First Chicken Smoke Breast up or Down? Or does it matter?

eriksp

Smoke Blower

Original poster

May 11, 2011

92

17

Orange County, New York

• May 31, 2011

• #1

First Chicken Smokefor me. Breast up or Down? Or does it matter?

I'm smoking at 275 degrees as most suggest.

Also I'm smoking 2 chickens on a GOSM. I have a Beer can chicken on the top rack and another chicken on the bottom rack. Should I keep the meat probe in the Bird at the bottom?

 

Last edited: May 31, 2011

diesel

Smoking Fanatic

Apr 29, 2008

594

28

Powhatan, Virginia

• May 31, 2011

• #2

I use the beer can chicken stand on the smoker.. but if you can't than I would put the breasts up..  I put the temp probe into the breast on a angle all most to the bone.  Hope this helps.

 

adiochiro3

Master of the Pit

OTBS Member

Apr 19, 2010

2,088

42

Bay Area, CA

• May 31, 2011

• #3

I always start breast side down to let the juices flow into them.  Then I flip it over with about an hour to go to crisp up the skin evenly.  I know it's opposite of what Diesel just said, but experimentation is what it's all about!

 

realtorterry

Master of the Pit

OTBS Member

SMF Premier Member

Jun 5, 2009

2,859

79

Bullhead City, AZ

• May 31, 2011

• #4

What James said

 

africanmeat

Master of the Pit

OTBS Member

Mar 28, 2011

4,730

38

Cape Town South Africa

• Jun 1, 2011

• #5

OK i do chicken almost on a weekly basis, if i don't do beer can ,i am doing it with   breast up so the inner juice (i put in the cavity a lemon) will stay in

i fund it will keep it juicy

thanks

 

SmokinAl

SMF Hall of Fame Pitmaster

Staff member

Moderator

OTBS Member

★ Lifetime Premier ★

Jun 22, 2009

51,390

12,228

Central Florida (Sebring)

• Jun 1, 2011

• #6

If you can do both beer can, that's the way to go IMHO.

 

scarbelly

Gone but not forgotten. RIP

OTBS Member

Jul 26, 2009

14,315

73

• Jun 1, 2011

• #7

My personal experience is that in my SmokinTex it does not matter which way I put the chicken in.  I know that the heatflow is different in other smokers so you just have to experiment to see what works best for your smoker.

 

eriksp

Smoke Blower

Original poster

Thread starter

May 11, 2011

92

17

Orange County, New York

• Jun 1, 2011

• #8

Ok I did one beer can and one just placed on the metal grate.

I started for the first hour Breast down then after an hour Breast up. I don't any of it made a difference like some mentioned.

I do know I relied to much on my probe in one area of the bird and it apparently blew by the 165 and was like 177 when I placed the probe in a different area. Next time I will move the probe all over the breast to get a real good temp.

The Chicken was still moist.