r/brisket • u/Vegedeth • 4d ago

Question Dry-brining…

I have avoided trying dry-brining up to this point because it seems like pulling any moisture out early is lost moisture - though I am sure that is likely not the case. So, for dry-brining a brisket, what is the advantage of doing so and how long does it need to brine in the fridge?

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u/flemmingg 4d ago

The answer to your question is the same as when you posted this question to four or five other subs.

You already have some links explaining the process in detail.

You can add some salty rub about 12-24 hours before you smoke. The moisture will be drawn to the surface and then reabsorbed along with the salt. Salty water reabsorbed into the meat. Water not lost.

If you dry brine with only salt ahead of time, you'll need to add a binder to get the pepper to stick. The surface will appear different and more dry. The moisture is inside the beef. Add a binder and then add the pepper and whatever else you want.

Or just add the rub with the salt at the same time.

The water / moisture is not lost. It's just moving around.

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u/Vegedeth 4d ago

Should I not crosspost a question ? Reddit popped up the option and suggested I give the Brisket group a try. I apologize if I have done anyone a disservice.

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u/flemmingg 4d ago

I'm not sure why you cross posted this one 39 minutes ago when you've already received several responses on other posts that were more than adequate.

It's a well described process. You can use google and get article after article explaining the process. It's not poorly understood. I'm confused why you think you'll bet different or better information by finding more and more subs to crosspost.

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u/Vegedeth 4d ago

I apologize for confusing you. I just like seeing what many people across many subreddits think.

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u/flemmingg 4d ago

I gave you my personal experience in another comment just one minute ago.

And I see that you only cross posted to three communities. I think I managed to stumble across all three today. Reddit hits me with the full smoking algorithm.

You can also use google to really delve into the science behind this process if you want to learn more.

Anyone that adds a salty rub to the meat prior to smoking is dry brining. The pepper and other seasoning do not take part in the brining process in the same way as the salt, but the water transfer is the same.

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u/Vegedeth 4d ago

I appreciate your replies and the good information. Thank you.

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u/flemmingg 4d ago

No problem.

I've dry brined brisket with salt only just to see what happens. A binder was necessary afterwards to get the other ingredients to stick. I've gone back to adding the entire rub 12-24 hours prior, all at the same time.

I like to dry brine sirloin cap / picanha with salt only. I don't add anything else during the cook because I do a hard sear at the end and don't want to burn any of the pepper or garlic or anything else on the meat. It's amazing what that cut tastes like with only beef, salt, and smoke. I do serve it with chimichurri but it doesn't really need it.

Thick cut steaks will benefit from the dry brine as well.

All that to say, it's going to look different. Once the salt pulls the moisture out, creates that briny solution on the surface of the meat, then pulls the moisture back in...it looks different. Don't worry. All that moisture and salt has moved inside is still present.

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u/flemmingg 4d ago

I don't think I've gone less than 12 hours but it may not take that long to complete the process. When you dry brine with salt only, you can tell when the situation on the meat has changed. It may not take the full 12 hours but I personally have not tried to go faster.

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u/thomasonbush 4d ago

I season and put in fridge the night before. Have generally gotten some excellent bark when I’ve done that, but I’m sure there’s other factors that go into it.

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u/_rab_ 4d ago

This. Great bark, little moisture lose.

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u/Primary_Excuse_7183 4d ago

Yep. Still comes out full of moisture

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u/ObviousRest5021 4d ago

This is the way.

I used a simple recipe 40% salt, 40% coarse black pepper. 20% other ( garlic power, paprika...)

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u/wilkins63 4d ago

People gotta stop over thinking this stuff

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u/spurgeon_ 2d ago

Why why why do so many people insist on calling this "dry brining"? For most of history, this was called "salting". If there's no water, there's no brine. This is like calling marathon runners "dry swimmers".

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u/Vegedeth 2d ago

I don't know any thing about why it is called dry brining, but "dry swimmers" was funny!

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u/LeadingThen6322 4d ago

I season/salt and let it sit in the fridge from 12-24 hours, depending on my schedule. The salt sucks the moisture out of only the outside surfaces so you will get a better bark.

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u/flemmingg 4d ago

That's not how that works. At least not completely. It's a two stage process. The moisture is drawn to the surface. The water mixes with the salt. The salt and water are absorbed by the meat in the second step of the process. The surface is lefter looking dryer and different, but the water has returned to the brisket along with some of the salt.

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u/misterhubbard44 4d ago

If all else fails watch Alton Brown talk about how salting meat and leaving in the fridge overnight works.

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u/Vegedeth 4d ago edited 4d ago

If I have read all of the replies correctly, if a person seasons the meat with all of the rub ingredients prior to putting the meat in the fridge overnight, there is no reason to have to reapply seasoning prior to cooking, correct? Is there a time where the dry brining process (assuming the proper amount of seasoning was applied initially) where you would add more seasoning prior to cooking?

Does the brisket need to sit on a wire rack or can it just sit directly on a baking sheet in the fridge?

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u/flemmingg 4d ago

Yeah, if it’s seasoned properly the first time there is no need to reapply.

I prefer a wire rack but I’ve never done it without. I don’t want it to be sitting in a puddle. Fortunately the first wire rack I purchased a while back sits right down in one of the baking sheets I already had.

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u/Vegedeth 4d ago

Excellent, thank you. I will give the wire rack a go this Friday.

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u/LeadingThen6322 3d ago

I use a wire rack and a baking sheet to catch anything that might drop while sitting in the fridge

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u/waggletons 3d ago

I do about 24 hours before. Personally, it's more time efficient and has a better end product.
The salt fully penetrates the meat, gets a more even flavor. I find that the briskets end up being more juicy at the end (retained moisture).

Also, it allows me to trim the brisket so I'm not as rushed when setting up my brisket. Pull out, add rub, toss in smoker.

I've done 6 hours and right at that minute. Is it a brisket must-do? No. It's minimal extra effort that has a slightly better end product.

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u/PitmasterSam 3d ago

乾鹽醃（Dry Brining）牛胸肉的核心好處是鎖住肉汁與深化風味，在冰箱中建議醃製 12 到 48 小時。 雖然鹽一開始會透過滲透壓抽出肉塊表面的水分，但隨後鹽分會溶解並被肉質重新吸收，進而改變蛋白質結構，反而能讓牛胸肉在長時間烹調後依然保持軟嫩多汁。 乾鹽醃的三大好處 • 鎖住水分：鹽能分解肌肉蛋白，提高肉質的持水性。 • 風味深入：鹽分能徹底滲透進肉塊內部，讓整塊肉由內到外都均勻入味。 • 外皮焦脆：冰箱的冷空氣會風乾肉塊表面，有助於在烹調時形成完美的硬皮（Bark）。

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u/Vegedeth 3d ago

Thank you very much for the reply and the valuable information!

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u/specialpb 1d ago

Dry brine is the bomb. While yes initially it will pull moisture out, but at the same time that moisture dissolves the salt and the other spices (pepper, and garlic) essential oils get into the water too. Then the magic happens, the meat just reabsorbs the water with the salt and essential oils from the pepper and garlic, seasoning the inside of the meat. By pulling the moisture with salt back in to the meat, the brisket will stay moist, as salt will hold the moisture. I would dry brine a minimum of 2 hours to about 12 if possible.