have done basic brines before but never more than a gal. I knew it would take at least 2 gallons for 20 pounds of chicken quarters, but I was concerned about th the salt content. Doubling it seemed to much?
About the pellicle, I put a rub on my chicken and generally remove the skin only because it sticks to the grill and pulls off when I sauce and sear them. I have never tried, but I tend to think that my rub won't stick to the pellicle?
Interesting about the bit of cure you put in your brine, I like that taste too. How much do you suggest for 2 gallons?
And last but not least. My first chicken brine a few years ago was the basic brine 1 gal water, 3/4 cup Kosher salt and 1cup brown sugar. I was brining chicken drum sticks and thighs. The recipe called for 3 to 4 hours in the brine but I went with over night and the result was supper salty. I have been gun shy ever since. Wouldn't 24 hours or more cause salty chicken? Or is it like bacon that gets less salty the longer it brines?

Randy,

Its all about the salt vs, the sugar. they off set.  Its where you tweak your personal taste. Thats is why I use slightly less than the standard 1/1/1 formula. I cut back by 1/4 cyp on the salt and more if canning salt. I normally use canning salt because it disolves easier. If you make 2 gallons and double the salt and sugar you've still got the same solution.

I don't rub. IMHO rubs only season the skin, it can't permeate the skin to get to the meat so whats the point? Gets on your skin when eating and you rub it on the next bite?

If your meat is sticking you need to cure your grill grate, if its cured, then you are trying to turn too fast. The meat will release from the grate when its ready to turn. Unless of course you are saucing and even then you'd be doing it too early.

Form that pellicle, if it gets too dry which happens occassionally but not often, I will then rub it with cooking oil. Pop called it his suntan lotion.

Cure? Throw in a teaspoon per gal, I figure I add maybe a bit more for a short brine. It doesn't have much time to infuse the meat so I figure its not gonna hurt anyone. And thats what cure is all about, not hurting anyone.

You might also reduce the water by a 1/2 gal and throwing in a 1/2 gallon of apple juice, or crannberry, etc. kicks it up makes it different. Add fruit, veggies, or spices. If dried spices add to hot liquid and allow to bloom first like tea. AND don't go overboard.

I have fresh appricots in the kitchen, the veru best turkey I even smoked, I stuffed the cavity with apricots. OMG best bird I ever tasted.

All tastes vary, you just have to experiment to find which you like , the amount of salt you'll figure out.

 

[remsr]

Great information Foam, thank you. I have 20 pounds of chicken quarters forming pellicle as we speak.

Randy,

 

[johnmeyer]

Oh ok. At first I thought you were using it to wash the chicken haha

Me too.

With some of the food safety posts recently, I thought this was a new recommendation for safety and I found myself mumbling, "I'm drawing the line at washing my food with antibacterial soap."

Having said that, I suspect there might be some people here who do just that.

 

[remsr]

Those 20 pounds of chicken quarters ceme out great! Tasty, juicy and supper tender, they took 5 hours at 275 degrees to reach 165 internal degrees. Then I diped them in Bulls Eye sauce and seared them on a 600 degree grill. No pictures I didn't think anyone would be real interested.
The brine was 2/3 cup of kosher salt per gel of water , 1cup brown sugar per gal of water and 1 cup refined sugar per gal of water. It did take 2 gallons of water for 20 pounds of huge chicken quarters do everything was bubbled except the spices. We like onions so I put 1table spoon of onion powder, we like garlic so I put 1table spoon of garlic powder other things we like is heat so 1 tablespoon each of killer Cajun and 12 pepper mix. Went into the brine. I then boiled everything in a small pot, then cooled everything in a large stock pot with ice cubes and two gallons of cold water. Then in went the chicken quarters and into the refrigerator for 24 hours. (I'll go 48 hours next time ) fawowed by another 24 hours in the refrigerator to develop the pellicle. Then I rubed them on and under the skin with a spicy rut, put them back in the refrigerator for another 24 hours. Befor smoking.
I used a competition blend of pellets for smoking.

Randy,

 

[foamheart]

Those 20 pounds of chicken quarters ceme out great! Tasty, juicy and supper tender, they took 5 hours at 275 degrees to reach 165 internal degrees. Then I diped them in Bulls Eye sauce and seared them on a 600 degree grill. No pictures I didn't think anyone would be real interested.
The brine was 2/3 cup of kosher salt per gel of water , 1cup brown sugar per gal of water and 1 cup refined sugar per gal of water. It did take 2 gallons of water for 20 pounds of huge chicken quarters do everything was bubbled except the spices. We like onions so I put 1table spoon of onion powder, we like garlic so I put 1table spoon of garlic powder other things we like is heat so 1 tablespoon each of killer Cajun and 12 pepper mix. Went into the brine. I then boiled everything in a small pot, then cooled everything in a large stock pot with ice cubes and two gallons of cold water. Then in went the chicken quarters and into the refrigerator for 24 hours. (I'll go 48 hours next time ) fawowed by another 24 hours in the refrigerator to develop the pellicle. Then I rubed them on and under the skin with a spicy rut, put them back in the refrigerator for another 24 hours. Befor smoking.
I used a competition blend of pellets for smoking.

Randy,

Thats great and you ate the chicken skin too??

 

[remsr]

You bet, I know chicken skin may not be the most healthy thing but then not many things are. Drying the skin out no doubt helped to make it eatable and the seering on the grill didn't hurt either. I probably could have used more salt but the chicken came out do good that I am more inclined to brine longer instead to absorb more of those spices. What are your thoughts?

Randy,

 

[foamheart]

You bet, I know chicken skin may not be the most healthy thing but then not many things are. Drying the skin out no doubt helped to make it eatable and the seering on the grill didn't hurt either. I probably could have used more salt but the chicken came out do good that I am more inclined to brine longer instead to absorb more of those spices. What are your thoughts?

Randy,

Try it and see what you think, what I think doesn't matter. Besides it presents an opportunity to cook some more and that can't be a bad thing.

 

[zwiller]

Boy, happy that I decided to read this thread...  That is the perfect color for bird and exactly the color I aim for!  I have tried unsuccessfully to use an overnight rest in the fridge post brine to "crisp the skin" on my birds but I think I finally figured it out: humidity of the fridge.  Apologize in advance if I missed it but how much time with the fan to form the pellicle?   I hope it is short or my wife will freak. LOL  I will say that my efforts to ensure any protein I cook is thoroughly dry have paid off big time.  Better sear/bark/etc.  My Kutas book incorporates air drying at low temps prior to smoking but I do not recall mention of pellicle etc but will revisit.  

I have had success with a long dry brine but I feel a wet brine offers better control and protection against over salting. 

REMSR, we are big onion people too and let me give you a pointer.  Forget dried onion and use fresh but liquefy in liquid with a blender.  Same goes but to a lesser extent with garlic.  Granulated garlic is pretty good but a fresh clove is best and trumps even oil packaged minced. 

 

[remsr]

Thank you zwiller for the pointer on fresh onion and garlic versus dry, I will be using liquified next time, makes sense.

Randy,

 

[foamheart]

 
Boy, happy that I decided to read this thread...  That is the perfect color for bird and exactly the color I aim for!  I have tried unsuccessfully to use an overnight rest in the fridge post brine to "crisp the skin" on my birds but I think I finally figured it out: humidity of the fridge.  Apologize in advance if I missed it but how much time with the fan to form the pellicle?   I hope it is short or my wife will freak. LOL  I will say that my efforts to ensure any protein I cook is thoroughly dry have paid off big time.  Better sear/bark/etc.  My Kutas book incorporates air drying at low temps prior to smoking but I do not recall mention of pellicle etc but will revisit.  

I have had success with a long dry brine but I feel a wet brine offers better control and protection against over salting. 

REMSR, we are big onion people too and let me give you a pointer.  Forget dried onion and use fresh but liquefy in liquid with a blender.  Same goes but to a lesser extent with garlic.  Granulated garlic is pretty good but a fresh clove is best and trumps even oil packaged minced. 

You can seriously see when the pellicle is forming/formed. You can see the bird's skin change from a clammy white to a almost yellow skin as the fat rises. Its the same skin appearance you'd see on a fresh killed skin or fat. You can actually get the skin too dry, which will happen at the thigh/leg joint normally. It depends I am sure and fan size and speed. 

You can use any fan below is what I use. It clips on the upper cabinet above the corner-top and blows directly on the bird ... bird, bird, bird is the word, sorry! I normally use the low setting. It might take a half hour. Remember you have what, <shrug> 4 hours to go from reefer to safe temp safely? Plenty of time. And if it a big bird you can add some cure while brining to extend that.

Now, personally, I don't do cracklin skin. I never had a bird cooked that way. BUT I also am no fan of rubbery skin. 


LOL.. I think mine was only 9.95 and its still going strong!

The actual word "pellicle" is a biological term for a thin skinned membrane. I believe that it has only recently been applied to culinary techinque, although it explains the process perfectly. It has no doubt been used for 1000's of years , but we just decided to name it...LOL  The drying of the moisture locked within the skin, causing a thin walled membrane. But this is just an assumption upon my part, but it seems viable to me.

 

[matt r]

Wow that looks really good! I'm smoking a turkey breast today and hope it tastes half as good as that looks!

 

[zwiller]

Thanks Foam!   Half hour or so is doable.  I can use the oldest's cheer camp fan LOL.  It's pink too!  My bad on the book reference.  It is Marianski, Home Production of Quality Meats and no reference to pellicle but pretty much most smokes are multi phase including a low temp non smoke air drying phase.  

I first heard the term pellicle in homebrewing (25 years+).  A pellicle forms on "sour beer" or one that is not made using the traditional yeast.  I am not sure if this applies to meat, but in sour brewing a pellicle is viewed as a benefit as it is a protective layer that forms to prevent more air/oxygen from reaching the beer.  Could be similar in smoking maybe? 

Anxious to try this new technique.  Quick and easy to do and has a visual indicator when done. Thanks again for sharing! 

 

[foamheart]

Wow that looks really good! I'm smoking a turkey breast today and hope it tastes half as good as that looks!

Visually appealing does not save a poor tasting piece of meat.

But I am sure your breast will be delicious. Low and slow is the way to go.

 

[foamheart]

 
Thanks Foam!   Half hour or so is doable.  I can use the oldest's cheer camp fan LOL.  It's pink too!  My bad on the book reference.  It is Marianski, Home Production of Quality Meats and no reference to pellicle but pretty much most smokes are multi phase including a low temp non smoke air drying phase.  

I first heard the term pellicle in homebrewing (25 years+).  A pellicle forms on "sour beer" or one that is not made using the traditional yeast.  I am not sure if this applies to meat, but in sour brewing a pellicle is viewed as a benefit as it is a protective layer that forms to prevent more air/oxygen from reaching the beer.  Could be similar in smoking maybe? 

Anxious to try this new technique.  Quick and easy to do and has a visual indicator when done. Thanks again for sharing! 

I am pretty sure you'll like how it turns out. I even try to form pellicle on pork, it makes for a beautiful presentation. Remember to back off the smoke some when you have a pellicle. Too much smoke is ugly.

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• foamheart
• Jul 9, 2017

 

[GaryHibbert]

Sorry it took me so long to thank you for your explanation of pelicle and Delta T Kevin. I've been out of town on a job for the last 17 days.

Great explanation--even I could instantly understand it.

Thanks

Gary