Bobby, I've only brinned using salt and water. I know you can add all kinds of things to the brine.
I like to leave it over night, but I think in as little as half a day, you can get a good brine infusion too.

Here is a link that might be useful: Poultry brining..might help

I've used an injector and brining is far superior, with a couple of caveats.

I find most brines far too salty - in fact, most food in the US is WAY too salty, period. For a standard 3-5 lb fryer I use 4 cups of water, some regular table salt, and 2 Tblsp brown sugar. I regret I don't measure the salt, but it's probably around 3 Tblsp (1/4 cp would be 4 Tblsp). The brine should taste slightly salty but not overly so.

Adding most things to a brine is a waste of time, because many of the most popular spices (such as rosemary, pepper, or fennel) are oil/heat-soluble, not water soluble, so they don't release their flavors into a brine. You would need to heat the brine to the boiling point, then cool it to add to the chicken safely.

Brining the chicken for at least half a day, no more than 24 hours, works fine. I like to take the chicken out at least an hour before roasting (less if you've got 95-degree summers!) and dry it with paper towels on a rack.

I spray with Pam cooking spray to get a slightly crisper skin, then roast however you like to.

I have fresh rosemary growing outside the front door, so I like to cut 4-5 lengths to place under the rack as the chicken roasts. I also stick 2 sprigs of rosemary inside the cavity. This flavors the chicken subtly - my DH isn't as fond of rosemary as I am, LOL.

My chicken brine is pretty simple.

Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil.
Add 3/4 cup of salt, I prefer kosher salt.
3/4 cup of sugar.
1/2 cup of worchestershire, if that's how it's spelled.
A handful of whole pepper corns.
A handful of whole coriander.

Boil it until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Allow it to cool, I use a quart of ice to speed the process, ala Alton Brown's method. Pour it over thawed but cold chicken in a container, I have a tupperware 'bucket' that I use just for chicken. Put it in the ice box for 18 to 36 hours. Drain and dry the bird and then cook it anyway you like.

I like to stuff mine with salted apple wedges, garlic, and onion, spread some butter and spices on the skin and cook it whole on the grill.

augie

I brined the turkey for last Thanksgiving after taking some advice from this forum. It was wonderful and juicy and tasty.

brining meat works on the principal of osmosis...via a permeable membrane. The concentration of the electrolytes in the chicken and in the brining liquid equalizes over time.
If you put meat of any sort in a solution of 3/4 cup sugar and 3/4 cup salt in 2 quarts of water and leave it for 18 hours, it will very very very salty and quite sweet. At that strength of salt I would not leave it for more than 4 hours.
I like some garlic in most brining liquids...and often some smashed fresh ginger....and I don't boil the water to dissolve the salt and sugar....I just stir. That eliminates the time spent cooling the water.
My "recipe" is more like a quart of water 1/2 cup salt 1/4 cup sugar...and flavorings. 6 to 8 hours in the solution works well for me.
Cook's Illustrated explains it well. I've linked below.
Linda C

Here is a link that might be useful: The basis of brining

I wish Ann would chime in with her method of salting. I never wrote down the exact procedure.

Bobby, I use to brine until I came upon the "presalting method". I think it is superior and no more dealing with a container of water.

When I did brine, I used salt, but never added sugar. I hate sweet meat and sugar contributes a sweetness that I don't like. I would also add lots of cracked garlic cloves, pepper corns and sprigs of herbs, such as fresh rosemary and parsley.

You might want to give pre-salting a try. I use it now for just about everything. Pork, Chicken, Turkey, Prime ribs, steaks etc...

James, here is what you are looking for.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Pre-Salting
===========
Judy Rogers' Zuni Cafe
method

Servings: 11 to 15

Note: This is more a technique than a recipe. It makes a bird that has concentrated turkey flavor and fine, firm flesh and that is delicious as it is. But you can add other flavors as you wish. Minced rosemary would be a nice finishing addition. Or brush the bird lightly with butter before roasting.

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1 (12- to 16-pound) turkey

Kosher salt

1. Wash the turkey inside and out, pat it dry and weigh it. Measure 1 tablespoon of salt into a bowl for every 5 pounds the turkey weighs (for a 15-pound turkey, you'd have 3 tablespoons).

2. Sprinkle the inside of the turkey lightly with salt. Place the turkey on its back and salt the breasts, concentrating the salt in the center, where the meat is thickest. You'll probably use a little more than a tablespoon. It should look liberally seasoned, but not over-salted.

3. Turn the turkey on one side and sprinkle the entire side with salt, concentrating on the thigh. You should use a little less than a tablespoon. Flip the turkey over and do the same with the opposite side.

4. Place the turkey in a 2 1/2 -gallon sealable plastic bag, press out the air and seal tightly. Place the turkey breast-side up in the refrigerator. Chill for 3 days, turning it onto its breast for the last day.

5. Remove the turkey from the bag. There should be no salt visible on the surface and the skin should be moist but not wet. Place the turkey breast-side up on a plate and refrigerate uncovered for at least 8 hours.

6. On the day it is to be cooked, remove the turkey from the refrigerator and leave it at room temperature at least 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

7. Place the turkey breast-side down on a roasting rack in a roasting pan; put it in the oven. After 30 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and carefully turn the turkey over so the breast is facing up (it's easiest to do this by hand, using kitchen towels or oven mitts).

8. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees, return the turkey to the oven and roast until a thermometer inserted in the deepest part of the thigh, but not touching the bone, reads 165 degrees, about 2 3/4 hours total roasting.

9. Remove the turkey from the oven, transfer it to a warm platter or carving board; tent loosely with foil. Let stand at least 30 minutes to let the juices redistribute through the meat. Carve and serve.

Each of 15 servings: 564 calories; 77 grams protein; 0 carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 26 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 261 mg. cholesterol; 856 mg. sodium.
. Notes:

This same method can be used for chicken, chicken pieces, pork roasts,
ribs, chops, etc..

With the smaller cuts just pre-salt 4 or five hours in advance. Even
this short period of presalting makes an amazing difference.

Don't cover, just refrigerate and then remove from the fridge in time
for the meat to come to room temperature before cooking.

My chicken is neither salty nor sweet thank you.

If your chicken, turkey or pork comes pre-packaged, it may already be brined... Check the sodium content first... Then read the rest of the package..... Flavor enhancers is one line they use or it may simply say that the product contains a 10% salt solution....

Rita

Try making your brine with apple juice, all spice berries, peppercorns, rosemary and thyme yum! I generally use a cup of salt 1/2 cup of sugar to a gallon 1/2 of liquid.

Thanks for the tips! I had to make it before got most of the responses. I put it in a huge bowl of water with kosher salt. I forgot sugar (which is bad, because I love sweet meat). I left it in for two hours, and then had to bake it. I put some orange wedges inside the cavity and baked it as normal. It was OK, but I'd like to prepare enough in advance to do a proper brine (or dry salt rub) next time...

Brining really makes a difference if you're gonna use a charcoal smoker. I'll often cook six chickens at once in the smoker (3 per rack). I'll use a large ice chest to brine the birds for a few hours before putting them in the smoker. The birds come out appreciably juicier than if not brined.

Worried about salmonella in the ice chest when you're done? Rinse out the chest with a hose, fill it with water and add a few ounces of chlorine bleach and allow to sit for an hour or so, then rinse out with a hose again.