Beer Brined Turkey

Total Time: 28 hrs Preparation Time: 24 hrs Cook Time: 4 hrs

Ingredients

• 12-16 lb turkey, thawed (try to find a fresh, never frozen turkey if possible)
• 10 cups water
• 2 1/2 cups kosher salt
• 5 garlic cloves, quartered
• 1/4 cup allspice berry
• 1 tablespoon whole cloves
• 2 onions, quartered
• 2 (22 ounce) bottles of brown ale such as rogue hazelnut ale (about 5 1/2 cups)
• 2 cups ice
• 3 celery ribs, cut in half
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups chicken broth, plus 4-6 cups water if needed

Recipe

• 1 •in a large pot, add the water, salt, garlic, allspice, cloves, and one of the onions. bring to just barely boiling and remove from heat, stiring occasionally to dissolve the salt. add the ice, the the beer.
• 2 •rinse the thawed turkey.
• 3 •place turkey in the oven bags. remove as much air as possible and seal tightly, and place in a roasting pan in the refrigerator.
• 4 •brine for 16-18 hours rotating the turkey every 6-8 hours to insure an even brine.
• 5 •remove the turkey from the brine and rinse well, inside and out.
• 6 •place turkey on a roasting rack inside a roasting pan in the fridge, uncovered, for 12-18 hours to dry the skin.
• 7 •preheat your oven to 400.
• 8 •truss your turkey if desired.
• 9 •brush your entire turkey with olive oil, sprinkle with salt.
• 10 •stuff the other quartered onion, and the celery stalks inside the cavity of the bird.
• 11 •place the turkey on a roasting rack inside a roasting pan. add the broth to the bottom of the roasting pan. if the pan starts to dry out during the cooking, add the additional water to the bottom of the roasting pan. do not allow the broth/water in the roasting pan to touch the turkey.
• 12 •cook until your turkey reachs about 160 degrees (it will continue to cook once out of the oven to meet the 165 degree temperature). allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving.