Karl Strauss Brewing has been kind enough to share a beer brining recipe for your turkey. Brined turkeys are much more flavorful. The below recipe is made for the brewery’s Off The Rails, an American strong ale. If you don’t have access to Karl Strauss, perhaps some Stone Double Bastard, Dogfish Immort Ale, Sierra Nevada/Dogfish Life & Limb just to name a few.
Off The Rails Turkey Brine:
8 Cups (1 64oz growler) Off The Rails
8 Cups Water
1 Cup Kosher Salt
¾ Cup Brown Sugar
½ Cup Honey
2 Bay Leaves
3 Cloves Garlic (Smashed)
1 Large Yellow Onion (Sliced)
1 Tbs Black Peppercorns
1 Tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/2 Tsp Clove
2 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary
1/2 Stick Cinnamon
Directions: Bring water to a boil and remove from heat. Add salt, sugar, honey, garlic, onion, and spices. Stir until salt, sugar, and honey are dissolved and cool to room temperature. This should take around 30 minutes and will allow the spices to lend their flavors to the brine. Once your brine has cooled, add Off The Rails and refrigerate until cold. Once your brine is cold, submerge your turkey and return to the refrigerator for 12hrs. This will yield 1 gallon of brine; scale the recipe up or down to accommodate the size of your bird.
Tips: Be sure to THOROUGLY RINSE your bird in cold water after removing it from the brine to wash away excess salt. If you’re brining an extra large turkey, a plastic cooler makes a fine brining container.
