Hello everyone tvwbb.com from new owner used WSM 18.5 inch

[Michael Vaewhongs]

Pictured is my first ever smoker cook. I purchased the WSM 18.5 inch used two days ago. After a lot of cleaning I got exterior and two grates to like-new condition. This is my first time ever cooking with smoker or kettle.

I am in middle of my first cook of 5 pound whole chicken. Cavity stuffed with carrots, garlic and shallots. Skin dried, oiled then seasoned with fresh ground salt and fresh ground pepper. I have done whole roast chicken in Dutch oven cooked in home electric oven multiple times before and those tasted great. The WSM 18.5 is purring at 265 to 290F. Outdoor temperature is 47F and essentially no wind. Temperature device is long probe attached to Thermoworks Chef Alarm via side silicone gasket port. Fuel is original Kingsford coals and four chunks of Kingsford hickory wood.


My background:
I am budding amateur chef after decades eating and watching and eating food from great chef Mother (not formally trained like majority) and eating at Mobil Guide (R.I.P.)

mmmm?? and Michelin guide rated restaurants across USA. For BBQ, best ribs ever was in Memphis in 1980's (can't remember name as I was teen) and again Memphis Central BBQ in 2018 with my wife and kids. Best brisket were Smoque Chicago and even better colleague's home cook using Aaron Franklin recipe cooked using PitBarrell. Best pulled pork was again same colleague North Carolina style cooked using PitBarrell.

 

[Larry D.]

 

[Joe Anshien]

Let us know how it comes out. I usually cook chickens at about 450° now. I like the crispy skin.

 

[Michael Vaewhongs]

Whole chicken 5 pounds (not air-chilled process). Exterior seasoned with light coat safflower oil then fresh ground black pepper and sea salt. Cavity emptied and filled with chopped garlic cloves and shallots and carrots. Chicken also injected with store bought marinade (Tony Chachere creole style butter) and per its instructions 1 fluid ounce per pound. This is my first time injecting marinade into meat.

Fuel for WSM is one Weber starter chimney full of Kingsford Original coals (lit with Weber startee cube) and WSM bottom coal grate periphery lined with single layer Kingsford Original coal and four chunks of hickory wood. One gallon water was added to water bowl at start of cook.

Total cook time 3 hours. Ending thigh temp was 178F and breast temp was 165F.

Taste: good. Very good wood smoke aroma. Some areas of faint pinkish under skin so smoke ring?
Texture: too soft like Costco $5 rotisserie chicken (e.g. tenderloin meat crumbly).
Skin: not crispy.

Next cook (11/9/2022) : total one fluid ounce marinade or skip it.

 

[RLittle]

Congrats on the WSM and great first cook. There’s a wealth of tips and tricks for the WSM on this site.
I agree with Joe on cooking chicken much hotter but experiment and see what You like. I like the Hot and Fast recipe on this site with either a spatchcock or halved chicken. You can get crispy skin, a little smoke and the cook is only about 60-90 minutes long. (Tried link below?)

Hot & Fast Chicken - The Virtual Weber Bullet

Hot & Fast Chicken: Tender, well-rendered chicken skin worth eating is achieved using a high-temp smoke-roasting method in the Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker.

www.virtualweberbullet.com

 

[Michael Vaewhongs]

Thanks for all the replies. In my long first post, I failed to mention I am using largest whole chicken from local grocery as substitute for ultimate goal 20 to 25lb turkey. I suspect up to 8 cooks of 5 to 6 pound whole chickens adjusting variables (e.g. amount of coals, type of coal Original Kingsford vs. Hardwood Kingsford, types and amount of hardwood for smoke (yesterday blocks of all hickory)). And during these <=8 cooks the weather will vary so I will get more smoker experience. I will keep temp at 260 to 280F as this was the recommended temp to smoke the goal 20 to25lb turkey. I know about butterfly (spatchcock) chicken but skipped as that is not done for turkey,right? If turkeys are butterfly-cooked then I will need very sharp >45 degree inclusive angle knife to cut backbone. That will require re-grinding some knives.

To prevent chicken overdose, I have a few people I know who volunteered to be testers. Each will get whole smoked chicken (minus small portion breast I will sample).

The turkey will be main meat for my in-laws at annual Thanksgiving meal. For past 1/4 century, except for 5 years, my wife has cooked the turkey in oven. It is most important meal each year she preps. Number of guest is 18 to 25. I wanted to challenge myself with 1st major smoker cook; hence replicating neighbor's 20 to 25 lb turkey. My neighbor earlier this year cooked ~25 lb turkey in his WSM 22 using same Tony Chachere marinade injection. He gave me a "101" verbal introductory dry run the same day I picked up my WSM 18.

I doubt serious screw up on my part but I already planned for backup meats of (1) ham cooked in oven (2) Thai pad horaphaa (ground chicken thighs stir fried with onions, long beans, sauce and Thai basil) cooked day prior and tastes better next day reheated (3) Lemongrass pork that is total 10 minute broil. If turkey is a hit then three above are leftovers for the guests.

 

[Joe Anshien]

@RLittle's posted link is good. You will want remove the water pan and have all the vents open and maybe crack the lid to get the temps you need. I had problems getting my WSM 18 over 300° without propping the lid a little. Keep going and posting. Should be fun.

 

[Joe T Gomez]

Mich that chicken looks good I usually grill my chicken to get that crispy skin then I’ll put it in my smoker. I use lump when doing chicken to get that high heat

 

[Timothy F. Lewis]

Learning curve at the outset is “different”, you will figure things out that work for you and it’s all about figuring out what you want to accomplish.
I second Larry D’s welcome as well!