I was wondering what your guys' favorite way to brine herring was. I've been experimenting with wet brines and different oils and scents and been having pretty good luck.

The only problem I've been having with the wet brines is soft bait sometimes. Maybe I'm not using enough salt?

Just wondering what you guys were doing.
Especially the guys traveling and staying at places for a few days.

3 words, rock salt, rock salt, rock salt, makes 'em stiffer than a chinese brick ...

steeladdict showed me the 'bluing' trick although he never gave me a ratio.

2 -3 cups rock salt, 2 quarts water, 2 teaspoons real vanilla extract. Let chill in refrige and put in herring. I will let soak for at least 24 hours.

1/2 gallon water with 1 cup of rocksalt,1 cup Borax, 1 package of powdered milk. I don't like to cut-plug the herring before I brine them because they get all rubbery and shriveled. They get just as tough when you don't cut off the heads first, and they look better.

I've tried the blue dye,but IMO all it does is turns your hands blue. I think the powdered milk makes them just as shiny.

Here's my favorite:

1 quart distilled water (no chlorine)
2 cups rock salt
1/2 cup powdered milk
2 Tbl Mrs. Stewart's Blueing (in the laundry soap section of your local grocery)

Mix together thoroughly. Add your herring and brine overnight. You can store herring in this solution, in the fridge, for a couple weeks.

What cohoangler said but get rid of the blueing.The distilled water is probley the key in my eye's.I usually go with the rock salt and water.Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE

A cup of rock salt, a cup of Tender Quick and 6 cups of distilled water.

The tender quick contains Nitrates and Nitrites along with sugar and salt. They do not come out "Tender" by any stretch of the imagination.

All your guys' replies are great. Thanks.

What amount of herring, in the recipes your giving, are you able to brine? I'm guessing a couple dozen or so for most of them.

Seems odd to worry about non-chlorinated water when you're saturating with NaCl (Sodium Chloride or SALT). Anybody know why distilled or non-chlorinated is sooooo important? Ding.

I use about a gallon of salt water, 3 or 4 cups of fine rock salt and stir till salt is well dissolved. I like to brine my herring overnight and usually whole but not always, if I have left over cut bait at the end of the day, they'll end up in the brine as well. I know I have the mixture right if I drop a herring in the bucket and it floats, if not, add more salt.

Here's my quick and dirty "no measure" method:

I use 2-qt rectangular GladWare or ZipLock re-usable/disposable containers. Pour in 1/2 cup non-iodized salt. I got the huge bag at Costco for $3.00) and keep a 1/2 cup scooper in there. Fill half way with COLD water. Make 3 quick passes of Mrs Stewart's bluing across the container with a good stream. Stir. Add semi-frozen herring (thaw just enough to separate them without losing scales) and fill with enough herring till the lid just fits. For the blue label baits I prefer, that means 12-16 baits, depending on the actual size of the herring. Remove lid, fill to the very top with more COLD water, and replace lid so there is no air gap. Turn container 3 or 4 times to stir. That's it!

I brine baits the night before and set all of my containers in a cold ice chest in the boat, ready to roll in the am. Baits are nice and firm when I am ready to fish. I open only one container at a time so the rest stay good and cold. I budget about 10 baits per person on board. That usually leaves a few spares for pesky sharks or clumsy feet and still allow you to fish about an hour per bait, although they are generally tough enough to get 2 or more hours per bait.

If it looks like we could be running low as the day wears on, I stretch the supply by "re-charging" baits with an injection of sardine or herring oil. I steer clear of "funky" scents. BTW how did garlic ever become so damn popular?

I once fished 3 days side by side with a buddy who used my brine, except unbeknownst to me, he laced his entire supply of herring with GARLIC! I scored double digits each day, and their boat could hardly buy a bite a day. At the end of their trip, he offered me a large container of his "leftover" brined bait. When I opened it up, it smelled like a Korean restaurant! No wonder they didn't catch any fish! I threw it all out when he was gone.

the mix that is listed on the salmon university is a good one. http://www.salmonuniversity.com
also pro cure also make a brine mix.

I blame Emeril. BAM!

Later.

My grandfather lived his whole life in Sekiu. my Dad was born and raised there, so I think they have seen every concoction there is.
They always used 1 cup borax, one cup powdered milk in a bucket put in sea water and added rock salt until it was a thick slury. They would add either fresh or frozen herring and ice. The herring would keep for a solid week on the back porch and they caught fish big time right out in front of the house.

thats mine Benny work Great if it makes them wavey use a little less salt Jim