First attempt with new 18.5 WSM - Result: not so good


 
S

Scott Zabolotzky

New member
Planning out my first attempt for this weekend. I'd like to try the beer can chicken recipe in the beginner's section, but I only need to cook a single chicken. Will that affect the cooking time if I follow the rest of the recipe (225-250 deg)?

Thanks...Scott

UPDATE: Cook results added to later post.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Scott Zabolotzky:
Planning out my first attempt for this weekend. I'd like to try the beer can chicken recipe in the beginner's section, but I only need to cook a single chicken. Will that affect the cooking time if I follow the rest of the recipe (225-250 deg)?

Thanks...Scott </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

It should not.

You will learn quickly that it is as easy two make two as it is to make one.

Leftovers can me used to make an awesome smoked chicken salad!
 
Welcome from another newbie smoker!

I only have a couple of cooks under my belt and so far have only had time to do chicken. I would give the high heat recipe that's also in the beginner section a try. I thought both times I did them they turned out just as good as beer can cooked low and slow and is impossible to screw up. Plus since it only takes an hour it has given me a chance to see what it's like to try to bring temps down after she's running hot.

If you do go with low temp cook chicken it's the same with every other way you cook chicken. When the juice runs clear it's safe to eat.
 
Scott won't affect the cook time much at all, more than likely just time getting up to temp.

I agree w/Robert, if you've got her fired-up anyway throw two on and you'll have leftovers for the week. Another idea is throw a fatty on too.

Good luck with your first cook!
 
OK, I cooked the bird (on a beer can) yesterday and wasn't too pleased with the results. Here's the log:

- 6.7lb roasting chicken
- Filled charcoal chamber with Kingsford briquettes and 3 chunks of smoking wood
- 30 briquettes in inverted chimney starter, dumped on top of charcoal chamber when ready
- Water bowl filled with warm water
- Chicken went on at 11am
- Temp stayed near 200 for a while and then slowly started to climb, reaching 225 after ~35min, 250 at ~1hr.
- Managed vents to maintain 250
- Basted w/apple juice at 2.5hrs
- Went to baste again 2hrs later but bird was obviously done. Temp reading in breast was over 180
- Total cook time: 4.5 hrs

Needless to say, the bird was overcooked and done WAY too early.

I had read that for a large roasting chicken we were looking at about 1hr/lb when cooked at 225, which would have given us a cook time of 6.5-7hrs. I figured that by cooking at 250 I'd be able to shave an hour or so off. I never thought that going 25 degrees warmer would cut more than 2 hours off the cook time.

I had read that you shouldn't lift the cover to check the food so unless you're going by experience, all you have to go by is time. When your time calculations are off, the results are not good.

Hopefully, as I do more of this I'll get the hang of it.
 
I've never heard 1hr/lb for chicken. I would think more like 30 minutes per lb. at 250. I cook my beer can chicken at 300-325 and it takes about 1-1.5 hrs. Get a probe type thermometer that has an external readout. They're pretty cheap and you don't have to lift the lid.

Hang in there. We've all had some less than perfect cooks in the learning process.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top