First Chicken Smoke Breast up or Down? Or does it matter?

[eriksp]

First Chicken Smokefor me. Breast up or Down? Or does it matter?

I'm smoking at 275 degrees as most suggest.

Also I'm smoking 2 chickens on a GOSM. I have a Beer can chicken on the top rack and another chicken on the bottom rack. Should I keep the meat probe in the Bird at the bottom?

 

[diesel]

I use the beer can chicken stand on the smoker.. but if you can't than I would put the breasts up..  I put the temp probe into the breast on a angle all most to the bone.  Hope this helps.

 

[adiochiro3]

I always start breast side down to let the juices flow into them.  Then I flip it over with about an hour to go to crisp up the skin evenly.  I know it's opposite of what Diesel just said, but experimentation is what it's all about!

 

[realtorterry]

What James said

 

[africanmeat]

OK i do chicken almost on a weekly basis, if i don't do beer can ,i am doing it with   breast up so the inner juice (i put in the cavity a lemon) will stay in

i fund it will keep it juicy

thanks

 

[SmokinAl]

If you can do both beer can, that's the way to go IMHO.

 

[scarbelly]

My personal experience is that in my SmokinTex it does not matter which way I put the chicken in.  I know that the heatflow is different in other smokers so you just have to experiment to see what works best for your smoker.

 

[eriksp]

Ok I did one beer can and one just placed on the metal grate.

I started for the first hour Breast down then after an hour Breast up. I don't any of it made a difference like some mentioned.

I do know I relied to much on my probe in one area of the bird and it apparently blew by the 165 and was like 177 when I placed the probe in a different area. Next time I will move the probe all over the breast to get a real good temp.

The Chicken was still moist.