Brine Hydration 101

Brine Hydration 101

  • Water (should be 0-6 ºC)
  • Phosphate (because the hardest to hydrate ingredients should always go first)
  • Soy protein
  • Salt & Nitrite
  • Sugar and carrageenan (granulation helps your carrageenan disperse)
  • Color, flavor, starch
  • Erythorbate (goes last to prevent reaction with nitrite)

The purpose of phosphate in a meat application is to raise the pH of the muscle (in addition to chelating and other ionic reactions) and be more like its pre-rigor state. This opens the muscle and allows binders and flavors to re-hydrate the muscle structure.

The ultimate function of soy protein is to increase viscosity in the muscle and hold moisture and other ingredients within the muscle fibers. A soy protein will continue to hydrate until maximum hydration whether it’s in your brine, tumbler, or cooler. A quick hydration soy protein can be slowed for easier pumping by adding it after the salt. Salt will reduce hydration speed only up front.

**Increasing your yields rule of thumb: If a phosphate and salt brine increases your yield by 10%, a 1% addition of soy protein isolate or hydrolyzed soy protein, can increase your yield to 20%. Ask your SPI Group sales person how to put these ingredients into action at your plant!