First cook tonight..any tips??


 
G

Gregory

TVWBB Member
Well I got my WSM and I'm assembling it right now. I decided to do something quick and easy so I'm brining some boneless chicken breasts right now. Any tips for me? I'll be using the Weber chimney and Kingsford briquets.

I'm waiting on a shipment of wood pellets from BBQrs Delight. So for tonight I've got hickory and mesquite wood chunks, and some "Smokin' BBQ" pellets from WalMart (they are a mix of hickory, mesquite, alder, and apple woods). Should I mix some of the chunks with the pellets? No pellets at all and just some chunks?

Thanks for the input. I'll be doing a whole chicken and some pork butt later this week!
 
I'd go with chunks because the pellets may burn up too easily with a higher heat cook like chicken. (Unless you foil wrap your pellets with a couple vent holes in the foil-the combo sound interesting). Your cook will also be a liitle harder to control (higher heat) because your WSM is new and shiny inside. Once you get it smoked and greased up, temps are pretty easy to maintain. Mesquite can be overpowering. Hickory on chicken is good, but go a little light.
 
My only suggestion after reading your post is to go easy on the smoke wood you are using since you are only doing chicken. Chicken doesn't take too much smoke before it is over-powering. Also, I tend not to use heavy smoke woods like oak, hickory, and mesquite for chicken. I recommend using lighter smoke woods like alder, apple, and cherry (especially cherry). Of course, that is personal preference ... but, I think that is a good guideline for chicken and fish.

Enjoy!
 
Gregory, just tear off a piece of wide HD foil about 6 inches long. Fold it over once, then fold it over again and fold two of the open sides over at least twice and make a pouch. Dump 1 pouch (about 1/3 cup) pellets into the foil "envelope", and turn down the open end until you have a very tight packet. Poke one hole in the packet with a toothpick, and lay this packet on top of your coals. It'll give you about 30 minutes of smoke. I especially like cherry for chicken because it turns the chicken a beautiful golden-red color. If your choice is between hickory, mesquite (which I don't really like on ANYTHING, personally), or the blend, I'd go with the blend in a foil pouch.

Keri C, smokin' on Tulsa Time
 
I've got the pouch as you described with the blended pellets. I did just short of a full chimney full of briquets. I want the candy therm to read at about 290 (I'm measuring at the top so I understand that is about 12 degrees hotter than at the grate). It's staying at about 310..all the lower vents are closed and the top vent is open...how do I get it to lower? Just time?

I'm following the recipe for chicken breasts in the cooking topic forum.
 
Me again
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It's staying at 250 with all the vents open 100%. It seems like the chicken has been at 134 FOREVER! It's going to take forever to get to 150 at this rate.
 
Gregory, perhaps just leave your bottom vents wide open until your chicken is cooked. It shouldn't take too much longer. When it hits 150F you might want to remove once piece and cut into it on a white plate to see if the juice is still bloody. Maybe it's just me, but sometimes I go past 160F before the juice runs clear and I don't like pink chicken juice.

Shouldn't be too much longer .... be patient or bump the heat up
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. I think chicken is better done hot and fast anyway.
 
It was pretty good...great flavor. The thinner pieces were a little dry but still good. I think it would benefit from a hotter grill.
 
Gregory -

If want my WSM to run hot for a while - like around 300-350 - I light up 2 full chimneys and dump them in. It ensures a very hot cook, and will definitely last the length needed for chicken, without having to have any unlit coals in the WSM at all.
 
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