Sundays 2 brine test run

[cooknhogz]

Brine #1

1 gallon water

1 cup kosher salt

1/4 cup Old Bay garlic / herb seasoning

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup apple cider

Brine #2

1 gallon water

1 cup kosher salt

1/4 cup PlowBoys Yardbird rub

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup apple cider

Testing on 2 roasting chickens. Will put each chicken in its brine Saturday and smoke with apple and hickory on Sunday. I also will be putting real unsalted butter under skin with the Old Bay garlic / herb seasoning on the one and PlowBoys yardbird rub on the other. Will post how they turn out.

 

[smokinhusker]

 

[pat king]

 

[austinl]

Chickens are great to test on; no big loss if it doesn't work out.  The measurements on your brines look great.

 

[humdinger]

Cooknhogz,

I'm interested to see how the Old bay rubbed one turns out. I did some shrimp with old bay about a month ago and it came out really salty. Normally if I steam shrimp with Old Bay it turns out great, but smoking it produced a salty product. I still don't know if I did something wrong, so let me know if your chicken is salty. Thanks.

 

[cooknhogz]

Sorry no pics yet but will get pics of the finished product. We lost our camera in Ocean City and haven't replaced it yet. Wife has a iPhone that takes good pics and I'll use that when she gets home. Anyway, I put them in the smoker this morn at 10 and smoked for 2 1/2 hrs with apple and hickory wood just pulled out and put in the oven at 325 because its so windy today here in Pa. I cant keep a high enough temp in the smoker to finish the job. Made some ABTs also with a mixture of cream cheese, fine chopped sweet onions, pepper jack cheese, seasoned with PlowBoys yardbird rub, and of course wrapped in good ol bacon.They'll be going in the smoker in a bit. Next post will be finished products with review.

 

[cooknhogz]

Sorry didn't update sooner busy as hell between trying to cut wood and work. Anyhow, no pics camera phone not so good quality but both chics came out good and everybody liked but I thought they were a tad bit salty and I like salt. I aways been a huge fan of injecting meats and in my opinion that is the route to go. Like I said this is just my opinion. I've brined lots of meats but seem to get more flavor and less salty taste from the injected ones. And to Humdinger the Old Bay garlic and herb was very good on the outside of the bird not much favor on the inside. Next time I think I'm going to try injecting some softened butter with the Old Bay garlic and herb and I think it will be better.