I need beer can chicken answers

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mearm

Newbie
Original poster
Feb 2, 2013
25
14
SW Illinois near St.Louis, MO
I brined 2 fryers for 15 hours and then set up for an Apple wood smoke. I set up the smoker for 240 deg F, and but the birds in with a popular beer. checking 1 hour in, it was noticed that 1 bird had indeed fallen over spilling its can of liquid gold so it was decided just to smoke it resting on the breast side.

After about 2 hours, I put in the themometer into both birds. I was showing 150 Deg F in both breasts. 

The temp. only got up to 157 deg F in one breast and actually went down over the next 90 monutes in the other.

Since I was looking for an IT of 160-165, the birds became overcooked and a little rubbery even though they were juicy from the brine and tasty from the smoke.

My question for the experts.

Why did the IT never show that the birds were done?

Could it have been because of the long brine?

This is the first time this has ever happened with brining over 20 birds over 2 years. I am stumped.
 
Mearm, I'm thinking your thermometer is way off , after 2hrs. I would think the temp. would be closer to 165*F- 170*F .. What mind of therm. do you have?

It's frugal to get a good therm and keep it calibirated . Unless you are a pro. , and can tell by look and feel ,you need a therm.!

Hope your future smokes are great , and as usual . . .
 
Yep, like the others said, must be a thermo issue. Have you checked it since then?

I had a thermo go bad on me last week. It was reading fine then all of a sudden the readings starting coming in way high or way low. 
 
As mentioned it sounds like your therm went haywire. I had a probe do that a few weeks back. thing was reading -5°. Changed the batteries in the unit and no change. Ordered a new probe and threw the other one away.

Always check your therm probes, I do when they are new and at least once a month:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/...is-212-f-an-accurate-measure-of-boiling-water

Now the reason your chicken was rubbery was due to the low temp smoking and the brine possibly could have contributed to that too.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/...spritzed-is-the-only-way-to-get-moist-chicken

In my humble opinion, the beer can does nothing for flavor or moisture, its more a of a novelty. I get way better results using other methods to cook poultry.
 
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