2nd cook on WSM, mostly ok

[Sam Z]

Smoked a chicken on the WSM. The experience was ok, temps held steady at 240 without issue. I said a few times before that is a big deal for me as the cheapy Brinkmann was a pain in that regard.
A little let down though. Bird was juicy as it should be. All I did was baste in butter/soy with salt and pepper. Problem was it was bland. Dark meat was better than white, but not a lot in the flavor department.
What is the secret here? Brine? A certain type of rub? Looking forward to some pointers.
For reference sake: Minion method, chamber 3/4 full of Kingsford Briquets, 3 small chunks of apple wood, water in the pan, checked the bird rather infrequently.

 

[Ray Crick]

What is the secret here? Brine? A certain type of rub?

Sam,

I suggest a marinade (something like Roadside Chicken recipe on this site) and / or a good rub. In my experience. thos give more flavor than any "basting".

Ray

 

[Jim McKelvey]

Sam
I'll echo what Ray said about RSC - its a can't miss recipe! If I am just using a rub or dry seasonig, I brine anything larger than a wing. I use basic 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup salt, 4 cups water ratio for 4+ hours depending on size of pieces. Good luck!

Jim

 

[Mike Freel]

I agree, find a good rub you and your family like or maybe add a final glaze with a BBQ sauce. No cook is a failure if you learn something from it.

Mike

 

[ScottE]

Ask and you shall receive my brother!!
Check out the brine thread and check out: Hounds Citrus brine that I just posted.......

 

[Sam Z]

Thanks gentlemen. I'll try out a these suggestions next time out. Like I said the experience was awesome in respect to not having to mess with the smoker 500 times during the cook. And, the chicken was plenty juicy.
Got to be honest with you though....I found a chuck roast recipe that uses a bourbon glaze that just looks amazing. That is scheduled for the next cook.

 

[Gary S]

No cook is a failure if you learn something from it.

Hey Mike that's a profound remark! I like that.

Sam, you might want to have a look at Meatheads Simon & Garfunkle rub. It has all the right seasonings for poulty. I smoked a turkey with it last week, beer can style, the rub was awesome. There's a post here about the issue of BCC based on Meathead's comments but many people still like doing it.