A bit off-topic: stainess steel, aluminum or plastic for brining a turkey?

I am planning to cook my first turkey this year using Alton Brown's recipe. The vessels I have available for brining are my plastic fermentation bucket, a 5 gallon stainless steel pot and a 5 gallon aluminum pot. Which one is the safest one to use in terms of not getting contaminated or damaged for future brewing use?

Just use a cooler. We do it for a smoked turkey every year. Family is big enough to need 2 birds, one regular and one smoked. The smoked is always gone first.

I've used buckets and coolers. Buckets are easier to clean but the coolers regulate the temps and keep ice longer.

I go the cooler route now.

Plastic turkey brining bag. It's worth a few bucks to not have to clean another big pot. So I just lined my 5 gallon cooler with bag.

All in all it's easier to just roast the Turkey in the oven without brine. I actually prefer it to be less moist. Praying for an invite elsewhere so I don't have to do anything but drink wine & beer this year!

Extremely large ziplock back (2-1/2 gallon size) with the bird and brine in the cooler. Or in the pot, inside the fridge.

I wouldn't place it right into your brew bucket since I wouldn't 100% trust it to not get something nasty latching on. Especially if you've already used the bucket for any batches. If you're going to use a bucket, get a new one and use it only for that.

I use either Lexan containers, or food safe/grade plastic buckets to brine in. The Lexan is a very hard plastic, that won't pick up anything. Plus, it's very clear.

Still, when I'm using a brine, I tend to place everything into a ziplock bag before it goes into the container. Besides having less to clean, or worry about, you use less brine to do the job.

Good choice on the Alton Brown recipe ... I've used that recipe for six years now ...

I brine my turkey in a double plastic trash bag in a five gallon bucket in the keg fridge ... rotate it half way through the brining ... RINSE WELL WHEN FINISHED.

Using the trash bags helps keep the brine from leaking out

@samc, didn't know such a thing existed. Any suggestion on where to buy it locally?

Don't use stainless. The chloride ions from the salt can pit the surface similar to bleach (although not as quickly).

I use a big-ass food box (a clear plastic bin with lid0 that I bought at a local restaurant supply for about $20. It fits wonderfully in my refrigerator without having to move the shelves around.

I use a gigantic Tuperware container, but only brine a 10-12 pound bird. Anyway, I've been using the same container for years and it works great!!

I use an old 8 gallon primary and stick it in the keezer. Cold crashing a turkey . Works perfectly.

A great tip is to pick brine in one of the plastic "oven bags" sold along side the turkeys for roasting. They are cheap, a turkey will fit, you can put the whole thing in a bucket to contain it and there's no clean up.