The brining technique is different than simply marinating or salt curing a meat/poultry product.  By submerging a protein (turkey | chicken | Cornish game hens) into this liquid medium, it allows the properties of osmosis do its work, resulting in flavoring the protein from the inside out.  Crafting a liquid with the right balance of sodium, sugar and flavors (in this case Craft Beer with some herbs and vegetables) becomes the basic medium.  The natural moisture in the protein is replaced with flavors of the brine that also hydrate the meat, increases the tenderness by denaturing the proteins, helps preserve the ingredient and provides a temperature cushion, preventing the main course from drying out.

 

There are several ways to cook the finished beer brined turkey.  This recipe uses the cooking technique  known as sous vide, or under pressure.  The idea is to cook in a vacuum sealed bag.  Doing this removes air and oxygen from the bag, preventing it from floating.  Then to cook, water is the new medium.  As water is 26 times more dense than air, it surrounds the bag filled with meat, vegetables, fruit or any thing that needs to be cooked. In this recipe we use a beer brined turkey.  Since the turkey is too large to put into a bag and cooked, it is best to butcher the bird, removing the breasts and leg/thighs and vacuuming each into a separate bag.  Then the bags are added to a water bath fitted with a immersion circulator, or  a water heater.  This unit has been used in the medical and pharmaceutical field for decades.  Now it has been adapted to the kitchen.  This unit keeps the water at a +/- 0.1 degree of accuracy.   When the unit is set to 160ºF | 71.1ºC, it stays at that temperature for as long as you need it too.  This cooking method will guarantee a perfectly cooked turkey.

 

Below the recipe, there are links to all the ways this base recipe can be cooked.  This recipe yields enough brine for a 16 – 24 pound turkey.

 

Before You Shop:

If you would like to hear a podcast on for ideas and more tips on making a Thanksgiving Feast, click HERE

 

Special Equipment:

1        each             PolyScience CREATIVE Series Sous Vide Immersion Circulator

1        each             water bath or large container to hold water

1        each             vacuum sealer and bags

1        each           ChefAlarm by ThermoWorks

 

Check out my Thanksgiving Feast for more ideas, recipes and suggestions.

Have turkey bones?  Make the best Turkey Stock

Beer Brined Turkey
Beer Brined Turkey - Sous Vide
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This recipe is a must make, at least once in your life. It will result in a juicy, moist and wonderful flavored turkey, that will leave your guests wanting to take all the leftovers home...
Servings Prep Time
8-16 guests 30 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
3 1/2 hours 2 - 3 days
Servings Prep Time
8-16 guests 30 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
3 1/2 hours 2 - 3 days
Beer Brined Turkey
Beer Brined Turkey - Sous Vide
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
This recipe is a must make, at least once in your life. It will result in a juicy, moist and wonderful flavored turkey, that will leave your guests wanting to take all the leftovers home...
Servings Prep Time
8-16 guests 30 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
3 1/2 hours 2 - 3 days
Servings Prep Time
8-16 guests 30 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
3 1/2 hours 2 - 3 days
Ingredients
Beer Brine Ingredients:
Turkey Ingredients:
Servings: guests
Units:
Instructions
Beer Brine Directions:
  • At least 2 days in advance of Thanksgiving | event | Holiday, start the brine. In a large pot, over high heat, add the water, salt, sugar, peppercorns, bay leaves, thyme, onions, celery, carrots, garlic, lemon and orange. Bring the liquid to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes to infuse the flavors together, dissolving the salt and sugar. Turn off the heat and let the brine cool for 20 minutes, then add in the ice and beer of choice. Mix the ingredients together and take the temperature of the finished brine. A thermometer should read 40°F | 4°C or lower in order to be safe to use. If it is warmer, place the pot into a refrigerator/kegerator until 40°F | 4°C is reached.
Turkey Preparation:
  • Take the fresh turkey and remove it from its package in a large sink. Remove the neck, gizzards and liver, setting aside (for stock or gravy). Rinse the bird under cold water, turning the bird over a few times, washing any blood from the cavity and under the neck flap. Remove any remaining quills from the skin, if visible. Remove any excess fat from around the inside cavity. Turn off the water and lightly dry the turkey off with paper towels.
Using the Beer Brine Directions:
  • For brining, have ready a Cambro 22 qt Polypropylene Food Storage Container, large stock/brew pot, a brining bag or Ziploc XL HD Big Bag. Place the turkey into the container of choice, then top off with the chilled brine, submerging the turkey completely. Then place in the cold storage, for example a refrigerator or kegerator.
  • If cold space is an issue, use a large cooler and sanitize it with a bleach water solution (1 tablespoon of bleach per gallon of water or 200ppm) or Star San (1 ounce of StarSan per 2 gallons of water). Place the cooled beer brine into the now clean cooler and add the turkey. Use several gallon size seal-able bags fill with ice, to keep the bird and brine ice cold, but not diluting the salinity or flavor of the brine. This will also work if you are beer brining multiple turkeys at once and have doubled (32 servings) or tripled (48 servings) the beer brine recipe to fill the cooler size you are using.
  • If you are using a Ziploc XL HD Big Bag hold the bringing liquid and bird, place the sealed bagged turkey in the cooler and surround the bag with ice, to keep the turkey and brine ice cold.
Recipe Notes

 

Other Ways to Cook This Beer Brined Turkey:

 

Alternative Beer Brine Turkey Recipes:

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