Brining a Butterball Turkey

kindaquick

Any opinions on brining a Butterball turkey?  it says that it is in 8% brine with spices on their website.  Just curious what everyone thinks.

Oh, and on another note, anyone had any luck with Kevin Rathbun's turkey brine?

Thatgrimguy

It's already brined. Don't waste your time

bgebrent

+1 ^^^^^^^

SmokeyPitt

+2, it will likely come out too salty if you double brine it.  If you want to add more flavor then rub it all over with an herb butter on and under the skin.  

kindaquick

I'm with you on the brine, so I'll hold off on that.  Any thoughts on an injection then? 

RRP

Personally I have brined many ButterBall brand turkeys! I use a low sodium recipe from John Ash that uses spices et. al. to add a subtle but wonderful taste to the bird. After all turkey meat is rather bland!

chaschat99

I used Kevin Rathbun's recipe last year and it was fantastic.  I followed all the steps he had for the brine and the cook.

kindaquick

I wonder if I were to use Kevin Rathbun's recipe, minus the salt, if it would turn out OK.  I would think that it would be good.

tgs2401

I cut the salt in the brine in half and the turkey was delicious, not salty at all.

Thatgrimguy

tgs2401 said:

I cut the salt in the brine in half and the turkey was delicious, not salty at all.

Then you actually unbrined the turkey. So, when you drop the Turkey into a salt water solution, the outside and the inside seek equilibrium. So, by putting a turkey that came stock in a 8% brine in a 5% brine you are actually pulling salt out of the turkey instead of into it. 

Thatgrimguy

kindaquick said:

I'm with you on the brine, so I'll hold off on that.  Any thoughts on an injection then? 

Parkay alone is great and can seem to handle the heat/ time better than real butter. 

Also, Creole butter injections are wonderful.

lemonade

Soak it!!     Remove the brine.  Then add your own rub, and your own injection (sans salt)

kindaquick

As far as injections, someone posted this one on one of the other threads for a turkey injection.  I thought it sounded good, so maybe I'll give it a try:

1/2 pound butter
1/2 can beer
2 TBS salt
2 TBS Worcestershire sauce
1 TBS soy sauce
2 Tsp garlic powder
2 Tsp onion powder

blakeas

really, butterballs are already brined?  how do we confirm that?

Thatgrimguy

blakeas said:

really, butterballs are already brined?  how do we confirm that?

It says something like enhanced in a 8% solution of spices and water or some BS like that. 

You are looking for the words enhanced or solution or something to that effect. I'm pretty sure all butterballs are done in an 8% brine.

kindaquick

Exact verbiage from Butterball's website on frozen whole turkeys:

Ingredients: Whole Young Turkey. Contains up to 8% of a solution of Water, Salt, Spices, and Natural Flavor.

jtcBoynton

Thatgrimguy said:

blakeas said:

really, butterballs are already brined?  how do we confirm that?

It says something like enhanced in a 8% solution of spices and water or some BS like that. 

You are looking for the words enhanced or solution or something to that effect. I'm pretty sure all butterballs are done in an 8% brine.

Actually they say up to 8% added weight not an 8% solution for their frozen birds. Their fresh birds have up to 4% added weight.  They do not specify the exact makeup of the solution.

JethroVA

Interesting that Butterball website does have a brining how-to section on their website.  

blakeas

JethroVA said:

Interesting that Butterball website does have a brining how-to section on their website.  

Exactly!  I have brined my last 2 butterball turkeys for around 12 hours and they have come out amazing.  So I am not sure really how long they are really brined?

Grillmagic

The supposed fresh/frozen butterball turkeys at SAMs say they are inhanced with 4% solutions, I brine and  spatch every year with great results. I brine for 8/12 hours then do a clean soak for 30 minutes.