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bobnobody

Newbie
Original poster
Jun 28, 2013
7
10
Central Connecticut
Hi all!

Its a bit wet in the northeast right now but I hope to be able to start enjoying my new smoker soon.

I'm planning to start with a whole chicken, though from reading through some forum posts here it seems quite a bit trickier than I originally expected.

I will be brining the bird to start, likely something simple: salt, pepper corns, parsley and oregano (both fresh). It's a slight variation from a turkey brine I use for Thanksgiving.

I've got an electric brinkmann, so temp control doesn't really exist, but I've added a metal sautee pan to the bottom to hold my wood chips. In this case cherry.

The bird itself will be coated in a vegetable oil with the same herb combination, and a once over with larger kosher salt flakes, and fresh ground black pepper, then more herbs and a lemon stuffed inside the cavity.

Any additional tips/tricks/hazards you're willing to share will be appreciated! I'll be adding pictures, q-view?, as the process unfolds.

Oh, and do I soak the chips or not? This seems to be hotly debated everywhere I look.
 
I have a charcoal UDS. I do not soak my wood. I don't see a need to. Now you could make a pouch out of foil with holes poked in them after soaking them.
 
Make sure you have a dependable thermometer and cook the Bird to 165*F in the deepest part of the Breast and Thigh (without touching any bone).

Have fun and as always . . .
 
I soaked some chips & chunks about 4 years ago, and found it to be useless.

I no longer use any wood chips or chunks.

"AMNPS" All the way!!!  Only way to go with an electric smoker IMHO.

Bear
 
I don't soak - I want the wood to burn cleanly, not smolder. I also use a BGE and lump charcoal.

The important thing here is try soaking one time, and not the next and decide what works best for you.

Have fun and enjoy!
 
Soaking the wood only delays the smoke process. Its not going to smoke until the water evaporates. Besides the amount of water wood takes in is minimal. Thats the reason they make boats out of it.. .or at least used to. BTW...... welcome from another nutmegger.
 
It took a bit over 4 hours to come up to 163 in the breast. Then about another 10 minutes resting to get to 167. We were really surprised it was still as moist as it was.
 
Nice dark color on your bird.  What was the weight of the bird and your decision on the chips?  Not being familiar with your smoker, do you know the cooking temperature?

Tom 
 
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