Since we get a lot of questions about how to use Game Changer Brine & Injection, I thought it would be a good idea to provide some general information about what brines are, what they’re not, and how best to use them.

Looking to brine a turkey? Check out our How To Brine a Turkey Guide!

Brines have been around for possibly thousands of years in one form or another.  However, recently they have enjoyed a renascence of sorts in the culinary community, especially in backyard and competition barbecue circles.  It’s no surprise as a good brine will help greatly increase the level of moisture in cooked proteins, and if flavoring agents are added to the brine, they also move some of that flavor directly into the meat.

Sometimes brines are likened to marinades, however, they are quite different.  Marinades utilize an acid plus flavoring agents to actually “cook” or denature proteins on the surface of the meat, which results in some of the flavor of the marinade being transferred to the meat and retained through the cooking process.  They really don’t do a lot to help tenderize the meat as many think, and marinades only affect the surface of most meats and rarely penetrate any deeper than a quarter of an inch into the meat itself.

Brines on the other hand use no acid in their formulation. Instead, they rely on the physical processes of diffusion and osmosis to actually “pull” themselves deep into the meat protein structure.  In doing so, they carry the flavored liquid along for the ride and the result is meat that is flavored throughout with much higher moisture content resulting in a juicy, flavorful finished product.

To illustrate this point, I took 8 chicken thighs and three boneless/skinless chicken breasts and rinsed them off and dried them with paper towels.  Then, placed them into a gallon zip-top bag and weighed them on my extremely precise digital scale…

I poured one half-gallon of full strength Game Changer Brine & Injection (mixed with plain water) into the bag and squeezed out all the air.  This was placed on a sheet pan to catch any leaks and then into the fridge for 1½ hours…

After exactly 1½ hours, I pulled them from the fridge and poured off the used brine.  Then rinsed each piece under running water and dried each piece with paper towels.  The brined, rinsed & dried chicken was put into a new clean zip-top bag and then reweighed on the scale…

If you do the math, the difference was 87 grams.  If you’re like me, I had no idea how much 87 grams of water is, so I put a measuring cup on the scale, zeroed it out and began pouring in water until I hit 87 grams…

WOW!  That’s over a third of a cup!

This clearly shows how powerful Game Changer Brine & Injection is!  It literally packed over a third of a cup of water into that batch of chicken in just an hour and a half!  And let me tell you, as you’ll see in our Old-School Competition Chicken Thigh recipe, the resulting chicken was SUPER JUICY!

Using Game Changer as an Immersion Brine:

Game Changer Brine & Injection is powerful, and should not be used like a rub.  When using it as an immersion brine, it may be mixed with plain water or any other non-acidic liquid like low-sodium chicken broth, apple juice, ginger ale or beer, just be sure the liquid you use is low in salt or else the proper mixture ratio will be compromised.

Always check meat package labeling for statements stating something like “Enhanced with up to a XX% solution of…” in small print somewhere on the package.  I try to avoid meat that has been “enhanced” by the packing company.  By sticking to naturally processed , non-enhanced meats, I have much greater control over the finished product, and I don’t waste my hard-earned money paying the going rate per pound for salt water.  If you think about it, a product enhanced with a  15% solution means you’re only getting 85% of the meat you’re paying for…

FOOD SAFETY: The finished brine mixture should be chilled below 40º F prior to use.  Game Changer will easily mix into chilled water, saving you time.  Or, you may mix the brine ahead of time and refrigerate for up to 5 days prior to use.  Otherwise, follow our “Quick Chill” instructions for proper cooling prior to use.

FULL STRENGTH:  Mix 1 level cup (8 oz.) of dry brine mixture to ½ gallon (64 oz.) of water.  One pound of brine (2 level cups) will make one gallon of finished brine at full strength.

HALF STRENGTH: Mix ½ level cup (4 oz.) of dry brine mixture to ½ gallon (64 oz.) of water. One pound of brine (2 level cups) will make two gallons of finished brine at half strength.  Use half strength recipe if extended brine times are desired or for enhanced meats.

QUICK CHILL METHOD:  This method involves heating part of the mixture to 140º, then adding it to cold water and ice to reach the target temp of 40º F.

For one half-gallon:  Mix dry brine with 16 oz. of water in a medium sauce pan and heat to 140º. Add heated brine mixture to 32 ounces of cold water and one pound of ice.  Stir until all ice is melted.  For one gallon of finished brine, double the measures from above.

Place meat to be brined into a food safe container, add chilled brine, close tightly and refrigerate. Rinse meat well after removing from brine, pat dry , and then apply seasoning.

Suggested Immersion Brine Times:

Meat	Suggested Full Strength Brine Times	Suggested Half-Strength Brine Times
Chicken Pieces	1 – 4 hours	8 – 12 hours
Whole Chicken	3 – 8 hours	6 – 16 hours
Turkey Breast	4 – 8 hours	8 – 16 hours
Whole Turkey	12 – 48 hours	Half Strength Not Recommended
Pork Chops	2 – 4 hours	4 – 8 hours
Whole Pork Loin	24 – 48 hours	Half Strength Not Recommended
Venison Backstraps	2 – 4 hours	4 – 8 hours
Venison Roast	24 – 48 hours	Half Strength Not Recommended
Fish Fillets	½ hour – 1 hour	1 – 2 hours
Whole Fish	1 – 2 hours	2 – 4 hours

 

Using Game Changer as an Injection:

For larger cuts of pork, poultry and wild game like whole hogs, pork butts, pork loin roasts, whole turkeys over 10 pounds, venison roasts, etc., Game Changer really begins to shine as an Injection. To make 16 oz of Game Changer Injection, combine 1 cup (8 oz) Ginger Ale and 1 cup (8 oz) Fruit Juice (Apple, White Grape or Peach Nectar work best) with 1/4 Cup (2.2 oz) Game Changer dry brine mix. Then, inject the mixture up to a maximum ratio of one fluid ounce of injection per pound of meat. So, for example, a 10 pound pork butt should be injected with no more than 10 fluid ounces of the injection mixture. Let the injected meat rest in refrigerator for a few hours or overnight if time permits.