Better smoke on Split Chicken ?

Cutting the chicken up would increase the amount of smoke penetration, but whether or not it would make a worthwhile difference I would say it depends.
More smoke would penetrate into more parts of the bird so there would be more smoke but at the same time the cook time would be shortened.
I love doing chicken parts and getting a whole leg or thigh cooked all by itself with smoke kissing every part but there is just something different, something special and flavorful about doing a whole bird.
Will be looking forward to your thoughts after your next smoke.

To add to that I think the bird ends up a little drier when you are not doing a whole chicken no matter how you go about it. With the quartered or halved chicken you would also be able to get your rub on more surface area of the chicken so that would help your rub penetrate better. Good luck and please let us know your results.

I don't care too much for the beer can chicken. I prefer spatchcock chicken.

I find that the bones add a wonderful flavor when grilled directly over the heat.

I've tried it all ways and I find the meat is best when smoking it whole. Put the rub inside, outside, and under the skin to whatever degree possible. Brining is good too but not necessary.

The caveat is that if you're smoking at 225, you have to mop the skin regularly to keep it from turning to rubber/leather. Also it helps immensely to turn it over halfway through.
IMO "beer can" only works if you use a wire frame rather than an actual can as the can prevents the interior from picking up flavor. And you lose natural meat juices with the bird standing up or partitioned.

Sounds like it turned out great! Good smokes.

Hey Opd! Those look like a pretty good smoke. Nice color too. Did they retain their moisture pretty well?

A couple of the above posts got me thinking. I have done whole birds can style and layed breast up. Thinking back on it now, my best smoked birds were before I knew anything about the can method.

I remember the first pair I did in my small GOSM about 4 or 5 years ago...they literally fell apart when I cut the breast skin. These were injected with marinade and dry rubbed...very juicy, tender and tasty. I even impressed myself with that smoke...

I might have to go back to that method just for giggles and see how we like them in comparison to the can-butt method. It does seem that the can is quite a stopper of the thin-blue, and the flavor does seem to be lacking a bit with the ones I've done...even though I use aromatics like garlic, onion etc. in the can liquids.

I may have to get a couple whole birds again and give the old tried and true method a shot.

Interesting thread, sure got me thinking back a few years.

Let us know the results of the split vs whole can-butt method...sounds like the search has begun for another ultimate smoke!!!

Thanks!

Eric