To brine or not to bring

[biaviian]

I am going to do my first rotisserie chicken on my WSM 22".  It is my first chicken on charcoal.  I only brined my birds once but do people recommend it?  If so what do you use?  The one time I did it I used a purchased mix from a site that people were raving about a few years ago.  I don't recall the name.

 

[noboundaries]

I brine my chickens, but I went decades without brining them.  I am assuming you've baked chicken before.  My suggestion would be to do chicken like you normally would do in the oven, but use the WSM rotisserie.  See how you like the unbrined chicken compared to what you have normally done.  Next time, you can brine a chicken.  Then you will have some experience to compare the unbrined and brined chickens. 

If you really want to brine a chicken, a simple brine is 2 Tbs kosher salt, 1 Tbs white sugar, and 4 cups of water.  Brine overnight up to 24 hours.

Keep us posted what you did and how it turned out.

 

[lancep]

I've never brined. I by store bought chicken which is usually packed with whatever solution they use so figure it's already brined. I guess if was cooking fresh chicken it might be different but currently I'm stuck with store bought.

Lance

 

[uncle eddie]

I brine all poultry.  My recipe is pretty simply.  

add 

1 gallon of vegetable broth  

1 tablespoon sage

1 tablespoon rosemary

1 tablespoon thyme

(or 3 tablespoons of poultry seasoning)

1 cup salt

bring all of the above to a boil...turn off...let it cool

You may want to to the above recipe so it is only like 1/3 gallon to 1/2 gallon...then add ice to make 1-gallon total brine to allow it to cool much faster.

I usually brine (in the fridge) for a minimum of 12 hours or it isn't worth the hassle.  24 hours is way better.

After brining - rinse bird thoroughly.

 

[padronman]

I never brine but always get great juicy results. I think it's a matter of taste and opinion [emoji]128522[/emoji]

 

[pc farmer]

Heres my 2 cents.

You dont need to brine cause the spinning bird will self baste.  

You can see the juices flowing round the meat when spinning.

I have some experience in spinning meat.    

 

[b-one]

I'm with Ray,experiment find what you like. I only brine if looking for a certain flavor normally maple. And I don't brine often.

 

[biaviian]

 
I brine my chickens, but I went decades without brining them.  I am assuming you've baked chicken before.  My suggestion would be to do chicken like you normally would do in the oven, but use the WSM rotisserie.  See how you like the unbrined chicken compared to what you have normally done.  Next time, you can brine a chicken.  Then you will have some experience to compare the unbrined and brined chickens. 

If you really want to brine a chicken, a simple brine is 2 Tbs kosher salt, 1 Tbs white sugar, and 4 cups of water.  Brine overnight up to 24 hours.

Keep us posted what you did and how it turned out.

I picked up another about the same size so I'm doing dueling chickens, one in the brine and one like I usually smoke them.  I'll brine it tomorrow and smoke it Sunday because I'll be chowing down on beef ribs tomorrow. 

 

[noboundaries]

 
I picked up another about the same size so I'm doing dueling chickens, one in the brine and one like I usually smoke them.  I'll brine it tomorrow and smoke it Sunday because I'll be chowing down on beef ribs tomorrow. 

Now you're talking!  Experiments are good, especially head to head, or chicken to chicken!

 

[chef jimmyj]

I brine all my poultry, even rotisserie chix. Might be late to the party but the recipe below is popular and Wade in the UK, uses it commercially...JJ

Families Favorite Brine

1/2C Kosher Salt

2T Paprika

2T Gran. Garlic

2T Gran. Onion

2T Dry Thyme

2T Black Pepper

1C Vinegar (Any)

1-11/2Gal Cold Water to cover Chix

1/2C Brown Sugar, Optional

1T Red Pepper Flake Optional

Mix well and Soak the Bird over night or up to 24 Hours.

Remove the Chix, rinse if desired and pat dry with paper towels.

Place in an open container in the refrigerator overnight or up to 24 hours for the Skin to dry.

This will give a crispier skin when Smokng or Roasting...