Brining a Turkey?

I have brined my Thanksgiving turkeys several times in the past and have not felt that it added a great deal of moisture or crisped the skin all that much. So for the past 2 years, I've not brined and the organic turkey from Kokua has turned out fine. However, I just read a recipe for brining liquid in the paper that has you mix one cup salt and one cup sugar with 2 gallons of water then immerse the bird. Another brining recipe has you mix 3/4 cup salt with 3/4 cup sugar with 1 quart water over heat until dissolved then add 1 gallon water (and other seasoning). I realize that my old recipe for brining did not have any sugar in it. Is this why my brining did not do anything for my past turkeys?