1st Time Smoking on a Gas Grill

[mathman]

Next weekend for the Super Bowl I will be smoking/grilling chicken quarters on a gas grill.

My grill is an old firemagic grill that has been rigged to work. It has a adjustable propane regulator and needle valves on the burners. It will throw 1 ft flames or turn down low.

The problem I have is when I only have one burner on it still gets very hot. 350* at the lowest. This is according to the thermometer in the lid. I bought thermometer on amazon. I've never checked if it's correct.

How do I get the temperature down?
How do I do the water pan?
Would the water pan help?

The grill is 6 burners. Two per each valve. It doesn't have a burner plate to disperse the heat.

Can I use old cookie sheets to be a burner plate?

I plan on using an old metal pot with dried mesquite chunks in it covered in foil for smoke.

Will that work and be fine for smoke?

My plan was to use the right burner. With the smoker pot over it then the burner plate next to it in the middle to disperse the heat some and then put a pan of water on the left side and cook the chicken on the left side.

Should that work?

What temperature should I cook the chicken at?

I'm sure you can see. I'm new to this.

 

[flash]

Unless you can put another regulator on it to lower temps that may be what you have to work with. Try a test run with adding water pan. I do think it would help.  Chicken is said to not benefit much from the low and slow. Many member smoke it at 350º. I like mine to be in the smoke more since it does not take long, so 220 to 225º. Those temps will not crisp up the skin though, so I usually finish on a hot grill.

 

[mathman]

Thanks. I'll test the guage to see if it is correct and try the water pan. I want to be able to get the pit to 220* so I can smoke a brisket. I'll try the chicken and see how it goes.

Any way to make a burner plate easily?

Should the cookie sheets work?

 

[Rafter H BBQ]

You could try turning on just two burners and put the meat on the other side of the grill. Kinda like the minion method for charcoal but may work for gas though I have never tried it. Just thinking out loud here but maybe soak some hickory chips overnight, then wrap them up in tin foil, punching a few small holes in the foil to allow the smoke to come out. Put the foil wrapped chips reasonably close to the two burners that are ignited, may give ya kinda a low and slow thing there. Hope maybe ya can put to use any of this... Good luck and let us know how it turns out.... WHB