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July is National Grilling Month. To celebrate, "Low & Slow" co-author Colleen Rush will be offering up vital bits of barbecue wisdom every Thursday throughout the month.

When you're learning the art of low-and-slow barbecue, it's best to practice your technique (think: fire, temperature control, and wood smoke) on chicken. Why? If you tank the cook, you're only out about $8 for the bird, not $30 in baby back ribs.

Soaking the chicken in a marinade or brine increases your margin for error. These highly acidic or salty solutions make the meat juicy and tender and add flavor. This makes for great-tasting smoked chicken, even if you screw up the cook.

Most people are satisfied using store-bought marinades, but that's why most people are not good on the grill. Using a basic formula, you can make your own marinade or brine with ingredients readily available in your pantry.

Check out how easy it is to make your own marinade and brine concoctions, after the jump.

MARINADE TEMPLATE
This formula makes enough marinade for two chickens (backbone removed and split in half).

Oil: 2-1/2 cups
Oil itself doesn't add much flavor to a marinade, but fats help transfer the flavor of the marinade into the meat. Use neutral, inexpensive oil like canola or vegetable oil. Olive oil works too, but it's more expensive. Don't use heavy, flavorful oils like corn or peanut oil.

Acid: 1-1/4 cups
Acid in a marinade breaks down the surface tissue on meat, which lets in moisture and gives the meat a juicy, tender texture. Good acids for marinades include vinegar (apple cider, Champagne, tarragon), citrus juice (lemon, lime, grapefruit, sour orange), buttermilk, wine and mustard.

Seasoning: 1 tablespoon kosher salt + 1/4 to 1/2 cup herbs or spices
The sky's the limit with the type of herb, spice, aromatic, vegetable or mineral you use. Fresh or dried chile peppers, citrus zest, garlic, onion, fruit, fresh or dried herbs -- you name it. To start, try replicating your favorite bottled marinade. Or, just throw in random stuff from your spice cabinet.

Time: Four to six hours
Place two chicken halves into 1-gallon zip-top bags; pour half of the marinade into each bag; press the air out of the bags and seal. Place the bags in a large bowl or on a rimmed baking sheet in the refrigerator (to catch any drips) and allow the chicken to marinate four to six hours.

BRINE TEMPLATE
This formula makes enough brine for one chicken (backbone removed, split in half) in a 1-gallon zip-top bag.

Kosher salt: 1/3 cup
Most basic brines call for 1/2 cup salt per gallon of water, but when you add the chicken halves to the bags, the capacity of the bag drops to about 10 cups.

Sugar: 1/4 cup (optional)
Adding a small amount of sugar to brine minimizes the risk of brined meat tasting too salty.

Seasoning: 1/4 to 1/3 cup
Throw in any kind of herb, spice or aromatic. Saltwater carries the flavor of these seasonings into the cell structure of the meat. Pick flavors to match side dishes or the genre of flavors you're going for -- Asian, Caribbean, Italian, Mexican, etc.

Booze: 2 to 4 tablespoons
Alcohol loosens things up. Even chicken. Adding one or two ounces of liquor to brine aids the salt in breaking down the chicken's proteins to make it juicier.

Water: About 10 cups
Dissolve the salt and sugar in 1/2 cup of warm water. Place two chicken halves into a 1-gallon zip-top bag. Pour the brine solution into the bag, then fill the bag with cold tap water to within one inch of the top. Press the air out of the bags and seal. Place the bags in a large bowl or on a rimmed baking sheet in the refrigerator, and allow the chicken to brine six to 12 hours.