Brining a turkey

[Tom]

I have this turkey I got free and am going to cook up this weekend.

I was thinking cumin/coriander/cilantro/lime.

Does one proportionally increase the volume of spices if they are not making two cups of brine, but two gallons? I'm not worried about the cost - I have a quart bottle of cumin seeds I got for $2 at the halal meat market and I'd probably invest a whopping $4 in coriander for that volume of brine, I'm just curious if the liquid to spice ratio stays the same in a linear relationship as the volume of brine increases.

What combos would you use?

[Too Tall]

This is an Alton Brown brine recipe (16 lbs turkey) for reference:
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger
1 gallon heavily iced water

Personally, I think that the sugar and salt do the hard work and spices go along for the ride. In other words the spices contribute relatively little to the outcome. Don't go nuts with your spices is my recommend.
The brine is the brine ;)

[AJPM44]

The easiest way to figure a brine is to use a 5% salt solution. Or 20 parts water, 1 part salt. Too much salt will change the bird, that is why you can preserve and cure things using only salt. Keep that ratio in mind, then add aromatics to your taste. Too Tall is pretty correct about the spices not adding a ton. Throw in some onions, and maybe some complimentary spice that is strong like cinnamon. Use the cumin, lime, coriander for a rub for later to get more flavor out of them.

[Rico]

I've used this brine with great results:
Maple Brined Turkey Recipe : : Food Network

After brining I wrap in butter soaked cheese cloth and smoke using Maple wood.
When served, only the bones are left!

Also never brine in an aluminum pot. Luckily I have some large stainless kettles for brewing beer.

[deepsix]

I followed Alton's recipe this Thanksgiving. Brined overnight then cooked the bird with his method. 500deg for 30min then applied a tin foil shield over the breast and roasted lower until the thermometer reached the magic number. The white meat outshone the dark meat and was greeted as the best turkey my guests have ever had. I highly recommend using the aromatics he suggests when roasting-- the apple, cinnamon, etc.

[Noteddy]

+1 for Alton's recipe. Works fine. I also endorse the notion that herbal addition are pretty subtle unless you use large amounts of heavy hitters like rosemary or sage. Or, smoke. I let the brine bring salt, sweetness and moisture to the table. Other favors come from great sauces and sides.

[Tom]

I ended up using a gallon of cider, a gallon of strong chai, a little less than a cup of kosher salt and a handful of black pepper. I left that overnight on the porch at about 37 degrees or so. I cooked it with a glaze made out of ginger, hoisin sauce, balsamic vinegar and orange juice. That capped it very nicely so after a few hours at 350 degrees the meat was just falling off the bone. Yum.

[dang]

This is an Alton Brown brine recipe (16 lbs turkey) for reference:
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger
1 gallon heavily iced water

Personally, I think that the sugar and salt do the hard work and spices go along for the ride. In other words the spices contribute relatively little to the outcome. Don't go nuts with your spices is my recommend.
The brine is the brine ;)

With respect to AB, I think I agree. I mean, candied ginger, rather than ginger and brown sugar, when the whole thing is going into a big vat of brine? I've varied the aromatics -- seem to make a real difference when we're doing it during the roasting, but I'm not sure it makes a big difference in the brine, or even a notable difference, and I've mostly got it down to the salt, brown sugar, and peppercorns.

[maunahaole]

When I brine, it is ordinarily pork chops. I just use cane sugar and sea salt and dont measure it. The water can only take so much of the stuff into solution anyway, so if there is too much it just sits at the bottom of the pan.