Yeah, the cola and cure was kind of off the wall - I actually forgot about that part! The main thing, to me, was learning a good understanding of the equilibrium brining technique. Using Martin's (Digging Dog Farm) calculator, it's crazy simple. It doesn't matter about time, either. If I'm brining jerky, I can leave it in for several days, if needed, and it will never get any saltier than it is at the point the brine penetrates all of the meat! That's what I really like....time not a factor, and consistency/control.