going to try smoking chicken


 
S

scott harlan

New member
ok guys, i need a little help. i've never used my wsm to smoke chicken (yet) but i will be trying it here in a couple hours. i have about 10 pounds of leg quarters, and some big bob gibson's white bbq sauce. rubbed the chicken down with just a simple rub. my question is, roughly how long do they take to cook? i know you cook to temp, not time, but a general starting point would be greatly appreciated, so i don't have to eat dinner at midnight, or have dinner that's done at noon. please help! thanks.
 
Why will the smoker only sit at 210 - 220? I run upwards of 300º if I have to when outside temp is below zero. Chicken needs to be cooked at a higher temp IMHO.
 
how do you get your smoker up that high? i can get it up that high in the summer, but not in the winter. i'd say it's probably about 15 outside right now, and i've smoked in this weather before, and i can only get it up to about 220 with vents full open. i don't have a local place that sells lump charcoal either, so i typically just use regular kingsford briquettes, although i've heard lump burns hotter
 
The last time I cooked a chicken in the 225-250 range it took three and a half hours. 6 pounder. (Edit: I just re-read your note and realized you aren't cooking a whole chicken. This bit's probably not too useful, huh?)

If you can't get up into that temperature range with the vents at 100% - have you tried flipping the door upside down and propping it open a bit?
 
thanks for the tip doug. i was never too worried about my smoker not getting up all that hot, as most foods i like to cook at about 220, so it's perfect for me. but if i ever want to get it hotter, i'll try your door trick. i'm just no good with chicken yet. i can't grill it, i always burn it. so i'm trying smoking. hopefully i turn out something decent.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by scott harlan:
thanks for the tip doug. i was never too worried about my smoker not getting up all that hot, as most foods i like to cook at about 220, so it's perfect for me. but if i ever want to get it hotter, i'll try your door trick. i'm just no good with chicken yet. i can't grill it, i always burn it. so i'm trying smoking. hopefully i turn out something decent. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

If you're burning chicken by grilling it then you're giving it too much direct heat. I usually start direct and then finish indirect.
 
the chicken yesterday came out fantastic yesterday. everyone loved it! what are the advantages and disadvantages of taking out the water pan? i had never heard of that. also, i noticed after i closed the vents that i still had some unburned charcoal left, can that be reused or should i throw that out? and how do you guys clean out the bottom of your smokey mountains?
 
Glad your meal turned out well.

You can cook chicken (and probably other things) on the top rack with no pan at all. Some people say they like the effect of fat dripping directly on the coals. It will certainly allow you to attain higher temperature and faster cook time in cold weather versus using water in the pan.

You can also leave the pan in with no water. Foiling it helps with cleanup. Again, higher temps are easier to attain.

Both methods will lead to less fuel consumption than when using water, so it's common to have charcoal left after such a short cook. Sure - use the leftovers. It works fine.
 
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