beer can chix and hot split chix..

[vman]

smoked some chicken today, came out good!!
on the top is a split chicken which i marinated in a hot sauce over night.
on the bottom 2 whole 4# birds..beer can style but have applejuice in the cans...not beer...with spices and garlic, plugged up the neck with a potato, also rubbed them last night.
in the waterpan have 50/50 water and applejuice.
used applewood...4 1/2 hours at 240 degs + 1 hour at 300 degs.

 

[joed617]

Hey Vman, Great looking birds, fantastic color also. Great Job.. I'm waiting for my beef ribs I'm smoking today.

Joe

 

[smokemack]

The birds look great Vman! I have a "rookie" question. Doesn't the skin of the chicken prevent smoke from penetrating into the meat of the bird :? ? Also, with the bottom and the neck plugged, do you get good smoke flavor to the meat? I know that I see a lot of whole birds being smoked (so I don't doubt the method), but have yet to do one myself. Seems (to me) that halving the bird and exposing the meat would allow smoke to hit the insides and give much more flavor. Again, not doubting the technique, just curious...

 

[cajunsmoker]

Great looking chicken vman.

Color is real nice, I think that 1 hour at 300 made it look real pretty 8)

 

[vman]

hi SmokeMack, i am a rookie to the site, but have been addicted to the backyard smoking for several years. i will answer your questiions to my experiences though others on this site may have more experienced input along with tips and tricks.
the skin may prevent some of the smoke taste, but without the skin that bird is gonna dry right up on you. now, with the can in the butt and the neck plugged with the potato, you are using the the liquid concoction u have in the can to keep the bird very moist as the hot vapors are also adding flavor from the spices u have in the can. to remedy the smoke taste, my chip box is empty/depleted in about 1 3/4 hours, so at the 2 hour mark i carefully remove the chip box and reload it to give another 1 3/4 hours of hard smoke (the smoker i use is a GOSM gas smoker that has a cast iron box for the chips).
also, when i smoke like i did today, the split chix need a lil less time to be done, so i put the whole chix on the bottom closer to the heat and the split chix on the top where there is a lil less heat and they all wind up being done at the same time. the whole chix were Perdue's with that pop-out timer but i disreguard that and go by my thermometer....i put it in the top split chix and when they hit the mark, i check the temp on the whole chix to be sure of their temp.

 

[vman]

thanks for the compliment! when i smoke whole chix i always crank up the heat for the last hour to melt off any remaining fat from the skin (i just love the skin, but it can't be fatty or rubbery for me) and IMO, doing this also gives the chix a natural basting from that melting skin fat.

 

[vman]

hi Joe, thanks for the compliment! let me know how the beef ribs turn out, i have done the pork ribs quite a few times but never the beef ribs....if u have time, gimme a fast rundown on temp and smoke time.

 

[oillogger]

Great job on the Drunkin' Chicken and I see your chickens can handle their booze since there are none of them beer can stands for chickens in your pictures. :shock: Yo may want to fold their wings behind them next time to keep them from flapping about while cooking. :)

 

[vman]

hi oillogger, i never used the beer can stands cause i never needed them. i just set the bird and can on the grate, than take the legs....spread them a little bit (no pun intended..LOL) and put the knuckles in between the wires of the grate to steady the bird. never had one tip over.
i will be sure to try handcuffing the birds next smoke!!

are u a logger? stihl or husky man?

 

[oillogger]

Neither, oil well logger. Flip the wing tip under and back to cuff 'em.