chicken quarters help

[raastros2]

Hey guys and gals just a simple question double checking if everybody uses all the racks when smoking chicken quarters.....know its not ok for chicken to drip on other meats but wasn't sure about chicken dripping on other chicken

 

[s2k9k]

Chicken is chicken, I don't think it will know the difference!
When I smoke wings I load to capacity and juice is dripping all over the place!

 

[raastros2]

Great! That's what I thought! Better safe than sorry

 

[kc5tpy]

The only danger will come if you don't have consistent temp throughout the smoker.  Chicken is chicken but if the bird on the bottom is ready to pull and the bird at the top is still dripping "bloody" juices onto the bottom rack, you MAY have a problem.  This would probably need to be a BIG temp difference from top to bottom; but as we don't know YOUR smoker, we need to be sure we try to cover ALL the possible food safety issues so our members and their families enjoy a GREAT meal with no ill effects.  If you see your chicken is cooking unevenly rotate your racks so that all the bird is ready about the same time.  Have fun.  Keep Smokin!

Danny

 

[raastros2]

10/4

 

[oldschoolbbq]

Good advice , Danny.

Have fun and . . .

 

[kc5tpy]

Thanks Stan.  I KNOW in this case the info was probably unnecessary but you never know if new folk may be readin along for some advice.  Better safe than sorry.  Keep Smokin!

Danny

 

[raastros2]

I will just revisit this post instead of posting another one....how long y'all usually smoke yalls quarters? 2 hours or so? And do y'all still follow the half a pound a person rule of thumb

 

[dirtsailor2003]

I will just revisit this post instead of posting another one....how long y'all usually smoke yalls quarters? 2 hours or so? And do y'all still follow the half a pound a person rule of thumb

Cook to temp not time. Your thigh needs to reach an IT of 165*. Depending on what temp you are cooking will determine the length of time. I cook all my chicken at temps ranging from 275*-325* so my cook times are less than someone cooking at 225*-250*.

 

[raastros2]

Yeah thanks

 

[raastros2]

Bout to put 20 pounds of quarters in the smoker at 230 for the first time....anyone have a ballpark cooking time? I was thinking around 4 hours....I have the mes40 if someone else has done #20 on there mes just hit me up

 

[wwdragon]

20 pounds or 1 pound will cook the same, once the IT hits 165 you are good to go. I am about to do again today 2 chicken quarters at 240ish and 4 hours is pretty much on the mark. Just one thing I learned from my first time smoking chicken, it takes on smoke FAST. My first cook came out a wee bit too strong.

Barry

 

[raastros2]

Thanks man.....iv had em in there for a little under 2 hours and they are at 145 already