# Hints for first smoked chicken



## walt408

I have been smoking on my 18.5 WSM about 4 months now; pork butts (pulled pork) and briskets have come out great. I want to smoke a few chickens this weekend and need some help.

I want to keep the birds whole, and probably do them beer can style. I expect brine them and rub them. I would like the skin to be crispy. Is this an impossible set of criteria? What temps and time should I use?

I found great info on this site for the pork butts and the briskets. Are there similar articles for chicken (I haven't found them).  Again, my main ideas/questions:

smoke whole chicken

beer can style

crispy skin

brine (recipe?)

rub (recipe?)

smoking temp?

smoking time?

Thanks for your help.

Walt


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## mballi3011

Well I'm really glad that your smoking abilities are growing. Now for your chicken I would smoke it whole too. I do them all the time. I like mine just straight in the grates. I keep my smoker at about 280*-320* and let the chicken go to maybe 165* or so in the breast. Then I would foil it and let it rest for a a half an hour or so. then you will have some fine tasty and very juicy too. Now for your prep I would look in the wiki section here and find Tip's Slaughter House Brine and use that one. It's really good and makes the bird really juicy too. OK for your time I would say maybe 3 hours or so less if you chop it up. Then you can rub your bird with any good rub that you like. If you look into the wiki here again for rubs you will find a bunch of them and you can always get Jeff's rub and sauce and yes it's that good and it helps this place stay in business. So go smoke you some yard bird and don't forget the Qview for us out here for we are crazy about that stuff.


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## ballagh

I second the Slaughterhouse Brine, Rub, and Sprtiz. I pull the skin loose and rub with butter and cajun seasoning, put the skin back and rub the outside of it with butter and cajan seasoning also.  I set it on the beer can stand with a whole onion peeled sitting in the neck.  Tuck the wings back so they dont turn to charcoal.   I smoke mine about 250 degrees til it hits 170 in the breast and 185 in the thighpit.  If you want it crisp, then crank you heat up the last half hour and you will be golden :)  I do the same for turkeys also.  Good Luck and enjoy.


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## richoso1

If you want crispy skin, you'll have to use higher heat, like around 350° or higher. Poultry doesn't benefit from low & slow like some other meats. .I've insered a pic of some high heat chicks I did at 375°, the one with the burnt wings is for Gloria, she likes it real toasted (burnt)


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## reichl

in my WSM 18.5" when cooking a whole beer can chicken, I dump a chimney of unlit charcoal in the ring and then I dump one chimney of lit charcoal on top.  I keep all the vents 100% open and the temp will stay at 325*-375* which is the perfect temp range to get crispy skin (Also no water in the water pan).  I am a big fan of Famous Dave's Rib Rub on poultry at the moment (it has a lot of onion and garlic powder). 

Also, I second ballagh's recomendation to tuck the wings back if you plan on eating them.

Good Luck with your smoke!

Oh yeah and one really important thing... DON'T USE TOO MUCH SMOKE!  poultry takes on the smoke flavor a lot easier then butts or briskets.  Just use one medium chunk of wood and you wont regret it.


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## walt408

Thanks for the great ideas. Sounds like I need to smoke about 350 degrees. About how long will a chicken take at that temp? Actually, I'm doing 3 chickens; I'm guessing about 2 hours, however I will cook to temp.


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## jirodriguez

2-3 hrs is average for a chicken, and like Reichl said just leave the water out of the water pan. That will get your temps up over 300° no problem.


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## walt408

I smoked 3 chickens yesterday and they were great. Thanks for all your help. I will start a new thread with all the details and q-view as soon as I figure out how to add pictures to a thread.


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## mlrtym44

so is not really possibly to do this on a MES since you can't get the temps up that high?


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## jirodriguez

mlrtym44 said:


> so is not really possibly to do this on a MES since you can't get the temps up that high?


You can smoke the chicken in your MES then when it is done either toss it on a hot grill for a few minutes or put it under the broiler in your oven. You only need 5-10 minutes, just to crisp the skin.


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## tyotrain

Yes smoked whole chicken is great i do them all the time as well.. I smoke mine around 230 give or take few degrees cook time can change do to outdoor temp and wind so have a good meat thermometer handy. I pull it off the smoker when it hits around 180° F. here is a pic of my last one....


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## alelover

Is that a custom made chicken rack?


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## wingnut

Can't  find the INTRO page, so .... (Sorry I can't resist)  WHAT KIND OF MAGNETS DO YOU USE TO KEEP THE CHICKENS FROM FALLING OFF YOUR COOKER??


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## jpsartrean

I've personally found more success splitting whole chickens into halves - particuarly if you want "crisper" skin.  Why?  Because I like to smoke 'em low and slow (until around ~130 in the breast) and then finish them over a VERY high heat grill (as high as you can go without burning - trial by error here!) with the skin side UP.

By the way, brining certainly helps prevent drying out with this technique (but watch the salt level - not enough can be saved with good sauce/seasoning after the cook, but too salty of a brine and dinner is RUINED).  Only other thing I might point out - if you've been smoking ribs/butts/brisket, I'd warn that chicken/turkey needs FAR less smoke (1/2 or even less of the logs/chunks/chips you've been using for those other cuts).  I also tend to think mesquite doesn't work very well with poultry - apple, oak, or hickory is the way to go (and in that order, best to "worst").  ;-)


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## jpsartrean

P.S. Take it to ~165 degrees internal in the breast over the high heat grill.


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## westsidebbq

Those look pretty dang good!

Darren


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## toetown-man

I have did a few chickens myself that way.  What I did was rub the chicken with a rub and shot the chickens up with some melted butter and seasonings.  Put the chickens in the smoker for 20 to 30 mins at 400 degrees, that will give you a crispy outside of chicken.  Then you put the smoker on 250 degrees.  Dont know how long I do not keep a time on the chickens.  I have a meat thermometer to say whens is done.. Good luck and let me know how they come out..


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## dauntless

alelover said:


> Is that a custom made chicken rack?


I do not want to speak fo rthe orig poster but I have one just like it from Cabella's


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## walt408

The chickens came out great. Here is a thread that describes the results in detail:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forum/thread/97184/first-smoked-chicken-success-details-and-q-

One q-view to wet your appetite:


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## bigrnm13

Well guys,

I did my first smoking attempt last night.  I smoked two chickens.  I will send the pics later when I figure out how to do it. Here are the details as best I remember:

I have a charbroiler offset firebox smoker that I just put together last weekend.  My first smoker. I put about a chimney starter worth of un-lit charcoal briquettes on the bottom of a box I made.  Then I added a few apple wood chips. (they were soaked for about an hour in water.) Then I added a chimney starter of lit coals on top with some more chips on top of that.

I used Kingsford Charcoal briguettes because that is all I had at home and didn't have time to go to the store.

I have looked at a lot of information here on this fabulous forum, and it helped me tremendously.  From rubs to the way to cook the chickens.

I decided to cut the chickens in half and put them in the smoker skin side up like some of you have suggested.  I did put a water container close to the firebox for added moisture, again, like some of you have suggested.

I had the chickens in the smoker for 4 hours exactly. They came out looking very good and tasting very good.  However, I did have some problems.

I could not get the temp to go up past 300 in the smoker.  Also, I didn't get the chicken breast temp up to 165.  I could only get it up to 124.  Don't know why.

I tried not to peak, but being my first time, it was very hard to resist, not only for the chicken part, but because I had a temp gauge inside the smoker, and wanted to know what the temp was inside.  I have to get another temp gauge. 

I also had to keep adding coals into the firebox, as I could see the temp fall dramatically after about an hour and a half.  I tried to do the minion method of charcoaling, but for some reason, the temp would only go up to 300 near the firebox, and 200 or so at the other end of the smoker.

I really couldn't relax and have a cold one inside because I was worried about the temp of the smoker and chicken.  Don't know what I did wrong.

I took the chicken out after 4 hours in the smoker and had to put in the oven for about 30 minutes to get the chicken cooked up right.  That bothered me a bit.

I did not brine the chicken because I don't have a container big enough for two chickens or the space in the fridge for brining.  I understand it has to be kept cold for brining.  So I decided to just rub some oil and butter and a dry rub on them instead. 

The flavor came out great, and it looked really good too, it's just that the temps were giving me hell.

Any suggestions and replys would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Big "R"


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## bigrnm13

Can someone help me to attach my pics to the forum?  I keep getting a message that says I am not allowed to send any attachments.

Thanks.


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## meyer

Hi Bigrnm13,

That is most likely because your account needs to be approved. That will happend within a few days, and you will get a mail confirming this.

When uploading a photo you will need to have an album you can load your photos into, and the use the link to show your pictures.

Hope this helps

Kind regards

-Meyer


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## sqwib

Ditto on the higher temps, make sure to rub butter up under the skin at the breast are to keep from drying out, because you may dry out the breast before the thigh meat is at 180.

I just threw 2 on at about 350 - 375 for 90 minutes.

It was pretty good.

Here is a post from my blog "SQWIB'S RF Cooks" and a few pics, sorry its so long




















"Beer Can Chicken" 

[h2] [/h2]
Remember food safety especially with chicken, do not "cross contaminate" and keep a bleach based cleaner on hand to wipe everything down each step of the way.

When working with chicken get everything ready and mixed before ever handling the chicken.

Preheat *RF *to 350 degrees.

Mix some sweet basil with butter to rub up underneath the skin in the breast area. 

Prepare your beer can and pour out half the beer, take a can opener and remove the top of the beer can.

Remove chicken from refrigerator, remove the gizzard goodie bag, rinse chicken and set aside.

Add the giblets neck and liver from the bag and a teaspoon of rosemary to the beer can.

_If you want to make gravy, you can add salt and other spices such as garlic and onion powder and when you remove the can from the chicken, place in a pot and dress up a bit, get creative here._

Some people do not like the taste of liver, so you may not want to add the liver to the beer can if making gravy.

I have noticed that spices such as Rosemary added in the can really impart flavor into the chicken.

Place the Beer can on a cookie sheet. Rub chicken with olive oil and add your favorite rub or spices. Place chicken on the beer can.

Heat the RF up to about 350 degrees, remove the “Beer Can Chickens” from the cookie sheet and place directly on the grates.

Cook about 80 minutes, I did 90 minutes last time and it came out pretty good. _The chicken makes for an incredible chicken salad the next day._

The safe temp to cook a whole chicken is 180 degrees; I don’t mind overcooking these guys because they still come out OK.

*Safe cooking temp for whole chicken is 165 degrees, I apologize for the typo*

*FDA Link*

Just make sure to get some butter up under the skin at the breast area, because the breast can dry out before the chicken is done.

Remove the chicken from the grill, place in a clean steamer pan and rest for about 15 minutes before carving.

_If you are making gravy, do so while the chicken is resting._

Remove the skin and place on the still hot grates, carve the chicken and after the all the carving is done remove the skin and cut into strips to serve alongside the meat.

As you can see by the first photo, I did not rub these with olive oil or place any butter underneath the skin, however it still came out pretty good. 

My next “Beer Can Chicken” will be cooked at 275 degrees for 90 minutes to see how much of a difference there is in cooking with different temperatures.


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## sammy4chickens

They look great, did the skin come out soft or crispy? They have Great Color and look fantastic from here and I'll bet they were juicy too!

In case you can't tell, I love chicken, in any shape or form and I think they look GREAT in your pictures.


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## hbark

Hey chicken is easy!


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## tyotrain

yes my buddy build it for me they work great for two chickens. I think he got the idea from bass pro shop so i am sure u can buy them


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## chefdave007

well try doing one upside down on the can,, breast wing wrap in foil ..cook 30 mins then remove the foil and finish, you will keep the moisture in the breast and the thigh and leg fat will baste this.try it ..also paint the wings with hot sauce and its a conversation piece to all... just ask chef dave im the one with lots of ideas to SHARE...chefdave007aol.com


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## asher

Wow, that sounds amazing! I'll have to try it.


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## vic81

ChefDave007 said:


> well try doing one upside down on the can,, breast wing wrap in foil ..cook 30 mins then remove the foil and finish, you will keep the moisture in the breast and the thigh and leg fat will baste this.try it ..also paint the wings with hot sauce and its a conversation piece to all... just ask chef dave im the one with lots of ideas to SHARE...chefdave007aol.com


Do any of you guys brine the chicken first before smoking it??


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## bigrnm13

Hi guys,

Still haven't gotten a response for my 08/23/10 post.  I am wondering what I did wrong with my temps.

Also, I received an email from Meyer about how to post pics onto this forum, but I have not gotten confirmation from Admin on how to do this.  Please let me know as I want to continue my contributions to this forum.

Thanks.


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## sqwib

Bigrnm13 said:


> Well guys,
> 
> I did my first smoking attempt last night.  I smoked two chickens.  I will send the pics later when I figure out how to do it. Here are the details as best I remember:
> 
> I have a charbroiler offset firebox smoker that I just put together last weekend.  My first smoker. I put about a chimney starter worth of un-lit charcoal briquettes on the bottom of a box I made.  Then I added a few apple wood chips. (they were soaked for about an hour in water.) Then I added a chimney starter of lit coals on top with some more chips on top of that.
> 
> I used Kingsford Charcoal briguettes because that is all I had at home and didn't have time to go to the store.
> 
> I have looked at a lot of information here on this fabulous forum, and it helped me tremendously.  From rubs to the way to cook the chickens.
> 
> I decided to cut the chickens in half and put them in the smoker skin side up like some of you have suggested.  I did put a water container close to the firebox for added moisture, again, like some of you have suggested.
> 
> I had the chickens in the smoker for 4 hours exactly. They came out looking very good and tasting very good.  However, I did have some problems.
> 
> I could not get the temp to go up past 300 in the smoker.  Also, I didn't get the chicken breast temp up to 165.  I could only get it up to 124.  Don't know why.
> 
> I tried not to peak, but being my first time, it was very hard to resist, not only for the chicken part, but because I had a temp gauge inside the smoker, and wanted to know what the temp was inside.  I have to get another temp gauge.
> 
> I also had to keep adding coals into the firebox, as I could see the temp fall dramatically after about an hour and a half.  I tried to do the minion method of charcoaling, but for some reason, the temp would only go up to 300 near the firebox, and 200 or so at the other end of the smoker.
> 
> I really couldn't relax and have a cold one inside because I was worried about the temp of the smoker and chicken.  Don't know what I did wrong.
> 
> I took the chicken out after 4 hours in the smoker and had to put in the oven for about 30 minutes to get the chicken cooked up right.  That bothered me a bit.
> 
> I did not brine the chicken because I don't have a container big enough for two chickens or the space in the fridge for brining.  I understand it has to be kept cold for brining.  So I decided to just rub some oil and butter and a dry rub on them instead.
> 
> The flavor came out great, and it looked really good too, it's just that the temps were giving me hell.
> 
> Any suggestions and replys would be appreciated.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Big "R"





Bigrnm13 said:


> Hi guys,
> 
> Still haven't gotten a response for my 08/23/10 post.  I am wondering what I did wrong with my temps.
> 
> Also, I received an email from Meyer about how to post pics onto this forum, but I have not gotten confirmation from Admin on how to do this.  Please let me know as I want to continue my contributions to this forum.
> 
> Thanks.


I am not familiar with that smoker but will try to help, have you calibrated your thermometers, how are you coming up with the temp readings.

How large were the chickens.

Were you cooking on the hot side or the cool side.

Have you looked into any mods such as a baffle for your smoker.

Something is definitely wrong if you had the chicken in the smoker for 4 hours and they only read 124 degrees.It wasn't a frozen chicken... was it???

First off it was in the danger zone too long.

My first suggestion would be accurate thermometers and a digital probe type thermometer placed inside the thigh of the chicken.

My second suggestion would be to do some mods after you have checked the charbroiler with good thermometers.


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## vic81

Bigrnm13 said:


> Hi guys,
> 
> Still haven't gotten a response for my 08/23/10 post.  I am wondering what I did wrong with my temps.
> 
> Also, I received an email from Meyer about how to post pics onto this forum, but I have not gotten confirmation from Admin on how to do this.  Please let me know as I want to continue my contributions to this forum.
> 
> Thanks.


Hey Bigrnm13 - I am new to this forum and just signed up late last week.  I have have had no issues uploading images.  Have you tried using the image button.  This one:

 
	

		
			
		

		
	







Or maybe it is the file size, what size are the photos you are trying to upload? I usually crop mine down to ~500 px wide or so and they end up being less than 100kb.  I noticed you said 'send attachments' - how are you trying to upload the photos?  Can you give some more details?


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## walt408

Bigrnm13 said:


> Hi guys,
> 
> Still haven't gotten a response for my 08/23/10 post.  I am wondering what I did wrong with my temps.
> 
> Also, I received an email from Meyer about how to post pics onto this forum, but I have not gotten confirmation from Admin on how to do this.  Please let me know as I want to continue my contributions to this forum.
> 
> Thanks.


Hi,

I'm still fairly new to smoking (about 5 months) and it appears you have about 4 questions. I believe questions can get lost in a long thread; I have had good results in asking one specific question in a thread.

1. Temps in your Charbroiler offset: I have a WSM; suggest you ask the question in a new thread in the "charcoal smoker" area of the forum.

2. Chicken not reaching proper temp: I'm not sure. Were your thermometers accurate? Was the chicken totally defrosted? You may need a new thread in the "poultry" area.

3. Brining the chicken: I bought a plastice utility bucket with a lid at Lowes for less than $5. I washed it very well, and only use it for brining. When brining the chicken or turkey, I first place it in the refrigerator to chill the brine, then add the chicken and put it back into the refrigerator. I have an old refrig in the garage that I mainly use for drinks. I remove a shelf to make room for the bucket.

4. Posting pictures: I use the PICTURE icon on the REPLY screen and follow the steps. If you still have problems, you may want to ask in a new thread in the "for new members" area.

Walt


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## jirodriguez

On your smoker, do you have a hanging charcoal basket or are you just building a fire in the bottom of the firebox? If you are just building the fire in the bottom of the firebox your charcoal is smothering itself with its own ash. If you look around at the mods people make to Char-griller and Char-broil smokers you will find lots of various ideas for a charcoal basket that raises the bottom of the charcoal about 3or 4 inches off of the bottom of the firebox. This creates a place for the ash to fall out of the charcoal and not smother it.

The other mods you want are to extend your smoke stack down to grate level, put 2 therms in the lid one on the left side one on the right side, and create some sort of tuning plate and/or baffle to eaven out your temps from firebox side to non-firebox side.

Now for brining I have got the same space problem you do and have a great solution for that. I buy these Ziploc 3 and 5 gallon bags at a local storage container store. Put your meat and the brine into the bag, zip it shut, put the bag(s) into a large insulated beer cooler, then dump a big bag or two of ice in to fill up the rest of the space. Since the brine is seperated from the ice it doesn't get diluted, and it will stay nice and cold all night long. I usually just leave mine in the garage overnight till I am ready to smoke the next day. Here is a link from my last turkey breast brine showing the bags http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/fo...rined-chicken-and-herbed-brined-turkey-breast


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## bigrnm13

Thanks Vic81, I am going to try it now.

Let me know if you receive them please


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## bigrnm13

I tried posting my images like Vic81 suggested.  don't know if you guys received them.  I don't see them here.  I will try again.


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## bigrnm13

Hi SQWIB,

Thanks for the response. 

the termometer I used I had just purchased at Lowe's, it was brand new.  I didn't realize I had to calibrate it.  How do you calibrate them?

The chicken was not frozen, and I did sort of put it in the middle of the smoker.  I'm wondering if the water pan was too close to the firebox?  When you guys receive the pics, if I did it correctly, you will see where the chicken is.

I need to leave now, but will get back to all of you tomorrow.

Thanks for all the responses,

TTYL,


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## vic81

Hey Bigrnm13 - I can see the pics in both your posts - nicely done!!


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## cptorrez

Well i just ate my bird! God it was awesome!!! i brined it for 24hrs and used weber cickin chicken rub. smoked with hickory and mesquite. here is a couple pics.


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## alelover

Put the thermo in boiling water and see if it reads 212 F. Your boiling point may differ depending on altitude. See chart below for the pressure in your neighborhood.







[size=-1]To calculate the boiling point of water at a location on any specific day use the following equation:[/size]
[size=-1]Boiling point of water = Boiling point at specified altitude (Table 1) ± boiling point barometric correction (Table 2).[/size]​[size=-1]In the tables, the following equations have been used:[/size]
[size=-1]Pressure (in. Hg) = 29.921* (1-6.8753*0.000001 * altitude, ft.)^5.2559[/size]​[size=-1]Boiling point = 49.161 * Ln (in. Hg) + 44.932[/size]​ ​
 *[size=-1]TABLE[/size]*  *[size=-1] 1[/size]*​ *[size=-2]Changes in Standard Temperature and Pressure (in Hg) as a Function of Altitude[/size]*​ ​*[size=-1]  (Ref. 1)[/size]*​  *[size=-1]TABLE[/size]*  *[size=-1] 2[/size]*​ ​*[size=-2]Boiling Point as a Function of [/size]*​*[size=-2]Barometric Pressure[/size]*​ ​*[size=-1]  (Ref. 2)[/size]*​[size=-1]Altitude (ft.)[/size]​[size=-1]Pressure[/size]​[size=-1](in. Hg)[/size]​[size=-1]Boiling pt.[/size]​[size=-1](° F)[/size]​[size=-1]  [/size]​[size=-1]Pressure[/size]​[size=-1](in. Hg)[/size]​[size=-1]Boiling pt. [/size]​[size=-1](° F)[/size]​[size=-1]Boiling pt.[/size]​[size=-1][added or reduced][/size]​[size=-1](° F)[/size]​[size=-1]-500[/size]​[size=-1]30.466[/size]​[size=-1]212.9[/size]​ ​[size=-1]27.6[/size]​[size=-1]208.04[/size]​[size=-1]-3.96[/size]​[size=-1]0[/size]​[size=-1]29.921[/size]​[size=-1]212.0[/size]​ ​[size=-1]27.8[/size]​[size=-1]208.39[/size]​[size=-1]-3.61[/size]​[size=-1]500[/size]​[size=-1]29.384[/size]​[size=-1]211.1[/size]​ ​[size=-1]28.0[/size]​[size=-1]208.75[/size]​[size=-1]-3.25[/size]​[size=-1]1000[/size]​[size=-1]28.855[/size]​[size=-1]210.2[/size]​ ​[size=-1]28.2[/size]​[size=-1]209.10[/size]​[size=-1]-2.90[/size]​[size=-1]2000[/size]​[size=-1]27.821[/size]​[size=-1]208.4[/size]​ ​[size=-1]28.4[/size]​[size=-1]209.44[/size]​[size=-1]-2.56[/size]​[size=-1]2500[/size]​[size=-1]27.315[/size]​[size=-1]207.5[/size]​ ​[size=-1]28.6[/size]​[size=-1]209.79[/size]​[size=-1]-2.21[/size]​[size=-1]3000[/size]​[size=-1]26.817[/size]​[size=-1]206.6[/size]​ ​[size=-1]28.8[/size]​[size=-1]210.13[/size]​[size=-1]-1.87[/size]​[size=-1]3500[/size]​[size=-1]26.326[/size]​[size=-1]205.7[/size]​ ​[size=-1]29.0[/size]​[size=-1]210.47[/size]​[size=-1]-1.53[/size]​[size=-1]4000[/size]​[size=-1]25.842[/size]​[size=-1]204.8[/size]​ ​[size=-1]29.2[/size]​[size=-1]210.81[/size]​[size=-1]-1.19[/size]​[size=-1]4500[/size]​[size=-1]25.365[/size]​[size=-1]203.9[/size]​ ​[size=-1]29.4[/size]​[size=-1]211.15[/size]​[size=-1]-0.85[/size]​[size=-1]5000[/size]​[size=-1]24.896[/size]​[size=-1]203.0[/size]​ ​[size=-1]29.6[/size]​[size=-1]211.48[/size]​[size=-1]-0.52[/size]​[size=-1]5500[/size]​[size=-1]24.434[/size]​[size=-1]202.0[/size]​ ​[size=-1]29.8[/size]​[size=-1]211.81[/size]​[size=-1]-0.19[/size]​[size=-1]6000[/size]​[size=-1]23.978[/size]​[size=-1]201.1[/size]​ ​[size=-1]29.921[/size]​[size=-1]212.00[/size]​[size=-1]0.00[/size]​[size=-1]6500[/size]​[size=-1]23.530[/size]​[size=-1]200.2[/size]​ ​[size=-1]30.0[/size]​[size=-1]212.14[/size]​[size=-1]0.14[/size]​[size=-1]7000[/size]​[size=-1]23.088[/size]​[size=-1]199.3[/size]​ ​[size=-1]30.2[/size]​[size=-1]212.46[/size]​[size=-1]0.46[/size]​[size=-1]7500[/size]​[size=-1]22.653[/size]​[size=-1]198.3[/size]​ ​[size=-1]30.4[/size]​[size=-1]212.79[/size]​[size=-1]0.79[/size]​[size=-1]8000[/size]​[size=-1]22.225[/size]​[size=-1]197.4[/size]​ ​[size=-1]30.6[/size]​[size=-1]213.11[/size]​[size=-1]1.11[/size]​[size=-1]8500[/size]​[size=-1]21.803[/size]​[size=-1]196.4[/size]​ ​[size=-1]30.8[/size]​[size=-1]213.43[/size]​[size=-1]1.43[/size]​[size=-1]9000[/size]​[size=-1]21.388[/size]​[size=-1]195.5[/size]​ ​[size=-1]31.0[/size]​[size=-1]213.75[/size]​[size=-1]1.75[/size]​[size=-1]9500[/size]​[size=-1]20.979[/size]​[size=-1]194.6[/size]​ ​[size=-1]31.2[/size]​[size=-1]214.07[/size]​[size=-1]2.07[/size]​[size=-1]10000[/size]​[size=-1]20.577[/size]​[size=-1]193.6[/size]​ ​[size=-1]31.4[/size]​[size=-1]214.38[/size]​[size=-1]2.38[/size]​


----------



## bigrnm13

Thanks VIC81


----------



## bigrnm13

Thanks guys for the responses.  I did use a basket for the charcoal.  I am wondering if the water pan was too close to the firebox.  Now that you see the pics, can you see the water pan?  I am going to calibrate the gauge like alelover and others have suggested.  Question though, if the gauge does not read 212 for the boiling temp, how do I adjust it? 

Also, if the gauge is correct, what else could have gone wrong?  I am going to do a brisket this weekend, will let you know the details.

Thanks guys,

TTYL


----------



## alelover

I bought mine from River Country. One was off by 7 degrees. They promptly sent me a new one.


----------



## sqwib

Bigrnm13 said:


> Hi SQWIB,
> 
> Thanks for the response.
> 
> the termometer I used I had just purchased at Lowe's, it was brand new.  I didn't realize I had to calibrate it.  How do you calibrate them?
> 
> The chicken was not frozen, and I did sort of put it in the middle of the smoker.  I'm wondering if the water pan was too close to the firebox?  When you guys receive the pics, if I did it correctly, you will see where the chicken is.
> 
> I need to leave now, but will get back to all of you tomorrow.
> 
> Thanks for all the responses,
> 
> TTYL,


Calibrate may not be the correct word, you need to find the difference in temp and make a note of it, so if you do what Alelover (Thanks), has posted below and say it should read 212 degrees but shows something like 245, then subtract the 212 from the 245, giving you a 33 degree difference, so your next smoke if you are trying to keep the temps at 225, your thermo would read 258 (33 added).

Of course this is just an example.

The type thermo in Alelovers photo seem to run cool, I have 3 and barely make it to 200 degrees in boiling water, his appears to be running 10 degrees cool, by the looks of the pic..

 


alelover said:


> Put the thermo in boiling water and see if it reads 212 F. Your boiling point may differ depending on altitude. See chart below for the pressure in your neighborhood.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> [size=-1]To calculate the boiling point of water at a location on any specific day use the following equation:[/size]
> [size=-1]Boiling point of water = Boiling point at specified altitude (Table 1) ± boiling point barometric correction (Table 2).[/size]​[size=-1]In the tables, the following equations have been used:[/size]
> [size=-1]Pressure (in. Hg) = 29.921* (1-6.8753*0.000001 * altitude, ft.)^5.2559[/size]​[size=-1]Boiling point = 49.161 * Ln (in. Hg) + 44.932[/size]​ ​
> *[size=-1]TABLE[/size]*  *[size=-1] 1[/size]*​ *[size=-2]Changes in Standard Temperature and Pressure (in Hg) as a Function of Altitude[/size]*​ ​*[size=-1]  (Ref. 1)[/size]*​  *[size=-1]TABLE[/size]*  *[size=-1] 2[/size]*​ ​*[size=-2]Boiling Point as a Function of [/size]*​*[size=-2]Barometric Pressure[/size]*​ ​*[size=-1]  (Ref. 2)[/size]*​[size=-1]Altitude (ft.)[/size]​[size=-1]Pressure[/size]​[size=-1](in. Hg)[/size]​[size=-1]Boiling pt.[/size]​[size=-1](° F)[/size]​[size=-1]  [/size]​[size=-1]Pressure[/size]​[size=-1](in. Hg)[/size]​[size=-1]Boiling pt. [/size]​[size=-1](° F)[/size]​[size=-1]Boiling pt.[/size]​[size=-1][added or reduced][/size]​[size=-1](° F)[/size]​[size=-1]-500[/size]​[size=-1]30.466[/size]​[size=-1]212.9[/size]​ ​[size=-1]27.6[/size]​[size=-1]208.04[/size]​[size=-1]-3.96[/size]​[size=-1]0[/size]​[size=-1]29.921[/size]​[size=-1]212.0[/size]​ ​[size=-1]27.8[/size]​[size=-1]208.39[/size]​[size=-1]-3.61[/size]​[size=-1]500[/size]​[size=-1]29.384[/size]​[size=-1]211.1[/size]​ ​[size=-1]28.0[/size]​[size=-1]208.75[/size]​[size=-1]-3.25[/size]​[size=-1]1000[/size]​[size=-1]28.855[/size]​[size=-1]210.2[/size]​ ​[size=-1]28.2[/size]​[size=-1]209.10[/size]​[size=-1]-2.90[/size]​[size=-1]2000[/size]​[size=-1]27.821[/size]​[size=-1]208.4[/size]​ ​[size=-1]28.4[/size]​[size=-1]209.44[/size]​[size=-1]-2.56[/size]​[size=-1]2500[/size]​[size=-1]27.315[/size]​[size=-1]207.5[/size]​ ​[size=-1]28.6[/size]​[size=-1]209.79[/size]​[size=-1]-2.21[/size]​[size=-1]3000[/size]​[size=-1]26.817[/size]​[size=-1]206.6[/size]​ ​[size=-1]28.8[/size]​[size=-1]210.13[/size]​[size=-1]-1.87[/size]​[size=-1]3500[/size]​[size=-1]26.326[/size]​[size=-1]205.7[/size]​ ​[size=-1]29.0[/size]​[size=-1]210.47[/size]​[size=-1]-1.53[/size]​[size=-1]4000[/size]​[size=-1]25.842[/size]​[size=-1]204.8[/size]​ ​[size=-1]29.2[/size]​[size=-1]210.81[/size]​[size=-1]-1.19[/size]​[size=-1]4500[/size]​[size=-1]25.365[/size]​[size=-1]203.9[/size]​ ​[size=-1]29.4[/size]​[size=-1]211.15[/size]​[size=-1]-0.85[/size]​[size=-1]5000[/size]​[size=-1]24.896[/size]​[size=-1]203.0[/size]​ ​[size=-1]29.6[/size]​[size=-1]211.48[/size]​[size=-1]-0.52[/size]​[size=-1]5500[/size]​[size=-1]24.434[/size]​[size=-1]202.0[/size]​ ​[size=-1]29.8[/size]​[size=-1]211.81[/size]​[size=-1]-0.19[/size]​[size=-1]6000[/size]​[size=-1]23.978[/size]​[size=-1]201.1[/size]​ ​[size=-1]29.921[/size]​[size=-1]212.00[/size]​[size=-1]0.00[/size]​[size=-1]6500[/size]​[size=-1]23.530[/size]​[size=-1]200.2[/size]​ ​[size=-1]30.0[/size]​[size=-1]212.14[/size]​[size=-1]0.14[/size]​[size=-1]7000[/size]​[size=-1]23.088[/size]​[size=-1]199.3[/size]​ ​[size=-1]30.2[/size]​[size=-1]212.46[/size]​[size=-1]0.46[/size]​[size=-1]7500[/size]​[size=-1]22.653[/size]​[size=-1]198.3[/size]​ ​[size=-1]30.4[/size]​[size=-1]212.79[/size]​[size=-1]0.79[/size]​[size=-1]8000[/size]​[size=-1]22.225[/size]​[size=-1]197.4[/size]​ ​[size=-1]30.6[/size]​[size=-1]213.11[/size]​[size=-1]1.11[/size]​[size=-1]8500[/size]​[size=-1]21.803[/size]​[size=-1]196.4[/size]​ ​[size=-1]30.8[/size]​[size=-1]213.43[/size]​[size=-1]1.43[/size]​[size=-1]9000[/size]​[size=-1]21.388[/size]​[size=-1]195.5[/size]​ ​[size=-1]31.0[/size]​[size=-1]213.75[/size]​[size=-1]1.75[/size]​[size=-1]9500[/size]​[size=-1]20.979[/size]​[size=-1]194.6[/size]​ ​[size=-1]31.2[/size]​[size=-1]214.07[/size]​[size=-1]2.07[/size]​[size=-1]10000[/size]​[size=-1]20.577[/size]​[size=-1]193.6[/size]​ ​[size=-1]31.4[/size]​[size=-1]214.38[/size]​[size=-1]2.38[/size]​


Excellent post, thanks again


----------



## kathleen gefre

I'm only about 2 years late for you but just to share a method I;ve used for about 20 years.  I have a brinkman smoker and for chickens with crispy skin I stuff the chicken with quartered lemons garlic cloves and rosemary sprgs, lots of salt and pepper.   The trick is to not use the water pan.   No liquid,  the chickens take a few hours and they are moist and delicious.  Give it a try.


----------



## rtbbq2

Lots of great ideas above to try....Ditto!


----------



## grampysbest

Interesting ideas!  I have no trouble doing a "conventional" smoking -tastes good, looks great.  How do you get the smoked flavor into the bird?  The best I have had are actually pink from the smoking with flavor right down to the bones!  Thanks - Grampy


----------



## hambone1950

One little thing to be aware of with the WSM if you are using both racks at once.....I tried doing a beer can chicken on the bottom rack and found that the top rack wouldn't sit down without hitting the top of the standing chicken.   (It WAS a big chicken).  So , I'm just saying , if you want to do , say , 4 whole chickens , you might have to do the ones on the bottom rack laying down on their bellies......take some pictures!:drool


----------



## jaked

BigR

Check out this link for the mods to your horizontal offset. I know you have the chargriller and not the Brinkman SnP but the use of the baffle and tuning plates will help you with even temps and I found that elevating the charcoal grate helped me get my temps up.

Good Luck and happy grillin!!

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/75110/horizonal-offset-smoker-mods


----------



## traflet

A lot of us don't have room in the fridge for brine buckets... and if you go to competition BBQ out in some field or parking lot, you won't have a fridge there.  What I do is, I got couple of big glass containers with lids - like 2 or 3 gallon size maybe. You can mix up your brine, add the meat or chickens (I have put 2 whole racks of spare ribs together in one jar) and put in some ice cubes or chunks... the bigger the better.  Wrap the glass briner in newspapers and/or towels and it should hold for many hours.

Ain't this fun?!


----------



## traflet

Bigrnm13 said:


> I did not brine the chicken because I don't have a container big enough for two chickens or the space in the fridge for brining.  I understand it has to be kept cold for brining.  So I decided to just rub some oil and butter and a dry rub on them instead.


A lot of us don't have room in the fridge for brine buckets... and if you go to competition BBQ out in some field or parking lot, you won't have a fridge there.  What I do is, I got couple of big glass containers with lids - like 2 or 3 gallon size maybe. You can mix up your brine, add the meat or chickens (I have put 2 whole racks of spare ribs together in one jar) and put in some ice cubes or chunks... the bigger the better.  Wrap the glass briner in newspapers and/or towels and it should hold for many hours.


----------



## sskyking

First off, that temp concerns me.  I used to be a health inspector... poultry is unsafe at 124!

Are you using a barrel smoker?  You speak of one temp close to the firebox and another at the  other end, so it sounds like you are.  The water close to the firebox will not only add moisture, more importantly, it will reduce heat.  That sounds like it might've happened here. 

Peeking kills smoking temperature... even briefly, especially if using a barrel smoker since heat rises.  If you want to keep track of temp, get either a wired or wireless probe... you only want to open the firebox for adding fuel, not the smoking chamber.

Typically, you need to add charcoal every 45-60 mins... if you wait until temps start dropping, you will quickly fall behind the power curve.  Remember, unless you pre-light you charcoal *before* adding to the fire, you will actually *reduce *heat initially, while the new coals light!

For brining, you can also use large ziplock bags and then place them in a tray to catch any leakage.  Be sure to squeeze as much air out of the bag as possible before sealing.  That will maximize contact between the brine (works for marinades too) and the meat.  If the weather is cold, a contractor's  beverage cooler on the back porch overnight works too!  (Great for a turkey)


----------



## sskyking

A simpler way is to fill a large glass with ice and water.  Then insert the thermometer, it should read 32 degrees.  Most analog thermometer *can* be calibrated, as a health inspector I had to calibrate mine weekly.  If the back of the dial portion has a nut where the probe connects' simply put it in the ice water and use pliers to hold the nut in place and turn the dial portion to read 32 degrees.

A good article on this at: http://www.foodsafety.wisc.edu/assets/pdf_Files/Calibration_thermo.pdf


----------



## whittlinsam

I use ziplock bags, gallon size, when I brine a chicken.     Sit it in a bowl or plastic dishpan in the fridge.    Salt needs to be adjusted according to the amount of time you have it in brine.    Longer time equals less salt, etc.    I usually use about 1/3 cup of tenderquick salt to enough water to cover the chicken.    Leave in brine overnight.    Turkey breast, about 7 - 8 lbs., I use a bit less than half a cup of tenderquick and leave in brine for 4 days.


----------



## grampysbest

Back at you from Grampy -  some really intriguing suggestions.  I have grilled a barnyard full of chicken and I do recommend the recent article that Jeff had on"splatchcock" cooking.  Doing this on the grill is great, like smoking, it will get a lot more flavor into the bird as opposed to on it.  We used to call this bricking.  One trick is to always start with the skin side down!!  By doing this you can brown the skin before the fat starts to drip and it flares up too much.

Speaking of flavor into the bird, I am still looking for a way to get smoked flavor all the way into the bird - chicken, turkey, rock hen whichever.  Help me out the Holidays are coming fast!


----------



## brdprey

both sets of them birds look mighty good. i smoke more birds then anything due to costs. good job, they make the best sammys


----------



## ajmarsden87

Just smoked my first whole chicken.  Used a creole rub on the outside and lemon and garlic on the inside.  Then put rosemary and lemon in the water pan.  Cooked it at about 280-300 degrees for only about 2 hours and the internal of the breast was at about 175 degrees.  Currently letting it rest, hopefully it came out well. 













IMG_0629.jpg



__ ajmarsden87
__ Mar 9, 2013


----------



## smoker21

Looks great.  I'll be putting a couple birds in a brine tonight before I go to bed.


----------



## cheese smoker

In my experience, brining is the key.  The meat stays juicy.  It also seems to cut cooking time down.  I almost brine poultry and large cuts of pork.


----------



## tomrhodes

I have an electric smoker and wanted to the same thing.  The temperature I think only gets to 225.  Any ideas on how I can smoke the chicken?  Please advise.  Also, where can I find the wiki section?

Tom


----------



## tomrhodes

It looks good to me.  Let me know how you liked it.  I may try it as well.

Tom


----------



## brandx35

I think foiling the chicken works wonders for keeping it moist, but if crispy skin is desired I woulld definitely omit that step. It'll only make any crispy skin somewhat soggy.


----------



## stovebolt

Quote from TomRhodes

" I have an electric smoker and wanted to the same thing.  The temperature I think only gets to 225.  Any ideas on how I can smoke the chicken?  Please advise.  Also, where can I find the wiki section?

 Tom, The wikis are now the "Articles" located at the top of your page.

 You can smoke chickens just fine at 225, just toss on a hot grill or under your broiler if you want crisp skin. Many people just give the skin to the dogs to avoid the fat and eat the chicken in which case crispy doesn't matter.

Chuck


----------



## overground

[h1]Bacon Beer Chicken (with no bacon).[/h1]
This may sound like sacrilege to some, but my best whole chickens come out of my gasser. This can obviously also be done in a smoker or charcoal grill, but the temps are easier to regulate using gas grill with indirect heat.

I find brining overkill on chicken and not necessary. Turkey, on the other hand, I always brine.

Here's what I do. 

Get yourself some Big Bear Black Stout or Young's Double Chocolate Stout.

I use this infuser: Camp Chef, Sante Series Turkey Cannon Infusion roaster  ,  but you can just use a suitable can and fill it 3/4 full with the stout. Drink the remaining beer.

Take the chicken out of the fridge 1-2 hours before your cook, removing the innards and rinsing inside and out with cold water. Paper towel dry. Trim any excess skin and fat from the neck and tail areas.

Prepare this rub (good for 1 chicken, double for 2 and so on).

1/8 cup Kosher Salt

1/8 cup Dark Brown Sugar

1/8 cup paprika

1 tbsp freshly ground pepper

pinch of cayenne

1/2 tsp dried mustard

[font=arial, sans-serif]For more heat, you can up the cayenne and / or mustard.[/font]

[font=arial, sans-serif]Mix ingredients well.[/font]

[font=arial, sans-serif]Start by spreading the rub inside the cavity, then drizzle EVOO over the entire body. Place enough rub on the body to coat. Pour any remaining rub into your beer can or infuser.[/font]

[font=arial, sans-serif]Position bird on can or infuser, tucking wings behind the back of the chicken. Conversely, you can just let the wings fly if you enjoy burnt, crispy tips. I do.[/font]

[font=arial, sans-serif]Plug neck hole with an onion.[/font]

Fire up your grill or smoker. Use  indirect heat if possible: right and left on, middle burners off.[color= rgb(34, 34, 34)]  Get it steady at 325* to 350*. I like to use some hickory chips or pellets in a smoker box or foil pouches. You don't need much.[/color]

[font=arial, sans-serif]Place your chicken(s) in the cooker, and go do something else for 45 min (hopefully you bought more than one beer).[/font]

[font=arial, sans-serif]After 45 min, check the temp at the thigh, and then at 15 minute intervals. When the IT reads 140-145, crank the heat up to 525*-550*.[/font]

[font=arial, sans-serif]This will really crisp the skin.[/font]

[font=arial, sans-serif]When the IT at the thigh reads at least 165* (my girlfriend prefers 180*) take your bird(s) off the grill and let rest 15-20 min.[/font]

[font=arial, sans-serif]Carve and enjoy.[/font]

[font=arial, sans-serif]It will taste like bacon.[/font]

[font=arial, sans-serif]EDIT: Writing this made me want to make some last night. ;-)[/font]













20130312_190709.jpg



__ overground
__ Mar 13, 2013


















20130312_190726.jpg



__ overground
__ Mar 13, 2013


----------



## cheese smoker

I have an old Smokey Joe.  225 is hot enough.  Get a Polder or other thermometer with a cable you can run outside the box so you can keep track of the temperature.  The first several times you use it, give yourself more time than you think you'll need.  The electrics I've seen can be turned _way_ down, to a "keep warm" sort of setting.  I don't think I've ever dried out anything I've brined before I smoked it.


----------



## integritybbq

First smoke- 4 whole young chickens in 22" WSM (top rack)

Prime lump charcoal with Pecan and maple wood chunks added

260 - 290 deg. for roughly 3 hours.

Pulled when temp reached 165 deg. and wrapped in foil for 30 mins.

Skin was crispy, but did get a little chewy but still good after wrapping in foil, wonder if wrapping in foil is needed.

!













first smoke.jpg



__ integritybbq
__ Apr 25, 2013


----------



## integritybbq

Forgot to mention I used about a full ring of lump charcoal using Minion method with a chimney starter.  I also never let the temp get over 300, I used the temp. on the smoker which from what I read runs hotter than what it reads. I got really lucky with the skin as most of what I read was to be in 325-350 for crispy skin. I am really impressed with small tuning of vents in bottom of WSM help you get the temp you want. If you can't raise temp by opening vents add a handful of charcoal (lump in my case).  I only lifted lid twice in whole smoke, once to peek, 2nd to flip (about 2 hour mark). Very happy with how this came out, a lot better than I expected.  Juicy and a good light smoke flavor,  WSM 22" was a very good purchase! 

Thanks to the site and my father we produced some really good birds right out the gate.

Next 20lb Turkey!


----------



## fwismoker

IMO nothing beats a chicken on rotisserie/ indirect heat... i'll be doing my Thanks Giving turkey on this. http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/71G0jCJIZGL._SL1500_.jpg


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## yardbird

I did my first chickens low and slow. Later, I learned that with chickens (or poultry in general) it's not really necessary. I have a propane smoker (Smoke Hollow) and I crank that puppy up. I can pretty easily maintain 375 and that's about where I cook 'em at. I use apple chips and chunks for smoke. They still get a nice smoke flavor, and they're fall-off-the-bone tender and juicy, but the skin is much better at the higher heat. At 225 where I did my first one, the skin was rubbery. And I'm too lazy to light the grill and flop 'em around on there after running them through the smoker. :)

That being said, I have nothing against a slow roasted bird. I guess another way to do it would be to slow roast at 225-230 and then right at the end crank up the heat to something near 400 :)


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## nick981

Wow! All of those q-views look great! I've got to try it!


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## tjnamtiw

I did my first two chickens splaycocked as suggested here on my 40" MES with window and will never cook them any other way!  So darn easy to do and it took one hour at 275 for two chickens, 5 pounds each.  I watched a YT video to see how it was done.  5 Minutes total time!

I also did another 5 pounds of andouille sausage the next day.  I know.  No pictures so it didn't happen.  :(


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## smoker21

Yep.

Never ever happened.

Guess you're gonna have to do it again


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## tjnamtiw

Can't go wrong with spatchcocking the birds.  Takes one hour at 275 for 2 five pounders in my 40" MES with window

AND I DID IT AGAIN!!!!!  NO pictures from last night.  And it IS spatch not splay, as I said earlier.  WILL get pictures next time!


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## chef willie

I did a beer can bird in the smoker at 250 degrees. Even the breast was moist & delicious which isn't always the case. Only skin I eat is on the wings or legs, rest I dump so not a big issue here. The well around the bird contained sweet mini- peppers and Yukon Golds in the back that cooked in the juices....xlnt meal. Nice to see an old thread fro 2010 make the rounds again....














BCC.jpg



__ chef willie
__ May 2, 2013


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## overground

Looks fantastic CW!


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## bigtexun

Large zip-loc bags can work for brining, but you have to be careful about leaks in the fridge.  If you can clear out a produce bin (and wash is after to disinfect) that might be the trick you need for a safe brining location for leaky zip-loc bags.


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## ticker

for crispy skin after i brine it lay the  chicken on a rack uncovered in frig overnight,make sure chicken is dry before cooking/been doing it for years


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## sandlapper

I am listed as a Newbie- OK- but I have been cooking with smoke siince around 1958 or so! I have in my outdoor kitchen a large and mini-BGE; two Bradleys a 4 rack original and 6 rack digital, an Oklahoma Joe wood fired smoker a 3 burner infrared TEC unit and an assortment of water smokers, plus a Cookshack





 Amerique which is my new best friend. I found on sale chicken quarters for $0.79 lb. and I have just read Jeff's newsletter on smoking chicken quarters so I did 3 pagkages this am. I went by Jeff's recommendation except for 2 things- I didn't brine the chicken before smoking, and I modified his BBQ sauce recipe by adding 2 TBSP of a Datil Pepper sauce to give it a touch more "kick".

I tried one of the quarters for lunch and found it quite moist with a solid taste and just a bit of after taste pepper which I think comes from the Datil peppers. All in all very good. I had one of my best critics eat one for his lunch and received a thumbs up!


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## adamlovesbbq

Excellent detailed beer can chicken recipe,


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## fwismoker

Here's some info on beer can chicken some might find useful.  

http://amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/debunking_beer_can_chicken.html


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## walt408

I have been smoking on my 18.5 WSM about 4 months now; pork butts (pulled pork) and briskets have come out great. I want to smoke a few chickens this weekend and need some help.

I want to keep the birds whole, and probably do them beer can style. I expect brine them and rub them. I would like the skin to be crispy. Is this an impossible set of criteria? What temps and time should I use?

I found great info on this site for the pork butts and the briskets. Are there similar articles for chicken (I haven't found them).  Again, my main ideas/questions:

smoke whole chicken

beer can style

crispy skin

brine (recipe?)

rub (recipe?)

smoking temp?

smoking time?

Thanks for your help.

Walt


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## mballi3011

Well I'm really glad that your smoking abilities are growing. Now for your chicken I would smoke it whole too. I do them all the time. I like mine just straight in the grates. I keep my smoker at about 280*-320* and let the chicken go to maybe 165* or so in the breast. Then I would foil it and let it rest for a a half an hour or so. then you will have some fine tasty and very juicy too. Now for your prep I would look in the wiki section here and find Tip's Slaughter House Brine and use that one. It's really good and makes the bird really juicy too. OK for your time I would say maybe 3 hours or so less if you chop it up. Then you can rub your bird with any good rub that you like. If you look into the wiki here again for rubs you will find a bunch of them and you can always get Jeff's rub and sauce and yes it's that good and it helps this place stay in business. So go smoke you some yard bird and don't forget the Qview for us out here for we are crazy about that stuff.


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## ballagh

I second the Slaughterhouse Brine, Rub, and Sprtiz. I pull the skin loose and rub with butter and cajun seasoning, put the skin back and rub the outside of it with butter and cajan seasoning also.  I set it on the beer can stand with a whole onion peeled sitting in the neck.  Tuck the wings back so they dont turn to charcoal.   I smoke mine about 250 degrees til it hits 170 in the breast and 185 in the thighpit.  If you want it crisp, then crank you heat up the last half hour and you will be golden :)  I do the same for turkeys also.  Good Luck and enjoy.


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## richoso1

If you want crispy skin, you'll have to use higher heat, like around 350° or higher. Poultry doesn't benefit from low & slow like some other meats. .I've insered a pic of some high heat chicks I did at 375°, the one with the burnt wings is for Gloria, she likes it real toasted (burnt)


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## reichl

in my WSM 18.5" when cooking a whole beer can chicken, I dump a chimney of unlit charcoal in the ring and then I dump one chimney of lit charcoal on top.  I keep all the vents 100% open and the temp will stay at 325*-375* which is the perfect temp range to get crispy skin (Also no water in the water pan).  I am a big fan of Famous Dave's Rib Rub on poultry at the moment (it has a lot of onion and garlic powder). 

Also, I second ballagh's recomendation to tuck the wings back if you plan on eating them.

Good Luck with your smoke!

Oh yeah and one really important thing... DON'T USE TOO MUCH SMOKE!  poultry takes on the smoke flavor a lot easier then butts or briskets.  Just use one medium chunk of wood and you wont regret it.


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## walt408

Thanks for the great ideas. Sounds like I need to smoke about 350 degrees. About how long will a chicken take at that temp? Actually, I'm doing 3 chickens; I'm guessing about 2 hours, however I will cook to temp.


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## jirodriguez

2-3 hrs is average for a chicken, and like Reichl said just leave the water out of the water pan. That will get your temps up over 300° no problem.


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## walt408

I smoked 3 chickens yesterday and they were great. Thanks for all your help. I will start a new thread with all the details and q-view as soon as I figure out how to add pictures to a thread.


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## mlrtym44

so is not really possibly to do this on a MES since you can't get the temps up that high?


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## jirodriguez

mlrtym44 said:


> so is not really possibly to do this on a MES since you can't get the temps up that high?


You can smoke the chicken in your MES then when it is done either toss it on a hot grill for a few minutes or put it under the broiler in your oven. You only need 5-10 minutes, just to crisp the skin.


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## tyotrain

Yes smoked whole chicken is great i do them all the time as well.. I smoke mine around 230 give or take few degrees cook time can change do to outdoor temp and wind so have a good meat thermometer handy. I pull it off the smoker when it hits around 180° F. here is a pic of my last one....


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## alelover

Is that a custom made chicken rack?


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## wingnut

Can't  find the INTRO page, so .... (Sorry I can't resist)  WHAT KIND OF MAGNETS DO YOU USE TO KEEP THE CHICKENS FROM FALLING OFF YOUR COOKER??


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## jpsartrean

I've personally found more success splitting whole chickens into halves - particuarly if you want "crisper" skin.  Why?  Because I like to smoke 'em low and slow (until around ~130 in the breast) and then finish them over a VERY high heat grill (as high as you can go without burning - trial by error here!) with the skin side UP.

By the way, brining certainly helps prevent drying out with this technique (but watch the salt level - not enough can be saved with good sauce/seasoning after the cook, but too salty of a brine and dinner is RUINED).  Only other thing I might point out - if you've been smoking ribs/butts/brisket, I'd warn that chicken/turkey needs FAR less smoke (1/2 or even less of the logs/chunks/chips you've been using for those other cuts).  I also tend to think mesquite doesn't work very well with poultry - apple, oak, or hickory is the way to go (and in that order, best to "worst").  ;-)


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## jpsartrean

P.S. Take it to ~165 degrees internal in the breast over the high heat grill.


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## westsidebbq

Those look pretty dang good!

Darren


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## toetown-man

I have did a few chickens myself that way.  What I did was rub the chicken with a rub and shot the chickens up with some melted butter and seasonings.  Put the chickens in the smoker for 20 to 30 mins at 400 degrees, that will give you a crispy outside of chicken.  Then you put the smoker on 250 degrees.  Dont know how long I do not keep a time on the chickens.  I have a meat thermometer to say whens is done.. Good luck and let me know how they come out..


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## dauntless

alelover said:


> Is that a custom made chicken rack?


I do not want to speak fo rthe orig poster but I have one just like it from Cabella's


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## walt408

The chickens came out great. Here is a thread that describes the results in detail:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forum/thread/97184/first-smoked-chicken-success-details-and-q-

One q-view to wet your appetite:


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## bigrnm13

Well guys,

I did my first smoking attempt last night.  I smoked two chickens.  I will send the pics later when I figure out how to do it. Here are the details as best I remember:

I have a charbroiler offset firebox smoker that I just put together last weekend.  My first smoker. I put about a chimney starter worth of un-lit charcoal briquettes on the bottom of a box I made.  Then I added a few apple wood chips. (they were soaked for about an hour in water.) Then I added a chimney starter of lit coals on top with some more chips on top of that.

I used Kingsford Charcoal briguettes because that is all I had at home and didn't have time to go to the store.

I have looked at a lot of information here on this fabulous forum, and it helped me tremendously.  From rubs to the way to cook the chickens.

I decided to cut the chickens in half and put them in the smoker skin side up like some of you have suggested.  I did put a water container close to the firebox for added moisture, again, like some of you have suggested.

I had the chickens in the smoker for 4 hours exactly. They came out looking very good and tasting very good.  However, I did have some problems.

I could not get the temp to go up past 300 in the smoker.  Also, I didn't get the chicken breast temp up to 165.  I could only get it up to 124.  Don't know why.

I tried not to peak, but being my first time, it was very hard to resist, not only for the chicken part, but because I had a temp gauge inside the smoker, and wanted to know what the temp was inside.  I have to get another temp gauge. 

I also had to keep adding coals into the firebox, as I could see the temp fall dramatically after about an hour and a half.  I tried to do the minion method of charcoaling, but for some reason, the temp would only go up to 300 near the firebox, and 200 or so at the other end of the smoker.

I really couldn't relax and have a cold one inside because I was worried about the temp of the smoker and chicken.  Don't know what I did wrong.

I took the chicken out after 4 hours in the smoker and had to put in the oven for about 30 minutes to get the chicken cooked up right.  That bothered me a bit.

I did not brine the chicken because I don't have a container big enough for two chickens or the space in the fridge for brining.  I understand it has to be kept cold for brining.  So I decided to just rub some oil and butter and a dry rub on them instead. 

The flavor came out great, and it looked really good too, it's just that the temps were giving me hell.

Any suggestions and replys would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Big "R"


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