First Chickens on the WSM


 
A

Andrew Wands

TVWBB Member
Hey Guys. Just finished cooking my first chickens on the new WSM. Just had a few questions to clear some things up...I started with a full ring (minion) and dumped another 1/2 chimney then put the birds on.In the first 30 minutes the temp rose to about 250-275. I was shooting for 325-350 to cook these chickens on high heat.I had all venys open but after 1 1/4 hrs the temp was still around 275. after close to 2 hrs the temp started rising in the 325-350 range where I initially wanted to do the whole cook. Was this due to the minion method finally catching all coals and had them all going? Next time do i just start off with 2-3 lit chimneys from the start? Id like to post pics but not familiar with how to do it on this sight. Thaks for your help!
 
Were you using water in your water pan? For a high temp cook, it is alot easier to get that temp over 300 if you leave the water out and just foil the pan to catch the drippings.

You can also prop open the door to get more air on the coals.

To post pictures you need to use a picture hosting serive and then just use the display image button and put the images url into the box.
 
I didnt use water or even have the pan in the cooker. just foiled the bottom grate. Is it normal for the temp to spike like this? the only thing I can think of is that all the coals were going by the 2 hr point.
 
You had foil on the grate where your coals sit? If so that was your problem. They probably weren't getting enough air having the bottom closed off, and the ash had no where to drop, so that may have been starving the fire even more.
 
Tony i think he means the lower cooking grate, Andrew just leave the pan out and let the grease dripping flavor the food, for whole chickens all u need is one layer of charcoal and one chimmey lit should give more than enough heat and cooking time, chicken pieces at 325 take 45-1 hr max, whole chicken 4-5lb takes 1.5-2 hrs max at 325 degrees. Gl on ur next chicken try.
 
yeah im not sure what the prob was initially. I did get hot enough after 1 3/4 hrs though. Full charcoal ring and a half chimney of lit. The full ring was unlit. no water pan just one sheet of foil over bottom "cooking" grate. The thing is that it did get hot enough late in the cook. would a poor fitting access door be the culprit. smoke was coming out of it a little but i figure that would only fuel it more. im confused here.
 
Andrew u shouldn't need that much charcoal.

2 layers of charcoal on the charcoal grill should be fine and about half lit should be OK. Prop the door gets more air in to feed the fire.... prop it open and allow the temps to get in the 300s.

Or to turbo charge the air intake, open the door and point a hair dryer at the coals. That should get the temps up in no time.

As others have said depending on your chicken pieces they should take 45 mins to 1.5 hours at 325-350.

John
 
Here is a pic of the chickens about 1.5 hrs into the cook...

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If you want high heat you will use 1 fully lit chimney. For low and slow only about 20 to 25 briquetes of lit, and for medium heat around a half of chimney. The amount of unlit coal you use is based on the amount of time you want to cook for.
 
Andrew, IMHO the Minion Method is not needed for short HH cooks. And yes the temps will gradualy rise using the MM, and yes you probably needed more air and more hot coals initially.

Mark
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Andrew Wands:
so 2 layers unlit and half chimney lit, correct? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Sorry Andrew, didn't mean 1/2 chimney, meant about half the total coals which maybe about a full chimney more or less.

John
 
Ok. Thanks for all the help. I guess next time I do chickens I will prob just dump 2 lit chimneys as I have the 22,5. this should get me high heat and be enough for a few 5 lb whole chickens!
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Tony Lampher:
If you want high heat you will use 1 fully lit chimney. For low and slow only about 20 to 25 briquetes of lit, and for medium heat around a half of chimney. The amount of unlit coal you use is based on the amount of time you want to cook for. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>


so would 1/2 unlit ring be enough in the 22.5?
 
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