Whole chicken question

[reannalynne]

Tomorrow I'm going to be smoking a chicken for the first time. I've done pulled pork, chuck roast, meatloaf, and Easter hams from scratch so far. Numerous times each. I am planning on spatchcocking the chicken and instead of brining, injecting the meat under the skin with a butter/apple juice/seasoning mixture. I AM planning on using peach wood and never have before so I didn't know if there was anything specific I needed to know about it? I know there are sometimes different temperatures for different woods. Any advice is appreciated. Thank you!

Eta: I'll be using a non modified ecb style master forge.

 

[phatbac]

Just make sure to cook to temp not time this is really important with chicken. and be aware that while the breast needs to be about 165 the dark meat at the thigh needs to be at 170 degrees IT this may not (probably wont) happen at the same time.  use two probes or if you just have one and need one for smoker temp keep in the thigh and use a standalone meat therm or instant read on the breast meat.a few degrees over wont hurt anything but a few degrees under is not recommended for anyone.

I like to cook my chicken around 275ish peach should give a nice flavor. 

If you are going to sauce the bird and bake on the sauce, then i suggest getting to about 160 degrees IT and then cut heat down to 225 brush/mop the sauce on and finish up like that or you can finish off in an oven since i remember my ecb days having trouble getting my temps to behave well. if the sauce has sugar or honey (and most do) you really dont want above 230 or you will burn the sugar/honey in the sauce and it will be black and wont look good.(taste good though)

Happy Smoking,

phatbac (Aaron)