Second cook on WSM is GREAT!


 
Status
Not open for further replies.
J

Jim Knight

TVWBB Member
Just finished my second cook of baby backs on my WSM. Turned out GREAT, kept a steady temp of 225-235 throughout the 5 1/2 hour cook, with the exception of a few times when hot sun hitting the smoker caused me to have to adjust the top vent. Most of the cook was done with all bottom vents closed and top open. Cooked with lump charcoal with hickory and apple chunks for smoke. Marinated with a chicken/rib recipe I found here. Cooked 2 hours unfoiled, sprayed with apple juice and foiled for 2 hours and then cooked unfoiled after more apple juice spray for 1 1/2 hr. I attribute my success to what I've learned reading this forum. Thanks guys and gals!!

If it became impossable to buy a WSM, there is no amout of money that would buy mine.

Thanks again for this forum and the WSM for making me feel like an expert after just a couple cooks.

Jim Knight
 
Glad it turned out great!!! I love my WSM. I'm not sure how you fired her up, but you might want to keep that top vent open. I've never had to adjust the top vent to control temps, and it can cause bitter tasting food. You should be able to get most of your temperature control from the bottom vents. Did you refill the water? That may have been what was causing the temperature spikes.
 
Yes Carl, the bottom vents were closed the entire time. Closed top vent only slightly a couple times. Being new to the WSM, I think I monitor my temps too closely. They may stabilize if I leave the vents alone
 
I'd say-- hot sun aside-- the combination of a new WSM and lump charcoal caused your high temp. Lump burns hotter than briquets, and the shiny inside of a new WSM reflects heat back into the cooker. If you want to keep using lump, just use less until you get a soot layer built up on the inside of the cooker. I still find plain old Kingsford to be easier to manage.
 
In the short few weeks I've had my WSM I've only cooked baby backs. This week I bought 4 cornish hens from Costco. Soaked them 4 hours in a brine of kosher salt, brown sugar. apple juice and water. Started them at 225 degrees with lump charcoal and cherry wood to get the smoke flavor. After 1 hour 15 min. flipped them, inserted the Maverick probe and opened to vents until I attained 250 degrees. After another hour and 15 min the breast was at 165 degrees, checked them and the legs were almost falling off, was VERY moist, but still a lot of red (too much). So I opened vents a little more to a temp of 275, checked them at 175 internal, still a little red for me so I left them on until 195 internal. To my surprise they still were very moist, not the least bit dry and falling off the bone. Now my wife (who loves chicken more than myself) and who was fussing about me spending so much on a smoker when we had a nearly new gas grill, asked "why didn't you buy the smoker sooner?"
 
"Now my wife (who loves chicken more than myself) and who was fussing about me spending so much on a smoker when we had a nearly new gas grill, asked "why didn't you buy the smoker sooner?"

Seems to be a common refrain from spouses Mine said sumthin' similar!

Keep on smokin'!

DWL
 
Jim poultry is great if you brine. I've taken turkeys off at a internal temp of 195f in the breast and it was still moist and tender. And not the slightest bit of redness around the bone. Only I'll brine my birds for 24 hours. I also like to cook at a hotter temp too. Like between 350f to 400f. I know it doesn't get as much smoke this way. But poultry soaks in that smoke flavor pretty good anyway. Plus then you can get a nice crispy skin on it.
 
I usually butterfly my chicken and cook them as halves. I also usually marinade them overnight in Wishbone. Cooking at 225 to 250 the halves may cook for 5 hours. All the meat, white included, stays moist and extremly juicey. Does the wishbone marinade overnight have a similiar effect to the brine ?

The skin is not an issue with me since I discard it to reduce fat intake.

PRG
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Paul G.:
[qb] I usually butterfly my chicken and cook them as halves. I also usually marinade them overnight in Wishbone. Cooking at 225 to 250 the halves may cook for 5 hours. All the meat, white included, stays moist and extremly juicey. Does the wishbone marinade overnight have a similiar effect to the brine ?

The skin is not an issue with me since I discard it to reduce fat intake.

PRG [/qb] <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Yes Paul, it appears that it does. When I removed the probe juices gushed like I had turned on a spigot. I never thought chicken could be this moist after being cooked at temps sometimes reaching 300 degrees for 4 hours.
 
Paul..
Have you ever tried the "Beer Can" chicken..? If not I want you to try it one time and let me know what you think.. I may be wrong but I think you will enjoy it...

Cheers !!!

bugg /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif
 
Yes Bugg - I've tried beer, I've tried chicken, I've tried beer and chicken, and I've tried beer can chicken ! I like it, but I swear I like the low, slow, long cooked chicken better. I realize I'm in a minority and maybe being a white/male born, raised and living in the heart of Dixie it's about time I experience that feeling. ok - I'll give it another try - maybe I did something wrong ?

Thanks, PRG

PS Your salsa/salad receipe looks interesting and I'm going to try it.
 
I've tried beer can chicken several times, and frankly, I can't see what all the fuss is about.
It was OK, but I get better results with a brined, and spatchcocked or split bird.
Just my experience, and of course, YMMV.
Jim
 
Yes I agree. Brined poultry is better then beer can chicken. But the results are still MUCH better then simply cooking a chicken. So you don't have the time to brine, It's a great alternative to brining. And you still get extremely moist breast meat no matter how done it is. As well as a nice flavor from what ever spice you had in the can.

It is less preperation then brining. That's why I think it is so popular. Ecspecially to those who never BBQ. And have never really new about brining. They cant believe the results and will swear up and down it's the best chicken ever.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

 

Back
Top