Brined with or without rub

[Rockenburger]

Hello, I'm new to all this SI smoker stuff and have a few question and comments. I brined to chicken over night in a basic brine, 1 cup brown sugar, 3/4 cup koshers salt, garlic powder and onion powder. I pulled them from the brine in thw AM and placed aon a rack in the fridg. A few hours before I started to smoke I place a rub on one. Smoked at 250 to 165 and took about 3 1/2 hours in the Big Daddy. As we were tasting the birds my wife asked why I put the rub on the one as the only then that has flavor from the rub in the skin. Don't get me wrong they were both good, just the one with the rub was not much better. As I said I'm new to electric  smokers and timers, and need to learn how to post pics. Thanks I have leared alot from the fourm. Tim in Tillamook

 

[SuperDave]

Tim, FWIW, I always add a tablespoon of rub to my pot of simmering brine mixture.  I also sprinkle rub on the meat but it won't do a lot if it isn't allowed to sit on the meat for at least a few hours before smoking. 

 

[NDKoze]

You didn't mention it, but I always give my poultry a pretty good water rinse to get the surface brine off of the meat especially if I have brined overnight. Many here will tell you that brining chicken overnight is way too long unless you really cut the salt down, but I have always brined overnight and never thought my results were too salty. So, maybe I like my chicken more salty I guess.

For poultry, after the water rinse, I pat it dry with paper towels, and then apply a fairly liberal amount of oil and rub it in all over the bird, and then apply my poultry seasoning.

As does Dave, I always add some rub to my brine although I usually do a little more as I usually add 3 Tablespoons.

Hopefully this helps.

 

[Rockenburger]

I did rinse the birds and place in the frig for a few hour on a rack to drain and dry. I did noy how ever rub with oil befor the rub. Do you try to get the rub under the skin ? The birds were not saltey very and very moist, and I did and some garlic and oinion powder in the brine. I did cut back on the salt in the rub because how long I did brine. I thought I may become to saltey with it. Thanks Tim In Tillamook

 

[NDKoze]

I don't put the rub under the skin because I don't really want to loosen the skin. If you do the skin tends to shrivel up a lot more once it is loose.