Gonna try chicken in the MES again, advice please.

[Greydle]

I tried smoking chicken thighs in my masterbuilt years ago with horrible results. Im gonna give it another go tomorrow. Last time I had a salty mushy ash tray tasting chicken with rubber for skin.

Im planning to use less salt in the brine and soak them for only a couple hours. Im gonna use wild black cherry wood. I want to pull them and finish them on the weber spirit II with an Alabama white sauce. I want crispy skin!

My question is, what temp should I pull them out of the MES? Or would it be fine to take them all the way to finish temp in the smoker before I hit them with the grill? I would appreciate input from any with experience using this method.

 

[mike243]

I run mine at 275 , hickory or apple , are you talkng about choke cherry? little bitter fruit and sappy wood?

 

[Braz]

I'd pull them from the smoker earlier than your desired finish temp. The time on the grill to crisp up the skin should also get them to your temp. How early to pull them? I don't really know.

 

[smokerjim]

i would run the mes at 250-275 until internal temp of 160-165 then put on a hot grill to crisp them up, i find thighs better with a finished internal of 175-180, also i would only add smoke for 30-45 minutes chicken takes on a lot of smoke quick.

 

[chef jimmyj]

That Jim ^^^^^, beat this Jim to the Punch!...JJ

 

[Greydle]

I run mine at 275 , hickory or apple , are you talkng about choke cherry? little bitter fruit and sappy wood?

Choke cherry is different than a wild black cherry tree. Yes the fruit is small and bitter and the wood is sappy. The two look similar. You can identify the wild black cherry by looking at the underside of the leaves. If you can get your hands on some, I havent found a fruit wood that i like better for smoking.

 

[Greydle]

i would run the mes at 250-275 until internal temp of 160-165 then put on a hot grill to crisp them up, i find thighs better with a finished internal of 175-180, also i would only add smoke for 30-45 minutes chicken takes on a lot of smoke quick.

Im following your advice, thank you!

 

[uncle eddie]

275F for sure...pull 5F early and finish in oven or gas grill at 400F for crispy skin

 

[foamheart]

There is two ways to get good skin. As above mentioned is higher heat, but you can also make good skin by developing a good pellicule. With an electric you are not going to get that bird to a hot enough temp (basically about 325+), to dry the skin out hence the need for a secondary cook.

The second and more convenient way, you should always either leave the meat uncovered in the reefer at least overnight to dehydrate (2 hurts nothing), or place under a fan for 30/45 mins. before smoking. I actually generally do both. You should feel the skin then become clammy and tacky and finally see the subcutaneous fat rise and turn the skin yellow wherever the fats are accumulated. Its easy to see.

After the first time you try it, when you actually look, you'll slap the heel of your hand to your forehead, from then on you'll spend that extra prep time. Its no biggie, it's just something that we all learn for electrics. Try it and see if it doesn't work for you.

 

[Greydle]

There is two ways to get good skin. As above mentioned is higher heat, but you can also make good skin by developing a good pellicule. With an electric you are not going to get that bird to a hot enough temp (basically about 325+), to dry the skin out hence the need for a secondary cook.

The second and more convenient way, you should always either leave the meat uncovered in the reefer at least overnight to dehydrate (2 hurts nothing), or place under a fan for 30/45 mins. before smoking. I actually generally do both. You should feel the skin then become clammy and tacky and finally see the subcutaneous fat rise and turn the skin yellow wherever the fats are accumulated. Its easy to see.

After the first time you try it, when you actually look, you'll slap the heel of your hand to your forehead, from then on you'll spend that extra prep time. Its no biggie, it's just something that we all learn for electrics. Try it and see if it doesn't work for you.

Thanks, I will!