Smoked Brined Chicken ~ Foamheart

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foamheart

Gone but not forgotten. RIP
Original poster
OTBS Member
This all started when a friend, that I had given smoked meat before, came by with some 2 gallon ziplocks and he thought would make good brining bags. So I had to see how they would work.

I washed the chicken, made a brine and into the reefer it went for 2 days. I didn't take any pictures but just think of a 6lb. chicken in a ziplock bag.  They are bigger bags than you would think. I washed it and it took up the whole sink and I have a big sink!


A little Dawn and a lot of water in that bag. LOL

Next its paper towels and pat it dry as possible. then its on to the fan.


The fan helps dry the skin. So it will not come out rubbery. It also raises the fat to the surface. Its called a peliculle. This actually makes the smoke stick better I believe, especially within the golden Delta T, ( refrigeration term, delta temp.). Thats the place that the smoke sticks best and on poultry its 90 to about 150 degrees IT.

How do you know about the peliculle? Usually you can see the skin go from white to yellow.



While all that fanning is going on, I fire up the smoker. 

Its 275 degrees (good preheat) I insert the byrd. Walk away for 30 to 60 mins.

I come back, add smoke, add probe, and regulate the vent. Now its all done but the waiting!! IT is 108.


Checked it about 135 IT taking pretty smoke, so I go get the rest of supper finished up.


Pulled it at 160 (allowing for some travel), and allowing to rest for a min of a 10 degree temp drop. That insures the redistributation of the juices.


And Here's supper!!  Look at that color! No need to spatchcock.


It tastes as good as it looks!  JUICY!  Great brine.


The easiest thing in the world to smoke, took approx 3 hours at 275 to 250. Pulled at 160 IT. I used a very light hand with apple wood. Basic brine with apple cider, apple cider vinegar, light brown sugar, refined sugar, canning salt, Tony's, Tiger Sauce, maple oil.

Nothing like it, smoked chicken ........ you can make it as fancy or relazed as you like. Lots of times at the camp it was just smoked byrd and bread (really compliments beer or any kind). Or surround it with fancy or easy sides.

Thanks for looking....... 
 
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What a yummy looking yardbird Foam! 
points1.png
 
That's a fantastic looking bird.

Great post Foam.

Points
 
That bird looks so fantastic you should enter her in the Miss America Pagent Kevin!! Never seen better color on a yardbird.

This is a great post--I learned a bunch about pelicule that I'd never had explained before.

Makes me want to rush out and buy a chicken when I get home in a week or so.

Delta T?? Could you do a post on that??

POINT

Gary
 
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That bird looks so fantastic you should enter her in the Miss America Pagent Kevin!! Never seen better color on a yardbird.

This is a great post--I learned a bunch about pelicule that I'd never had explained before.

Makes me want to rush out and buy a chicken when I get home in a week or so.

Delta T?? Could you do a post on that??

POINT

Gary
Thanks Gary.

A great smoker taught me about Pellicle, I believe its must be an old Charcuterie term. I do believe that it makes the most dramatic change in the visual appearance, while changing the skin into what we have all long been taught to be the most preferred outer texture (like Norman Rockwell's pictures). By gaining this before even adding heat or smoke it allows for a better, tighter skin faster to achieve a better shell to hold juices in. None of this can I prove other than by personal experience.  

Bottom line, I believe the pellicle is when you dry the skin, thereby bringing the fat to the surface so it can render faster. Just my humble opinion. All skin can form a pellicle.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pellicle_(cooking)

I always try and emphize its importance when I talk about smoking.

"Delta T" (usually written with the greek delta symbol and a T), I just can't type one. The delta refers to the differential, as the T refers to temperature. Its is a sliding scale. In Smoking it refers to that age old "discussion" as to continious smoke verses the sweet spot. Not to start another debate here, but from again my personal experience I have changed sides from how I was taught by my Pop. I currently believe in the sweet spot, simply from what I have seen. So I believe in the DT of about 90 IT to somewhere near 150 IT being the place where the food takes the most taste and color. I have found that it elimates a lot of problems especially new smoker have with too much smoke. But You can also say that there can not be too much good smoke. I just feel that using the DT I always have a better end result.

I must clarify here, I also believe that the skin can still take on additional smoke above and below the sweet spot, although I think it at a diminished capacity. Why? because at the lower temperatures the skin is not ready to accept the smoke maybe because the pores are not open? Higher? Well most meats safe IT's have been reduced to the point that above 150 you just don't have that much smoke time left. Of course that is with the exceptions of big muscles like briskets and butts.

The delta is just a sliding scale used to simplfy an equation. DP (Pressure) from peunamatic controls is normally 3 to 15 psi, Delta for analog is normally 4 to 20 ma's. Its just an easy way to show a sliding scale.

Its why I put the meat in at high temp to get it started. Then come back and probe, add smoke, set my smoking temp & adjust vent. It usually works out so it all falls in place for that DT, <90 to >150. Smoking is not an exact science. Its why so many have trouble with it.
 
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Thanks Gary.

A great smoker taught me about Pellicle, I believe its must be an old Charcuterie term. I do believe that it makes the most dramatic change in the visual appearance, while changing the skin into what we have all long been taught to be the most preferred outer texture (like Norman Rockwell's pictures). By gaining this before even adding heat or smoke it allows for a better, tighter skin faster to achieve a better shell to hold juices in. None of this can I prove other than by personal experience.  

Bottom line, I believe the pellicle is when you dry the skin, thereby bringing the fat to the surface so it can render faster. Just my humble opinion. All skin can form a pellicle.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pellicle_(cooking)

I always try and emphize its importance when I talk about smoking.

"Delta T" (usually written with the greek delta symbol and a T), I just can't type one. The delta refers to the differential, as the T refers to temperature. Its is a sliding scale. In Smoking it refers to that age old "discussion" as to continious smoke verses the sweet spot. Not to start another debate here, but from again my personal experience I have changed sides from how I was taught by my Pop. I currently believe in the sweet spot, simply from what I have seen. So I believe in the DT of about 90 IT to somewhere near 150 IT being the place where the food takes the most taste and color. I have found that it elimates a lot of problems especially new smoker have with too much smoke. But You can also say that there can not be too much good smoke. I just feel that using the DT I always have a better end result.

I must clarify here, I also believe that the skin can still take on additional smoke above and below the sweet spot, although I think it at a diminished capacity. Why? because at the lower temperatures the skin is not ready to accept the smoke maybe because the pores are not open? Higher? Well most meats safe IT's have been reduced to the point that above 150 you just don't have that much smoke time left. Of course that is with the exceptions of big muscles like briskets and butts.

The delta is just a sliding scale used to simplfy an equation. DP (Pressure) from peunamatic controls is normally 3 to 15 psi, Delta for analog is normally 4 to 20 ma's. Its just an easy way to show a sliding scale.

Its why I put the meat in at high temp to get it started. Then come back and probe, add smoke, set my smoking temp & adjust vent. It usually works out so it all falls in place for that DT, <90 to >150. Smoking is not an exact science. Its why so many have trouble with it.
YEAH!  Engineering stuff!  I love it!
 
You know i cheat, right? Well I used Maple Extract for curing bacon, works fair to middlin. I knew a candy chef once and she wouldn't use extract. See extract is made with alcohol. Its why you never use it in hot liquids, it evaporates. Maple oil is what candy chefs use because its infused into a non-evaporating medium. Straight into hot candy with little loss of aroma.

So I use the oil now vice extract because I always forget and stick it into a brine I am about to boil. The oil just works better. Thats in my humble opinion.

Shame I can't get #1 pink salt cure oil. . LOL
 
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