As I have already smoked a 13 pounder in my PBC already, I have a question about dry brine time/length. The brisket I smoked before I trimmed it and added Kosher salt Friday evening for a Sunday cook. It came out great but was wondering if I should allow more time for the dry brine for even better finished product? I plan on a Sunday cook so is a Friday dry brine enough time or should I do it on a Thursday or Wednesday for a Sunday cook?
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Friday to Sunday is just fine. I brine mine at least two days prior, and leave them uncovered in the fridge. More time doesn't hurt though. I've gone up to a week before. The longer the brine, the more time that salt has to enter the meat and hold moisture. Good Luck! Let us know if you have any other questions.
rototiller78 -
I like 3 days.Comment
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I usually try to shoot for a 48 to 72 hour brineComment
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You guys using straight salt or other ingredients with the salt?Comment
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Not that I recommend this in all cases, but I did a short dry brine last week on a fairly thick brisket flat. It got about 11hrs give or take a little. The results were as good as when I've done 2 full days. Granted this was a flat, thinner than the point, and when sliced you usually eat the whole slice thus getting all the salt. Thick meat for sure should get more time. But if ever you're in a pinch don't feel you can't do it if you don't have 2 days to dry brine.Comment
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I usually settle for 24 hours (no less, though). If I can, I like 48 hours - I di notice a seemingly more thorough penetration of the salt. I have dry brined for longer but have never noticed any significant difference.
Also, I only use kosher salt for the dry brine and loosely cover in the fridge for the duration. I take it out right before putting it on the pit and liberally add the rub.Comment
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I'm planning to do side-by-side cooks of something like this:
a.) Salt just prior to cooking,
b.) 12 hours,
c.) 24 hours,
d.) 2 days,
e.) 3 days.
Then do blind taste testing with guests and see if they can tell.
What I find is it's hard to tell the slight differences with confidence without a side-by-side. Seems to me that's what separates Meathead's work from all the "rules of thumb" that we have a little fun poking it.
I can so see how it would be easy to change a recipe a little, cook, have a great result, and give the recipe change the credit. Well, if you run a stickburner, for example, how clean you run your fire, keeping the temp in the range you want, and when to wrap and when to pull have a HUGE Impact. But, if I'm not running a control scenario, it would be super easy to get a great result from the vortex of good that a good hunk of meat and a well done cook with a clean fire would give and credit the recipe change.
You guys have probably had to bite your lip and keep thy mouth shut from being a BBQ Snob all the time, when, for example, an enthusiastic host brags on his cooking and crediting an unimportant detail in his recipe for the quality of the food.
Now that I think about it, Meathead has probably run this example and I just need to go re-read the article...
p.s. A test I ABSOLUTELY DO need to run is dry-brine in advance vs. inject, and see how the tenderness, moisture and taste qualities turn out.
Have fun!
paulComment
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I agree completely. On a similar note I've thought for a long time the misnomer of soaking wood chips gets so much credit because the wood dries out quickly and smokes as it burns, and the good result achieved from the smoking wood chips makes folks think it was soaking that gave them a good result.
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