Getting to and staying @300
- Thread starter Andy Kay
- Start date
Chris Bjork
TVWBB Fan
Ive held 325-365 for 8 hours (didnt bother checking if it stayed hot for longer, cook was over) with my 22.5 and regular K. The thing that helps me is after the minion method start, wait a bit to get more coals going before you close her up. all vents were open. Made me wonder though if a second top vent would help with high heat. youve got those 3 lower vents open but only one top vent. not sure if the air leaks in her equal out to a 1:1 ratio in the end or not. sure is easy to get that thin blue smoke though with all the vents open
Dave Russell
TVWBB Honor Circle
For chicken, I'd assume?
The only way to maintain 300* or higher on my cooker is to foil the pan, light a lot of charcoal, and then fiddle with the door by turning it upside down and cracking.
If I'm going to cook too much chicken to fit on my 22.5" kettle I'll use my other kettle as well if I want CRISP SKIN since 300* isn't nearly hot enough. I can get fairly tender enough skin (not rubbery) on my wsm by leaving the vents wide open and using no more than a gallon of water in my pan, cooking as close to 275* as possible. I've got a 55 gallon plastic barrel for a windbreak that helps.
I smoked some of the best butterflied pecan smoked birds (w/ white sauce) ever just last night for supper. Two small 3 lb. fryers butterflied on each grate, breasts almost touching and legs pushed up over the breasts so the drumstick wouldn't overcook. All were about 175* in the thigh at the 2.25 hr. mark, and the breast was JUICY as ever. I rarely use a brine, just a 2hr kosher curing earlier in the afternoon, or a "dry brine" as some would call it. My therm died so I can't tell ya exactly how hot I smoked, but I suspect the average cook temp was just shy of 275*.
My 250-275* wsm chicken with water in the pan ends up significantly more moist than all my 300*+ cooked dry pan chicken did in the first year and a half or so that I had my cooker. Just sayin'...We sure can tell the difference, and most of my family doesn't eat the skin, anyway.
The only way to maintain 300* or higher on my cooker is to foil the pan, light a lot of charcoal, and then fiddle with the door by turning it upside down and cracking.
If I'm going to cook too much chicken to fit on my 22.5" kettle I'll use my other kettle as well if I want CRISP SKIN since 300* isn't nearly hot enough. I can get fairly tender enough skin (not rubbery) on my wsm by leaving the vents wide open and using no more than a gallon of water in my pan, cooking as close to 275* as possible. I've got a 55 gallon plastic barrel for a windbreak that helps.
I smoked some of the best butterflied pecan smoked birds (w/ white sauce) ever just last night for supper. Two small 3 lb. fryers butterflied on each grate, breasts almost touching and legs pushed up over the breasts so the drumstick wouldn't overcook. All were about 175* in the thigh at the 2.25 hr. mark, and the breast was JUICY as ever. I rarely use a brine, just a 2hr kosher curing earlier in the afternoon, or a "dry brine" as some would call it. My therm died so I can't tell ya exactly how hot I smoked, but I suspect the average cook temp was just shy of 275*.
My 250-275* wsm chicken with water in the pan ends up significantly more moist than all my 300*+ cooked dry pan chicken did in the first year and a half or so that I had my cooker. Just sayin'...We sure can tell the difference, and most of my family doesn't eat the skin, anyway.
Dave Russell
TVWBB Honor Circle
B.S chicken huh? I've never tried smoking it, but the issues are keeping it from drying out and taking on too much smoke. You might consider Miron Mixon's cupcake chicken recipe. It's intended to get the skin tender and keep the chicken juicy but adapting it for B/S thighs might be an idea. Otherwise, I'd just grill any BS chicken. If smoking BS chicken I'd DEFINATELY use water in the pan and leave the vents wide open to really boil the water off and put some steam in the cooker. Temp wouldn't really matter and I'd be really careful with the smoke and not to overcook 'em. The added humidity from the water pan will definately lighten the smoke flavor and I've heard it referred to as "washing" the smoke.
Steven P (Tupelo)
TVWBB Super Fan
I have an 18.5 WSM. A foiled empty water pan and one full chimney of lit and wide open bottom vents usually gives me 300 for 2 hours or more. This is the way I do chicken legs quite often.
K Kruger
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">B.S chicken huh? I've never tried smoking it, but the issues are keeping it from drying out and taking on too much smoke </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Well, I'm mot ever sure MM actually kmows what he is talking about (talks a good game though) but 'drying out' comes from overcooking, and 'too much smoke' comes from, well, too much smoke. Both easily remedied.
I agree that doing skinless chicken temp does not matter so much (temp being what is necessary for good skin), but disagree that water in the pan is at all necessary.
Sorry, but to me, Soo's rubs pretty much suck and his admonitions to absolutely do this or not do that betray a lack of understanding on msny levels. Go for it if you wish - but there are far better approaches.
Well, I'm mot ever sure MM actually kmows what he is talking about (talks a good game though) but 'drying out' comes from overcooking, and 'too much smoke' comes from, well, too much smoke. Both easily remedied.
I agree that doing skinless chicken temp does not matter so much (temp being what is necessary for good skin), but disagree that water in the pan is at all necessary.
Sorry, but to me, Soo's rubs pretty much suck and his admonitions to absolutely do this or not do that betray a lack of understanding on msny levels. Go for it if you wish - but there are far better approaches.
Dave Russell
TVWBB Honor Circle
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Dave Russell:
...You might consider Miron Mixon's cupcake chicken recipe. It's intended to get the skin tender and keep the chicken juicy but adapting it for B/S thighs might be an idea... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Sorry. Forgot to post the link.
http://www.epicurious.com/arti...mixonbarbecuerecipes
...You might consider Miron Mixon's cupcake chicken recipe. It's intended to get the skin tender and keep the chicken juicy but adapting it for B/S thighs might be an idea... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Sorry. Forgot to post the link.
http://www.epicurious.com/arti...mixonbarbecuerecipes
Wolgast
TVWBB Olympian
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">but 'drying out' comes from overcooking, and 'too much smoke' comes from, well, too much smoke. Both easily remedied. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Well said!
Do B/s breasts all the time @ 250. Never dry.
Well said!
Do B/s breasts all the time @ 250. Never dry.
Dave Russell
TVWBB Honor Circle
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by K Kruger:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">B.S chicken huh? I've never tried smoking it, but the issues are keeping it from drying out and taking on too much smoke </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Well, I'm mot ever sure MM actually kmows what he is talking about (talks a good game though) but 'drying out' comes from overcooking, and 'too much smoke' comes from, well, too much smoke. Both easily remedied.
I agree that doing skinless chicken temp does not matter so much (temp being what is necessary for good skin), but disagree that water in the pan is at all necessary. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
If temp doesn't matter, why not use water in a water smoker?
Went well over a year before I even TRIED smoking chicken with water in the pan, but since earlier this summer I've only cooked chicken "dry" once to confirm my suspicion. So nowadays, I probably wouldn't smoke any chicken on my wsm "dry" except for whole birds since they're..... well....whole, and little less subject to drying out if cooked indirectly. The wife likes the butterflied birds or legs better though since they get more smoke exposure.
Birds on the kettle are a whole different matter altogether though, and I love how easy it is to grill them as hot as I want indirectly and still get very even cooking. However, over half my family doesn't eat the skin and all of them seem to like my smoked chicken better. It's not a big deal, but I just feel that my wsm "fast as I can cook with water in the pan" chicken has an edge to otherwise, especially if the skin isn't a big deal. Just my experience, so that's how I roll now. Like I said though, I did MANY wsm chicken cooks "dry" and cooking as hot as I could with no water before trying it. I might cook a butt or two on the top grate at 275* with no water or whole chickens on beercan stands at HH; other than that, ribs or brisket I know I'm gonna wrap in foil during the cook, regardless of temp.
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">B.S chicken huh? I've never tried smoking it, but the issues are keeping it from drying out and taking on too much smoke </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Well, I'm mot ever sure MM actually kmows what he is talking about (talks a good game though) but 'drying out' comes from overcooking, and 'too much smoke' comes from, well, too much smoke. Both easily remedied.
I agree that doing skinless chicken temp does not matter so much (temp being what is necessary for good skin), but disagree that water in the pan is at all necessary. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
If temp doesn't matter, why not use water in a water smoker?
Went well over a year before I even TRIED smoking chicken with water in the pan, but since earlier this summer I've only cooked chicken "dry" once to confirm my suspicion. So nowadays, I probably wouldn't smoke any chicken on my wsm "dry" except for whole birds since they're..... well....whole, and little less subject to drying out if cooked indirectly. The wife likes the butterflied birds or legs better though since they get more smoke exposure.
Birds on the kettle are a whole different matter altogether though, and I love how easy it is to grill them as hot as I want indirectly and still get very even cooking. However, over half my family doesn't eat the skin and all of them seem to like my smoked chicken better. It's not a big deal, but I just feel that my wsm "fast as I can cook with water in the pan" chicken has an edge to otherwise, especially if the skin isn't a big deal. Just my experience, so that's how I roll now. Like I said though, I did MANY wsm chicken cooks "dry" and cooking as hot as I could with no water before trying it. I might cook a butt or two on the top grate at 275* with no water or whole chickens on beercan stands at HH; other than that, ribs or brisket I know I'm gonna wrap in foil during the cook, regardless of temp.
Wolgast
TVWBB Olympian
If you are doing anything with skin,the temp needs to be Higher. Chicken/turkey/belly roast. The temp doesent matter in my eyes if you are cooking anything skinless. Its just a matter of preference,Time in the smoke,rendering,and the resault you are looking for in the meat. But for B/S chicken breast i do the lower temp. The key is to pull at the right time. And since the window is larger low´n´slow i think it works just fine. And chicken breast´s is small so the low temp still doesent make this to a whole day cook. Using water or not is up to you. You can cook with water and have some exellent resaults ofc. But to me just as good without. So its a simple choice for me.
K Kruger
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
For b/s chicken I cook high. Doesn't really matter much as it's about pulling it at the right time - agreed. I cook b/s breasts every day, often twice in a day, for my Vegas clients (they eat a LOT of chicken breast). There I cook on a gasser, hot but not the highest it will crank as I am not about to stand around the grill and going a bit lower gives me time to do other stuff while the chicken cooks.
I'm not saying to not use water if you wish. In a WSM or kettle I don't bother but one certainly can. And one can low/slow. In either of those cookers I tend toward rather hot, especially if skin-on pieces are in the mix (if I'm eating there definitely are as I much prefer them, and much prefer crisp skin).
I'm not saying to not use water if you wish. In a WSM or kettle I don't bother but one certainly can. And one can low/slow. In either of those cookers I tend toward rather hot, especially if skin-on pieces are in the mix (if I'm eating there definitely are as I much prefer them, and much prefer crisp skin).