This year's turkeys.....

Wampus · Nov 24, 2016

This year's birds:

Dry brined one (12.5 lb) for 36 hours. Sea salt only (5% by weight).
Wet brined the other (15.6 lb) for 24 hours. Simple brine: salt, sugar, peppercorns.

Both coated inside with Montreal Chicken seasoning & stuffed with halved oranges, lemons, onions and garlic cloves, trussed up, rubbed down with EVOO, chopped fresh thyme, rosemary, sage and garlic, kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. Cooked at 350 for just at 4 hours with cherry wood in the gravity feed.

Turned out great!

mytmouz · Nov 24, 2016

Nice looking birds...

MisterChrister · Nov 24, 2016

They look and sound delicious; would expect nothing less from you! Happy Thanksgiving, Wampus!

Wampus · Nov 24, 2016

MisterChrister said:
They look and sound delicious; would expect nothing less from you! Happy Thanksgiving, Wampus!

And to you and yours!

Seefyre · Nov 25, 2016

They look so perfect they almost seem fake!

Mrs B · Nov 25, 2016

Looks amazing dry brine is amazing

IamMadMan · Nov 25, 2016

They look amazing... Great jon.

wbzipf · Nov 25, 2016

Thoes two birds look fantastic! Things of beauty!

Smoking Piney · Nov 25, 2016

Gorgeous! :thumb:

quamdar · Nov 25, 2016

5% salt on the dry brine? So over half a pound of salt?

I only ask because I'm looking to try a dry brine and figure out how much salt I'm gonna want to use.

Harbormaster · Nov 25, 2016

Nice job Wampus.

Excellent looking birds. Much of a difference between the two brining techniques?

Hope you and the whole clan had a great Thanksgiving day.

Big George's BBQ · Nov 25, 2016

Both look fantastic Beautiful color Which brine did you like better
Hope you and your family had a real nice day

Fwismoker · Nov 25, 2016

Nice job Wamp

rwalters · Nov 25, 2016

Outstanding cook! Yes, which bird did you prefer? Wet or wet brined? What cooker did you cook those on...just curious?

Gore · Nov 25, 2016

Beautiful! :hungry:

Stingerhook · Nov 25, 2016

Those birds deserve the cover of the magazine.

Wampus · Nov 27, 2016

quamdar said:
5% salt on the dry brine? So over half a pound of salt?

I only ask because I'm looking to try a dry brine and figure out how much salt I'm gonna want to use.

Sorry...I guess it was 1% by weight.
Here's the guide I used:

http://www.naturiffic.com/blog/introduction-to-brine-brining

Wampus · Nov 27, 2016

Harbormaster said:
Nice job Wampus.

Excellent looking birds. Much of a difference between the two brining techniques?

Hope you and the whole clan had a great Thanksgiving day.

rwalters said:
Outstanding cook! Yes, which bird did you prefer? Wet or wet brined? What cooker did you cook those on...just curious?

This was my first try at dry brining so I want to do some more cooks and see, but I can't say I noticed much difference in the two. The dry brine skin did look great but didn't seem much differen than the wet brine after cooking. Mi cook my birds pretty hot so I don't get rubbery skin usually.

It was easier to do, just measure out a few tsp of salt on the bird, rub it in, bag it and done. No messing with mixing the brine and the clean up after.

The family thought that the wet brine seemed to have more flavor deep into the meat. Both were very juicy and tasted great!

I also do like how you can add flavors into the brine like citrus or herbs, whatever. Dry brine is just salt, though these birds did quite well.

Not sure I'm sold on the dry as so much better just yet.

Moose · Nov 27, 2016

Fantastic looking birds, Wampus!

This year's turkeys.....

Wampus

somebody shut me the fark up.

mytmouz

is Blowin Smoke!

MisterChrister

Quintessential Chatty Farker

Wampus

somebody shut me the fark up.

Seefyre

Take a breath!

Mrs B

Full Fledged Farker

IamMadMan

somebody shut me the fark up.

wbzipf

Full Fledged Farker

Smoking Piney

somebody shut me the fark up.

quamdar

Full Fledged Farker

Harbormaster

somebody shut me the fark up.

Big George's BBQ

somebody shut me the fark up.

Fwismoker

somebody shut me the fark up.

rwalters

Quintessential Chatty Farker

Gore

Phizzy

Stingerhook

somebody shut me the fark up.

Wampus

somebody shut me the fark up.

Wampus

somebody shut me the fark up.

Moose

somebody shut me the fark up.

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