Summit rotisserie questions

[Kevin_K]

I have a Weber Summit 470, want to try a rotisserie chicken for the first time, and have a few questions:

1. What setting should I set the IR rotisserie burner to and for what part of the total cooking time should it be on? I've been watching YouTube videos of cooking rotisserie chickens and some videos say to leave it on high for the entire cooking time, others say to cook without it for 1 hour, then turn the burner on for the remainder of the cooking time but don't say what temperature to set it to. Other videos don't even mention the rotisserie burner even though they make use of it.

2. What effect does the IR burner have on the finished chicken? Does it just result in browner/crispier skin? Does it just result in a faster overall cooking time but otherwise gives the same final result as not using it?

3. Do you find that a rotisserie chicken cooked on your grill tastes a lot better than the ones you can buy at the grocery store? If so, what's different about the rotisserie cooking process they use at the grocery store vs a grill?

 

[Scott Smith]

3. I'd bet you a dollar that the ones in the grocery store are soaked in solution to add moisture and flavor.

 

[Scott Smith]

Also, with all due respect, men cooked birds on spits over a fire for thousands of years before any of the resources you mention in #1 and #2. It really isn't rocket science - you have the innate ability to do this properly somewhere in your DNA..

 

[LMichaels]

Every time I have done birds on my IR equipped Wolf I run the IR burner wide open, and the burners on the far ends (regular burners), on a middle setting. If I am doing only one bird, I use the 2 burners on furthest ends on medium and the burners next to those on low and put a smoke packet on one side or the other for good measure. If 2 birds then I use only the outermost burners. Your 470 has a smoke burner. Use that for what it's intended, and perhaps try to match that heat output on the other end of the grill. While running the IR burner wide open. However knwing a 470 is much smaller than my Wolf you may find the IR burner is too close to run wide open. If you see the skin over doing it before the interior of the bird, take it down a notch.
These are not gospel. Simply starting advice.

 

[Eric-NH]

I've done a few on my summit 650, and even did Thanksgiving turkey on it a few days ago. My best results come from using the smoke box full of wet hickory chips and a few chunks and refill it once it stops smoking. After it runs out a second time I just turn it off. I run the outside burners at whatever setting keeps it in the mid 300* range (very dependant on outside temperature) and I use the IR burner for the first 30 minutes to an hour. I just go with that until the skin looks like what I want, then turn it off. If I use it on the high setting I'll check it every 10 minutes, on the low setting I'll let it go 15 minutes in between checks. And know that once you turn that off you'll have to adjust your other burner settings to maintain that 350* or so. I actually did roast beef on it last night using a similar method, worked great! Good luck and post your results!