1st time cured chickens in the smoker

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LanceR

Smoking Fanatic
Original poster
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Jun 1, 2012
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Pinnacle, NC
I've cured and smoked turkeys before but these are the first chickens I've done.  We helped a neighbor butcher 60 meat birds on Saturday.  They were right at 8 weeks and should have been processed 7-10 days sooner but weather and helpers schedules won out.  They were 8# 6 oz and 7# 15 oz before pumping and brining.

They got needle pumped with seasoned cure and brined 24 hours.  I used dark brown sugar in place of white and added granulated garlic and onion powder along with the Cure #1 and salt.  They got cherry smoke in my son's digital MES 40 (he left it here while house hunting now that he's moved back from San Francisco) as I want to tinker with it a bit.

They should have another hour or so to hit 150-155.


I hope they taste as good as they look and smell.....

Lance
 
You will be amazed at what you've created!

The flavor and moisture always blow me away.  My father refused to touch white meat until I started brining several years ago, now, he'll wrestle you for the breast meat!

I look forward to hearing your results!

Care to share the brine recipe?
 
Straight from Marianski's book "Meat Soking and Smokehouse Design"

Aiming for 21-22 degree salometer reading with Cure #1:

1 gallon cold water

1/2 cup (146 grams) of salt

3 oz (85 g) Cure #1-corresponds to 79 g of pure salt

3 oz sugar (brown or white)

I used dark brown sugar nd I added a slurry of onion powder and granulated garlic that was measured with the looks-right-to me-meter.

I weigh ingredients for cures, rubs (if using a recipe), sausage etc but winged it on the onion powder and garlic.  They came out of the smoker about an hour ago and from the smell of things the quantity was fine.

Lance
 
I tried to upload this last night but there were flying mokneys circling the computer and it kept failing.  The one on the left was only 4 ounces lighter than before it got needle pumped (8# 2 oz cooked weight).  the one on the right lost 9 ounces from fresh.  They sure should be moist.  We'll find out in the next few days.

Thanks for looking and best regards,

Lance

 
Them look awesome, nice job, I bet like CB Said they will be nice and juicy 

A full smoker is a happy smoker 

DS
 
 
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