Temp to start smoking

Joe Black said:

I don't know what kind of cooker you have, but IMO 200* is way too low for chicken. I would rather see you at 250* or closer to 300*. It will get out of the danger zone quicker and the skin will be crisper. Let it cook until an IT of 160* in the fattest part of the breast and 170* in the thigh. A really good way to smoke a chicken is to spatchcock it. Go to the search bar and enter spatchcock and you will get to all of the details. This method will give you a quicker cook and a better cook throughout.

Good luck with your chicken, Joe

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BDSkelly said:

 
You will want to cook at a higher temp than 200.  I like to smoke birds around 250.  The most impotent temp to be concerned with is the internal temperature of the breast meat.  For safety be sure the internal temp at the breast hits 165 before you take it off your smoker.  Try not to go much higher than that as the bird may become dry. 

Once you get your IT of 165 at the breast, take the bird off and cover with foil and let it sit on the counter for a good 30 minutes to redistribute the juices. 

Here is a link to one of my chicken smokes.  Good luck! b

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/196898/bdskelly-encore-smoke-spatchcocked-hen-on-the-mini-mwsm

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