Rotisserie Question


 
Tommy B

Tommy B

TVWBB Pro
I have never cooked with a rotisserie on a kettle. I was planning on lighting a whole charcoal chimney and pouring coals into two charcoal baskets. I am going to put the baskets on the outside of the charcoal grate and put a drip pan under the bird in the center.

Is this the best set up?
How long should I expect to cook the bird?
 
I use coals on only one side. That is the side that the rotis turns towards from the top. Thus the pan would sit a bit off center to catch the juices. Normally mine are done by 1.15 to 1.50 hours.
 
I haven't tried it with one basket, but the last time I did two baskets on each side and a drip pan in the middle it was hot out and I had a hard time keeping temps around 350. It was almost 90 out and temps wanted to keep climbing over 425. I would do either one or two baskets of coals, and then the drip pan under the bird.
 
George Curtis said:
I use coals on only one side. That is the side that the rotis turns towards from the top. Thus the pan would sit a bit off center to catch the juices. Normally mine are done by 1.15 to 1.50 hours.
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I haven't considered only one side. Did you light an entire chimney?


ABecker said:
I haven't tried it with one basket, but the last time I did two baskets on each side and a drip pan in the middle it was hot out and I had a hard time keeping temps around 350. It was almost 90 out and temps wanted to keep climbing over 425. I would do either one or two baskets of coals, and then the drip pan under the bird.
Click to expand...

did you use a full chimney for the two baskets?
 
Tommy, I do just under a full chimney - little more than 3/4 - ivided between the two baskets when I do a chicken that is cooked in about 1 - 1 1/2 hrs. I put the drip pan underneath the bird, charcoal baskets along the outer edges of the kettle same as you described.
 
Angie H. said:
Tommy, I do just under a full chimney - little more than 3/4 - ivided between the two baskets when I do a chicken that is cooked in about 1 - 1 1/2 hrs. I put the drip pan underneath the bird, charcoal baskets along the outer edges of the kettle same as you described.
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exactly how i cook a full chicken without a rotisserie, cook on the grates.
 
If you have the charcoal baskets (regardless of whether you are going to do both sides or just one), instead of trying to guess how much to put in the chimney fill the basket(s) with unlit charcoal and then dump it in the chimney to light. Two baskets is just a little less than a full chimney imo.
 
I use the official original, classic indirect split down the center set up.
Drip pan in the center, full charge (1/3 new, 2/3 repurposed from the baskets from the night before). Based on a five pound bird, 1 1/2 hour, approximately. That's with nothing inside, if you use an onion or lemon or combination add another half hour or so. Asparagus is just coming in around here so, I would slide those on about 20 minutes before the bird comes off.
 
I just dump about a half lit full chimney on one side. then maybe add a few extra depending on how a feel.
I suggest trying it both ways and see what you like.
 
Depends on what temp and how crispy you want that skin!
I generally do two baskets from a 3/4 full chimney and lay a chunk of wood on top of one.
 
Angie H. said:
Tommy, I do just under a full chimney - little more than 3/4 - ivided between the two baskets when I do a chicken that is cooked in about 1 - 1 1/2 hrs. I put the drip pan underneath the bird, charcoal baskets along the outer edges of the kettle same as you described.
Click to expand...

Randy G said:
Depends on what temp and how crispy you want that skin!
I generally do two baskets from a 3/4 full chimney and lay a chunk of wood on top of one.
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For you people using 3/4 chimney for rotisserie cooks, are you able to complete the entire 1.5-2 hour cook for chickens without adding new charcoal? Most charcoal tends to burn out around the 60-70 minute mark
 
William M said:
For you people using 3/4 chimney for rotisserie cooks, are you able to complete the entire 1.5-2 hour cook for chickens without adding new charcoal? Most charcoal tends to burn out around the 60-70 minute mark
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I usually do about a 1/2 a chimney of lit that i dump on top of a layer of unlit in the charcoal trays.
 
I can cook a 12# turkey in 2.25 hours on mine with a mounding chimney with no burning of the bird.

There is plenty of room in there so you can put a mounding chimney for the chicken and expect good results.
 
JesseT said:
I can cook a 12# turkey in 2.25 hours on mine with a mounding chimney with no burning of the bird.

There is plenty of room in there so you can put a mounding chimney for the chicken and expect good results.
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Yeah, I started with full chimney's of Stubbs or RO lump, split between two baskets. However, with the lid on, temps would reach a little over 400 and chicken skin would come out burnt in a lot of spots. For my last cook with 2, four pound chickens, it stayed under 350. Skin browning was good, but charcoal started to die out around the 1:15 mark and temperatures were dropping. It took a lot longer to finish the cook than I had originally planned
 
Timothy F. Lewis said:
So Tommy, how,did it turn out?
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I never thought you would ask!

It went well! I actually cooked two birds this weekend. I fired up about 3/4 of a chimney of charcoal and when lit dumped into two pans. Drip pan in the middle. I loved the roti!

Thank yall for the advice!
 
Thanks for letting all us virtual vultures know, I spun one last night, added one nice fist size of oak to one side and it turned out just right, 1 1/2 hours, split set up, center drip pan, classic Weber set up.
Damnit, now I'm hungry again!
 
George Curtis said:
I use coals on only one side. That is the side that the rotis turns towards from the top. Thus the pan would sit a bit off center to catch the juices. Normally mine are done by 1.15 to 1.50 hours.
Click to expand...

I used to do charcoal on both sides of the kettle and switched a few years ago to just one side like George. I also use a couple firebricks placed end to end to keep the coals banked to that one side and use about 3/4 chimney to start. I'll add a bit of lump to the charcoal now and then. The temp generally is around 350F at the dome during the cook and I seem to go about 1.5 hours on a 4 to 5 lb bird.
 
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