What am I doing wrong


 
A

Andre A

TVWBB Member
I can never seem to get poultry right in my WSM. I currently wrap my water pan, but I am thinking that I have to completel remove the pan when I cook poultry. It just takes forever to cook. I have both a bbq guru and a maverick and my temp never exceeds 275 when the probes are smack dab in the middle of the the top grate. Now then the probe is on the sides of the top grate beyond the reach of the water pan, the temp is in the 300+ . This upcoming thanksgiving, I am planning on do two Turkeys but I need to do it on the WSM. What am I doing wrong..shold I completely move the water pan? Thanks
 
I'm no poultry expert, but I have never thought of chicken as a "low and slow" cook. My best birds have come from high, but indirect heat. 400ish to start, slowly ramping down to 350ish, always with a barrier between the fire and the bird. I use a stone (pizza stone) instead of water.
 
I've GRILLED some whole chickens in the BCC way. Always removed water pan and with 2 full regular chimneys in my 22 WSM I got round 320/350 for whole cooks. But still never got crispy skin. I must practice more but definitively you should remove WP, IMO.
 
The past several Thanksgivings I've smoked a pair of turkeys on my 18 WSM with great results. I use the water pan filled with water and run the temp at about 275. I don't really know my cook times. I put them on early and take them out when they reach about 165 and then put them in a cooler until it's time to carve. My family/friends have a big get together and everyone compliments me saying it was the best turkey they've eaten.

With all of that said, give it a go with the water pan filled with hot water. Mine always come out great that way.
 
Andre,

If it were possible to take instant temperature readings inside the WSM while the top is on and you are cooking some meats, you would find the temperature to be the greatest at the outside edge and deceasing as you approach the meats. If you move your pit temperature probe to a location away from the meats, you'll get a more representative reading. The colder meat is essentially removing heat from surrounding air.

Same thing happens in your oven.
 
Andre,open your vents up a little and bump your temps up. 275* will cook the birds eventually,but I've found better results at 325*-350*.
 
When I do poultry I leave the pan empty and use 2 weber chimneys of lump with some briquettes mixed in. Once the chimneys are roaring I dump everything in plus some unlit lump if doing a turkey cook. Then sit the lid slightly off so extra air can get out. If even higher temps are needed then prop the side door open. I did 3 butterflied chickens last weekend this way and got over 400 at the dome at the start of the cook. And it held 375-390 for 1.5 hours.
 
I don't have a WSM, but I will agree with others that have said they don't see chicken as a good low and slow meat. I find 375 to be a good temp to cook chicken, it will cook fast enough to stay moist and render the fat out of the skin so it is edible. Sometimes if I want a little smokier flavor I will low and slow at around 225 for an hour or so and then ramp up to 375 to cook the skin properly...
 
Andre, you have a cool running WSM. Mine can reach natural temps of 375 with just a foiled pan and on a good day 400.
Crack the lid with a metal spatula, or depending on what WSM you have , flip the door over, and slightly prop it open to let more air in.
Your ATC might not be working right, as it should be stoking the fire, not hindering it.

Tim
 
On my 22, I remove the water pan completely, light a lot of coals, and get in the 330* range. I still do better chicken on the gasser then that WSM.
 
I have a 22 WSM. Again the temp in the middle is the low spot the temp in near the ends of the top grate seem to be fine. For example, a couple of weeks ago, I attempted to cook some chicken wings on the WSM. I loaded it up with wings on the top grate. I placed my ATC pit probe in the middle. The temp, at least on the probe never exceeded 275. And yes, I did a full chimney rack of coals. While the the temp and the chicken in the middle to really really long to cook, the chicken near the edge of the rack were done much much sooner. It is clear that the temps were higher on the sides than the middle. The only thing that I could come up with was that the water pan was deflecting hear from the middle of the cooker and pushing it to the sides.

Thoughts?
 
Yes an empty foiled pan acts as a baffle/deflector and you can remove it, if you like that open pit flavor. On my 22 for HH I use at least two chimneys, one un-lit and one lit.
I only temp at the top vent, which gives an overall average temp on any WSM. Usually it's 12-14 deg higher than grate.
Tim
 
Andre A said:
I have a 22 WSM. Again the temp in the middle is the low spot the temp in near the ends of the top grate seem to be fine. For example, a couple of weeks ago, I attempted to cook some chicken wings on the WSM. I loaded it up with wings on the top grate. I placed my ATC pit probe in the middle. The temp, at least on the probe never exceeded 275. And yes, I did a full chimney rack of coals. While the the temp and the chicken in the middle to really really long to cook, the chicken near the edge of the rack were done much much sooner. It is clear that the temps were higher on the sides than the middle. The only thing that I could come up with was that the water pan was deflecting hear from the middle of the cooker and pushing it to the sides.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

Don't worry to much about the probe in the middle. The hottest part of the cooker is about 6 to 8 inches on top of the top grate. I have a new 22 myself and found that the best spot for the probe is about 4 inches in from the outside of the top grate. Last weekend after I finished my cook I opened all the vents and then the side door for a couple of minutes, and moved the coals around. It pegged the lid thermometer. And I had water left in the pan.

I think the 22 needs a LOT of coals and they all have to be lit to get a really hot fire. Try filling the ring about a third of the way and then adding a whole chimney. Then leave everything open until you have a hot fire. Move the coals around before putting the meats on. I use a charcoal hoe to do that. Setting the door upside down and propping it open will definitely make it a lot hotter as well.
 
agree with Paul..empty water pan with two chimney of lit to and open vents all the way trying to keep around 350. Then just temp for done 160 breast 170 thigh.
 
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