Cliff H.
Master Chef
What do ya'll think about brining 8% enhanced birds ?
I have two birds. One for the smoker and one for the Big Easy on T day.
I have two birds. One for the smoker and one for the Big Easy on T day.
8% Enhanced
- Thread starter Cliff H.
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Cliff H.
Master Chef
Bruce, do you plan on putting two 5 gal buckets in your fridge.
The other thing is that my two birds are rock hard sitting in the fridge. I am sure that they will still be hard tommorrow. I hope that they will thaw some once they hit the water.
The other thing is that my two birds are rock hard sitting in the fridge. I am sure that they will still be hard tommorrow. I hope that they will thaw some once they hit the water.
LarryWolfe
Chef Extraordinaire
I totally agree and do the same James! However as you well, know a brined fresh bird is far superior!JamesB said:
Bruce B said:I have 2 8% enhanced BB's and I'm brining both of them..if they turn out too salty I'll blame the wife.
Bruce, I wouldn't worry about them being too salty. The thing with 'brining' enhanced birds is it will work, but you do not get the full effect of the brine. The reason is the bird is already pumped full of water, so when you soak it in the brine, it will absorb some of the brine, but not what it would if it were a fresh natural bird. It will be fine though!
Cliff H. said:
Bruce lives in Michigan, chances are Puff stole his refridgerator. If this is the case, it's cold enough up there to keep the buckets outside, but they too have a chance of Puff stealing them!
Cliff, put the WRAPPED turkeys in a clean sink or bucket full of cold water. Change the water every thirty minutes for 3-4 hours and your turkeys will be thawed.
I have 2 -12lb 8% enhanced birds...they always turn out great...no need for brine in my opinion unless you want to!
Cliff H. said:
Cliff; I bought some ZipLock XL bags and will put the turkey and the brine in them and then into either my big cooler or two separate coolers and then pack ice around the bags and place it in the garage. It's going to be around 38 here tonight so it will be cold enough as long as I place ice around the bags.
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Cliff H.
Master Chef
I always am undecided on what to do. The only time I brined, it was a 3% enhanced and it turned out only ok. There was a lot of flavors in the brine.
I am not so much worried about the birds taking on flavor as I am about the birds being juicy.
I am not so much worried about the birds taking on flavor as I am about the birds being juicy.
Well I be forced to agree with Greg on this one. Aint no point it brining one which has already been brined..pumped..enhanced at the factory. A double pump along with a salty rub can push them over the edge of being too salty. If you want em juicy cook em breastes down and dont spill the juice which accumulates in the gut cavity i.e. on top of the breastes as viewed from inside the turkey. Simple huh?
bigwheel
bigwheel
LarryWolfe
Chef Extraordinaire
Cliff H. said:
This is what I mean an enhanced bird can't absorb alot of the brine.
Cliff H. said:
Cliff, brining does not guarantee a juicy bird, but does give room for error. The only way you can foolproof a turkey is to NOT OVERCOOK. If you cook low and slow, pull the turkey when the breast hits 160º and the thighs are between 170º-175º. If you're cooking high heat 325º-350º, pull when the breast hits 155º, to allow for carryover heat/cooking. Brined or not, this will give you a juicy bird.
Rag1
Executive Chef
I'm 15% enhanced and told I still taste good.
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Cliff H.
Master Chef
Is there an easier way to rest a turkey other than wallpapering it with foil ?
andy_christy
Cook
When I brine enhanced turkeys I short the salt in my brine reciepe by half. They come out just fine.
Well once the brine falls below one cup o salt per gallon o water don't believe it is considered a brine any longer. Salt water soak perhaps? Old fashioned test for a brine was whether or not it would float a raw chicken egg..still in the shell of course. That be a strong brine I think. Weak brine is one cup per gallon and should be offset with at least an equal amount of sugar or equivalent sweet stuff..honey..mollases...syrup etc.
bigwheel
bigwheel
LarryWolfe
Chef Extraordinaire
bigwheel said:
I agree!
Bobberqer
Sous Chef
Rag said:I'm 15% enhanced and told I still taste good.
what a knucklehead!!
Now I have heard of some enhanced ladies supposed to smell and look real good. Now whut percentage enhancement they flaunting I aint quite sure. Reckon somewhere in the two digit range? .09 perhaps? Thats two digits ya know?
bigwheel
bigwheel
Griff
Master Chef
Rag said:I'm 15% enhanced and told I still taste good.
Rag, enhanced and pickled are two different things.
Griff
Master Chef
Yeah, we could be charter members.
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