# Whole Chicken - Need Input



## illini40 (Mar 24, 2018)

Hello

I am planning on doing a whole chicken on the Weber Spirit gas grill tomorrow. The weather looks crappy so looking to keep it simple with the grill.

I have a 5.5lb chicken. I was going to do indirect heat around 275*. How long should I plan for?

I have a beer can stand...should I use that?

I'll also have a small set of beef ribs on.

I've never done a whole chicken like this, so looking for any input.

Thanks!


----------



## hillbillyrkstr (Mar 24, 2018)

I’ve used beer can stands on my genesis and it works great! Got the grill not as possible put the chicken in, and turned al burners down to medium. Came out great! Crispy skin and tender meat. The tray on the bottom of the stand keeps the flare ups down so it works perfect!


----------



## smokeymose (Mar 24, 2018)

If you use the beer can stand it shouldn't take more than a couple of hours at that temp. If you spatchcock it even less.
The beef ribs will take longer, though...


----------



## foamheart (Mar 24, 2018)

Easy about 2 hours depending on weather.

Make a brine and stick the whole bird in it now! Not a cure, a simple brine. Then before smoking tomorrow, dry it well and place under a fan for about 30 to 45 mins. to form a pellicle. Thats when it turns kinda yellow and is tacky. before ya put it on the grill rub it down with cooking oil of your choice and you're done till it is. Pull the bird when you get an IT (internal temp) of about 163 degrees. You'll be amazed at what you have done!

Simple brine for the bird, approx 1 qt. water (you can add more it will hurt nothing),  1/4C of white sugar, 1/4C brown sugar, and a 1/4C of salt, add any spice you like to it but you will not taste it too much. It will be the plumbest juiciest bird you ever smoked.








You can  also just search Brined chicken ~ Foamheart or Nekkid Chicken ~ Foamheart (if you don't wanta brine)


----------



## hillbillyrkstr (Mar 24, 2018)

The oil is an important step for great crispy skin


----------



## foamheart (Mar 24, 2018)

hillbillyrkstr said:


> The oil is an important step for great crispy skin



It and the pellicle. pellicle in pork and poultry IMHO is the most important thing you can prep. It guarantees to take the rubber outta that skin, well and the oil.







its the small things you do that make all the difference.


----------



## illini40 (Mar 24, 2018)

Thanks everyone. Just got the bird in a brine and is sitting in the fridge.

I'm thinking I may run the smoker tomorrow, instead of the grill. I'll be still planning to run around 275*.

Sounds like around 2 hours?


----------



## crazzycajun (Mar 24, 2018)

That will be a good staring point remember poultry really doesn’t benefit from the low and slow. The skin will be soggy or rubbery so don’t be scared of heat the birds like it


----------



## foamheart (Mar 24, 2018)

Remember first time, KISS Keep it simple. Just a regular old smoked chicken is Awesome!

Use your meat thermometer. It will guaranty safety and delicious food even if you mess up. Pull at about 163 IT and it will travel 3 or 4 degrees while you let it sit. Sitting/resting is also important. Give it as long as you can stand... usually I think I have earned a reward if I last 20 mins. LOL Its a long time when you are smelling that arona thruout the kitchen!

Again I say, I never have rubbery skin even when smoking at 225, you must form a pellicle. The pellicle is so important.  It makes all the difference! Woodcutter showed it to me and it has not ever failed. Chickens and small turkeys are fine at high temp. but a big turkey must be low and slow or its too tuff to eat. But in that case you'll need to cure the turkey. But no sense confusing you with curing now.

If you use the smoker, chose a light smoke. And then use it sparingly. One of the biggest problems folks have initially is to over do the smoke. the smoke should compliment the meat and not dominate. Its better to go too light than it is to go much.


----------



## illini40 (Mar 25, 2018)

The bird turned out pretty good. Ended up on the smoker for about 3 hours.


----------



## foamheart (Mar 25, 2018)

/nudge /nudge /nudge

Well bestest bird ebber, or what? Pictures! Pictures!


----------



## foamheart (Mar 25, 2018)

So was your skin rubbery? Was your chicken dry? Did everyone agree you should try it again next weekend??


----------



## illini40 (Mar 25, 2018)

The skin was a little rubbery. Should I run a hotter temp for that? I sprayed the skin with some olive oil a couple of times during the cook. I thought I read that would help.

It was tender - not dripping moist, but pretty good for a first time with it.


----------



## foamheart (Mar 25, 2018)

illini40 said:


> The skin was a little rubbery. Should I run a hotter temp for that? I sprayed the skin with some olive oil a couple of times during the cook. I thought I read that would help.
> 
> It was tender - not dripping moist, but pretty good for a first time with it.




How long did you set it right under the fan before smoking ?  Did the see the pellicle form, the yellow fat sort looks like its raising to the surface of the skin? It makes a store bought chicken look like a home grown one. If you want crispy crackly skin like fried chicken, you need to do 300+ degrees a friend says 325 anyway.

What type smoker did you use? You started I thought with a Weber but then said you were changing.

Its the curse of smoking, it takes years and years to be completely happy with the end result, and even then you'll try and better it...LOL. I don't remember ever not liked a smoked meal..... creosote don't count. You are going to enjoy doing it, its fun, your hands smell good and ya get good food to eat after relaxing and watching the pit all day.


----------



## crazzycajun (Mar 26, 2018)

Looks good I can tell you it turned out better than my first bird.


----------



## chopsaw (Mar 26, 2018)

Looks great . Don't look like it was your first time .


----------



## zwiller (Mar 26, 2018)

+1.  Good job!


----------



## forgiven1 (May 5, 2018)

foamheart said:


> Remember first time, KISS Keep it simple. Just a regular old smoked chicken is Awesome!
> 
> Use your meat thermometer. It will guaranty safety and delicious food even if you mess up. Pull at about 163 IT and it will travel 3 or 4 degrees while you let it sit. Sitting/resting is also important. Give it as long as you can stand... usually I think I have earned a reward if I last 20 mins. LOL Its a long time when you are smelling that arona thruout the kitchen!
> 
> ...



What a helpful set of tips.   I am going to have to try the pelicle on my chicken since rubber skin is one of the things I try hardest to avoid.


----------



## Rings Я Us (May 5, 2018)

forgiven1 said:


> What a helpful set of tips.   I am going to have to try the pelicle on my chicken since rubber skin is one of the things I try hardest to avoid.



I do this trick to get skin loose and allow it to render best.


----------



## forgiven1 (May 5, 2018)

WooHoooooo!!    Mesquite chicken came out amazing!


----------



## zwiller (May 6, 2018)

Split chicken breasts on deck.  https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/split-chicken-breasts.275070/

While I do pellicle on pretty much everything, I never used oil.  Just rub a light coat of say veg oil on the skin after good pellicle reached?  Also, when forming pellicle, is dry to touch overdoing it?


----------



## snakester (Jun 9, 2018)

Since my smoker has a max of 275 would it be illegal to finish it off with 3-4 minutes under the broiler to put a crisp on the skin?


----------



## smokeymose (Jun 9, 2018)

snakester said:


> Since my smoker has a max of 275 would it be illegal to finish it off with 3-4 minutes under the broiler to put a crisp on the skin?


Nope


----------



## kawboy (Jun 9, 2018)

foamheart said:


> Easy about 2 hours depending on weather.
> 
> Make a brine and stick the whole bird in it now! Not a cure, a simple brine. Then before smoking tomorrow, dry it well and place under a fan for about 30 to 45 mins. to form a pellicle. Thats when it turns kinda yellow and is tacky. before ya put it on the grill rub it down with cooking oil of your choice and you're done till it is. Pull the bird when you get an IT (internal temp) of about 163 degrees. You'll be amazed at what you have done!
> 
> ...


how long do you brine it for?


----------



## foamheart (Jun 10, 2018)

If I brine its generally 18 to 36 hours. Under 18 I don't see any change, over 36/48 I can tell a texture difference in the meat. Remember all the things you are doing smoking, to be successful, are flexible. I use slightly less salt than sugar. I find that salt influences the osmosis more than the sugar, but the sugar does a little while offsetting the salt. I would rather have a slightly sweet meat than slightly salty. Sweet is not as detectable IMHO.


----------



## Teufelhunde (Jun 11, 2018)

crazzycajun said:


> remember poultry really doesn’t benefit from the low and slow.



I might beg to differ here.....Did a turkey breast on the PG500 over the weekend that was injected with a homemade injection of lemon juice, butter and a few other goodies, cooked at 200, then 225 when it stalled at 160, took it to 170 and it literally melted in your mouth....I think likely the best turkey I have ever eaten.....

Lon


----------



## foamheart (Jun 12, 2018)

Teufelhunde said:


> I might beg to differ here.....Did a turkey breast on the PG500 over the weekend that was injected with a homemade injection of lemon juice, butter and a few other goodies, cooked at 200, then 225 when it stalled at 160, took it to 170 and it literally melted in your mouth....I think likely the best turkey I have ever eaten.....
> 
> Lon



Low and slow is smoking. But after a lot of poultry higher heat more easily makes a crackly skin. Note I say more easily, you can still get a nice skin at lower heat if prepared properly.

I really normally don't try high heat (250+ IMHO), I am more a 220 kinda guy. I can vary but normally don't see the need. I do most all my smokes at 220 and my smoker just percolates with a smile on its face. When you change one variable like heat then you have others to take into consideration also. 

Now as to poultry, I do change my temps if it is a large bird. 15 pounds or less is really no problem, its why they are not the most popular size at thanksgiving. If its not enough you cook two and have extra legs for the kids. BUT back before mass produced birds, we cooked what we had or could get and you didn't see a lot of small birds. You either raised one or went to a local farm and placed an order. You knew they were fresh and well feed but they lacked the 3% tenderizing juices.

I know I babble, what I am getting to is, the time/temp was governed by the size of your bird. Not many double ovens back then and a 18 to 25 bird was not uncommon. If you are preparing a 25 pound bird you better believe in low and slow. But then we now worry about the 4/140 rule. That was easily enough cured with a brine cure. When I was but a wee little lad my Pop smoked a huge turkey biggest bird imaginable (I am sure me being small made it even bigger, not to mention a all night smoke by the garage!) And you know how he knew when to pull it? When he could reach with his fingers and grab that little spur nub on the leg and twist it off. All those little leg tendons pulled out with it, or what was left of them. Was the most tender and juicy turkey ever smoked!

There is no one way to smoke anything. There is only the way you'll enjoy smoking it this day. Hot and fast vs. low and slow, both can, when smoked properly, make dang good groceries!


----------



## forktender (Jul 16, 2018)

foamheart said:


> It and the pellicle. pellicle in pork and poultry IMHO is the most important thing you can prep. It guarantees to take the rubber outta that skin, well and the oil.
> 
> View attachment 358422
> 
> ...


Awesome looking bird!!!
You can also unwrap the birds rinse and dry with paper towel then place it in the refer uncovered overnight and up to 36 hours to form a really nice pellicle. I actually prefer doing any type of fowl this way in the refer. I like to brush the skin lightly with grapeseed oil and some lemon juice using a fresh rosemary bunch then season S&P and a sprig of charred rosemary chopped very fine. Throw both halfs of lemon into the cavity along with the rosemary bunch I used to brush the oil and lemon juice on to the bird. Yum, I haven't done birds in a little bit I need to go grab a few for the Que after seeing your pic's, great looking bird. :cool:


----------



## foamheart (Jul 16, 2018)

forktender said:


> Awesome looking bird!!!
> You can also unwrap the birds rinse and dry with paper towel then place it in the refer uncovered overnight and up to 36 hours to form a really nice pellicle. I actually prefer doing any type of fowl this way in the refer. I like to brush the skin lightly with grapeseed oil and some lemon juice using a fresh rosemary bunch then season S&P and a sprig of charred rosemary chopped very fine. Throw both halfs of lemon into the cavity along with the rosemary bunch I used to brush the oil and lemon juice on to the bird. Yum, I haven't done birds in a little bit I need to go grab a few for the Que after seeing your pic's, great looking bird. :cool:



There is nothing better than a delicious juicy tender smoked chicken.


----------



## cooperman (Jul 17, 2018)

forktender said:


> Awesome looking bird!!!
> You can also unwrap the birds rinse and dry with paper towel then place it in the refer uncovered overnight and up to 36 hours to form a really nice pellicle. I actually prefer doing any type of fowl this way in the refer. I like to brush the skin lightly with grapeseed oil and some lemon juice using a fresh rosemary bunch then season S&P and a sprig of charred rosemary chopped very fine. Throw both halfs of lemon into the cavity along with the rosemary bunch I used to brush the oil and lemon juice on to the bird. Yum, I haven't done birds in a little bit I need to go grab a few for the Que after seeing your pic's, great looking bird. :cool:



Forktender, what is your brine recipe?


----------

