Just got my first smoker

[MileHighGrowler]

(02-08-2021, 11:56 AM)michaelsean Wrote: Do you brine even if it's one of those pre-brined store bought turkeys?  At Thanksgiving I opted not to because I wasn't sure.  The internet of course was no help with half saying brine it anyway and the other half saying don't do it.  

I have, yes.  I'll rinse the bird off first then make my own brine.  Here's the thing: the "brine" they put in those bags is just a saline solution, so it's not a full flavor brine like you or I would use.  It's also not a lot in the bag.  When I make a brine and I've got orange peels and spices and sugar and the bird is completely submerged in it, I think it's different than just being in a simple saline solution inside the bag.  I also figure that usually with a brine you're looking at say an hour per pound.  If what was in the bag was truly a brine, it would have been over-brined before you ever bought it.  

So I just rinse that crap off (if it had any - I prefer to just get the ones without) and then do my own brine, either wet in a big pot, or a dry brine (which I'm really starting to appreciate more for the lack of mess, but it's more limited since it's not a cold "soup" I'm putting the bird in).