First smoke - beer can chicken - not great results


 
B

BryanSW

New member
Hello everyone,

I busted out the WSM for the first time yesterday, with what I would call average/fair results. Let me know what I did wrong . . . basically the legs were good but the breasts were dry.


I smoked 2 small-ish free range chickens, recipe basically from "Smoke & Spice" with a couple of changes. I used the water pan with water, with the chickens sitting on half-full cans of decent beer. I used Kingsford charcoal and hickory chunks as my fuel, and had no issues with temp regulation after the first 30 minutes or so. You read about it, but then the first time that the smoker holds a consistent temp for 3+ hours it's pretty impressive.

Basically, the breasts were overcooked because I struggled to get the thighs up to 170. My wife is a stickler for the temp for chicken, so the 165 thighs after 3.5 hours just wouldn't do. First lesson learned - it is HARD to get that extra 5 degrees in a smoker after you've opened the top, taken the chicken out, etc etc.

Anyway - how do I cook a whole chicken and get moist white meat with fully-done dark meat? I HATE over-cooked chicken breasts, but that's what I got. Next time I'll go with leg quarters (tastes better and is cheaper) than the whole hog . . . er, chicken.

Also, my wife complained slightly about a 'bitter' taste which I suppose could be from the somewhat strong hickory chunks. So I'm thinking of getting some apple wood and possibly switching to lump charcoal. Not to turn this into yet another charcoal conversation, but will I have issues if I pack the lump tightly?

Thanks for reading, and thanks for your help. Now I'm going to search for how to post pictures!

Bryan
 
Bryan, 3 thoughts, #1 brine the chicken prior to cooking. Will give you leway. #2 baste the chicken more to keep breasts moist. #3 cover breasts when done and continue cooking till thighs are where you want them.Oh and a bonus, don't let the wife know the meat temps. Thighs were probably done at 160-165.

Mark
 
Bryan sorry about ur birds sounds like u overcooked them, Bryan when i cook bcc i take the pan out completly, cook chickens @ 300-350 range, usually cook 4-5 lb chickens, 1.5-2 hrs done to perfection, as for the smoke chicken absorbs smoke way more than beef or pork so 1 gd chunk of wood is all u need. Better luck next time.
 
Agree with previous posters - overcooked. If you continue to have trouble getting whole chickens to cook evenly, try spatchcocking or splitting them. As for the "bitter" taste, try using less smoke wood and use a lighter wood like cherry or apple.
 
Dang I love this site! SO much good advice! I'm a newbie here but have done bcc many times - from what little i know it sounds like the other posters got it right. Too much smoke and overcooked. I would also use a smallchunk of apple wood - we must have the same wife
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. This is where I add the part about been there done that.

I wish I had a buck for every bad cook! Better luck next time.
 
Brian - IMHO - hickory and mesquite are just too strong for chicken. In my first cook this weekend, I did one beer can chicken. I used 2 small chunks of apple (smaller than a fist) and the flavor was there, just barely noticable. I thought it helped the chicken flavor but not hide it.

I have an thought about beer can chicken. With it in a vertical position a lot of the juice might run off too readily. If the chicken were placed on its bottom, more of the juice might stay in the breast area. I have not tried it yet, just a thought.

DD
 
Great points on the over-use of wood everyone. That's why I'm on this site, as the book I'm using isn't going to mention that.

I've decided that at least 40% of the attractiveness of beer-can chicken is the fact that you're cooking a chicken . . . on a beer can.

Why not just cut the thing up so you can take the white meat off earlier, etc etc. I'll smoke chicken again, but I'm just not sold that putting the bird on a beer is advantageous.

I appreciate the help, huge lesson learned with the wood usage.
 
Food scientist Shirley Corriher, in her book Cookwise says that white meat should be cooked to 150F and dark meat, to 160F. 170F for white meat is going to be way overdone.

In addition to the advice about choice of, and amount of, wood, be sure you're cooking with the top vent all of the way open. If you close the top vent in an attempt to lower the temperature, the smoke will condense into a distasteful soot.
 
I agree with the comments on the smokewood. Go with apple or something lighter with chicken. I'll occasionally throw a small piece of cherry in there too, but not often.

Another thing you can do (at least I've done it with turkeys so I imagine it'd work with chicken) is ice the breast down before cooking. Just fill a ziplock bag or two with ice and let 'em sit on the breast for 30 minutes or more while your charcoal is getting ready. This will bring the starting temp of the breast down a bit and help you to get the whole bird to finish at the same time. The advice on brining is good too. Gives you more leeway, and gives the potential to introduce some other flavors as well.

One more thing: use the cheap beer for this. Save the good stuff for drinking. I've noticed no difference between using Guinness, or Coors Light.
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Bryan - let me add that when I do BCC i have not used the WSM but rather usually my kettle or my Genesis gasser with small smoke pouch. I usually appply a basic rub, drink half a can of beer and then shove the rest in the arse of the bird. Cook time is about 1-1.5 hours depending on bird size - just check for correct temps. Like any other meat it will continue to cook after removing from heat so i tend to pull a little early. This method gives me a nice bird, good skin and it's always a crowd pleaser when they see a few birds upright waiting for the knife. And the small smoke pouch adds just enough smokey flavor. Keep at it and good luck.

m
 
Agree with everyone else: less smoke wood; use a milder wood (apple as you suggest is great); cook quicker at higher temp. Every time I do BCC, it comes out moist, even if overdone. But I always cook at a higher temp, like 350-400F. I can see how cooking on a WSM at a lower temp for a longer time could dry out the white meat. You likely know this already, but you can get the WSM temps over 350 if you don't put water in the pan and leave vents all open.
 
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