Beer Can Chicken in Smoker

  • Some of the links on this forum allow SMF, at no cost to you, to earn a small commission when you click through and make a purchase. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
SMF is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

rtaylor522

Newbie
Original poster
Apr 1, 2012
15
10
Bowie MD
Hey All,

Going for my 3rd smoke today...beer can chicken...was pretty pumped and was thinking I would have a reasonable speed cook at 325 degrees....only problem is I can't hit 325 degrees and I don't have all night haha...I am a bit suprised seeing that it held 245 at half throttle (master forge double door) last week and similar ambient temp today at full throttle and a 7lb bird in there I have'nt seen north of 270....Same thermo and ambient temp, so I'm a bit dissapointed because I thought it had more in it than that...good strong flame. 

I'm using the stock water pan filled half way with water, but I'm half considering just ripping the thing out of there today and letting it roll without it to see how hot it gets...the thing is huge.  I drilled holes in the sides, rope gasketed the doors and cut out the grease deflectors all to help, but that darn water pan is a monster....not worried about drippings b/c chicky is sitting in a round foil pan.  Only thing I have'nt modified on the smoker is going to a needle valve, but i'm not sure how much that will change the top temp and I'd prefer not to spend on it right now.

Oh well....I'll fire the trusty oven up and finish on there if this does'nt improve soon....coming up on a half hour since I put it in and I'm looking at 272 in the chamber.

-Rob
 
So at 1 hour in I decided to do an experiment.....remove stock water pan and inserted a foil pan i had laying around that is close to the size if not bigger than comparable water pans i've seen for smokers my size...I know this is not a heavy metal and won't work as well as a heat sink, but let me tell you the diff. in temperature that it made....I put it in the smoker just sitting on an empty rack with the bottom filled with warm water and the chamber is already climbing through 315 as I type and the wind has picked up....I'm going to have to find a way to mount this or something similar for better heat control during low temp smokes, but this is a vast improvement to this smoker just by not blocking the whole heat chamber from smoking chamber.....322 and climbing!

-Rob
 
Hey Rob, have you tried putting play sand in the water pan? That's what I use in mine all the time. Put the sand in and cover it with foil to keep out any drippings. Change the foil as needed after the smoke.
 
SmokingMeatForums.com is reader supported and as an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

Latest posts

Hot Threads

Clicky