Newb with Qs

[wick]

The first batch of wood burned/smoked for about 1.5 hours. The second batch about the same. All in all the meat was in the smoker for about 4 hours at 225.

The chicken came out really moist. The skin had a realy strong smoke flavor too. I think Hickory may not be the wood for me and mine. I think the next batch I will try Apple Wood.

What can you do to keep your meat from being over smoked?

 

[danreeve]

hey hey, another newb from columbus. We must be taking over.

Dan

 

[harrylips]

Welcome aboard!

 

[bman62526]

Welcome! First off, yes - hickory is a tad strong but I like using it. Secondly, it is true that ground meat takes on much more smoke flavor than regular cuts.

Apple wood for sure is good, I use that on every cook just about - in combination with other woods according to my taste.

Lastly, when it comes to chicken - I don't ever eat the skin on a smoked bird, like i do if it's oven roasted. The skin off a smoked bird is too rubbery for me, not very crisp, and yes - it's very smokey flavored. I think the lower temps of smoking, combined with the smoke itself, is why the skin doesn't crisp up like if it's oven-roasted at higher temps.

Some folks go to all kinds of trouble to MAKE the skin crisp when smoking, but to me, the flavor of the bird is so good when smoked, I could care less about even trying the skin...

 

[smoken yankee]

Go with a fruit wood for chicken, turkey. I mix apple and cherry together and what a difference it makes, if you want crispy skin on a chicken, I do a beer can chicken on my webber, first I put a rub on the bird and let it sit in the frig for two hours covered, you can even put some of the rub under the skin.