Smoked Brined Chicken ~ Foamheart

[foamheart]

Sorry it took me so long to thank you for your explanation of pelicle and Delta T Kevin. I've been out of town on a job for the last 17 days.

Great explanation--even I could instantly understand it.

Thanks

Gary

NP Gary and sorry about the long but simple explanation. I figured as long as I was explaining I would do the whole enchilada. LOL.... When in the service they taught us all this stuff and of course it was on the very most simple level. They had to, they were teaching sailors....... When they tried to teach it to me in college......I was glad I had been in the service.

Seems though long since then all these ideas, concepts and calculations do rarely surface again but when they do.......

 

[matt r]

Well, you are spot on. My bird looked great, but i missed the timing and pulled it at an IT of 178. It was fairly juicy, but a bit tough.
Looked great though!lol

 

[foamheart]

Well, you are spot on. My bird looked great, but i missed the timing and pulled it at an IT of 178. It was fairly juicy, but a bit tough.
Looked great though!lol

I have learned that my chicken will normally travel 3 to 4 degrees while resting, so I pull mine at about 160. 

Glad it worked for you.

 

[cecil]

Great looking bird Foam.

 

[foamheart]

 
Great looking bird Foam.

Thanks Cecil!

 

[bdskelly]

Kev..... that bird belongs in a cooking magazine. Point
Did you use cherry wood to get that color? B

 

[foamheart]

Thank you. That is all apple wood.

 

[bdskelly]

Thank you. That is all apple wood.

Those fruit woods really bring the color don't they Kev? Best chicken I've seen my friend. B

 

[scarps23]

How long do you run under the fan for pellicle to form? I know you said by color. Just curious.

Looks really great.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[foamheart]

Those fruit woods really bring the color don't they Kev? Best chicken I've seen my friend. B

I can't remember the last time I used hickory, mesquite or Oak

I'll sometimes use some hickory with ham or bacon, Sometimes Mesquite when I get to missing Texas, but normally I am fruits and nuts. I would love sometime to try some walnut or almond.

Oh and Corn cob really surprised me with how mellow it was.

I have a Butterball in the freezer and some apricots mascerating on the counter, Going to be doing that real soon. I did it once before and it was the best smoked bird I have ever had.

 

[foamheart]

How long do you run under the fan for pellicle to form? I know you said by color. Just curious.

Looks really great.


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There is not exacts. Depends upon the bird size and fluid content. Depends upon the fan speed and size.

Its really easy to see though. But I'd guess 30 to 45 mins. and you'd be safe. A good friend clued me in on pellicle and its was the biggest diffrence to my smoking. Its is like do it or don't smoke. If I can't get but 10 mins. I'll do it.

Its not what forms the color, but it makes the skin totally edible where before mine like so many others was always rubbery.

If you want a really pretty color learn to back off on the amount of smoke applied. 

All those old men made smoking look so easy, well I guess it was to them, they knew all the little thangs that made the smoke impressive. 

Just takes practice mostly and chickens are cheap.You know what is great about practice? That's right you get to smoke and eat!

 

[matt r]

Corn Cobs? That's interesting! Are you saying that you use them instead of wood? I would like to try that...can you give a few more details please? Do you dry them out, season them, etc.

Thanks much!

 

[remsr]

I love the smoke flavor of corn cob, I was introduced to corn cobs for smoking about 20 years ago in Vermont where I had some of the best smoked sausage I have ever had.
There are a lot of corn fields here in Minnesota, but with the exception of sweet corn they grind the corn cob stock and all for silage. So corn cobs are hard to come by.

Randy,

 

[johnmeyer]

I think this video is available to the general public. Click on the link and see what you get. It is South Dakota Corncob Smoked Ribs, done by Cook's Country on their TV show:

South Dakota Corncob Smoked Ribs Video

If that link doesn't work, you can at least get a preview, of sorts, by clicking on this link:

Corn Cob Smoke Cook's Illustrated Search

 

[foamheart]

 
Corn Cobs? That's interesting! Are you saying that you use them instead of wood? I would like to try that...can you give a few more details please? Do you dry them out, season them, etc.

Thanks much!

Yes sir. I didn't know it either till a few years ago when Pop told me they always smoked with either corn cob or mesquite in Texas as a kid. So I tryed it looking to bring some nostalgic taste back to Pop from his youth and I was impressed. Now if you use a pellet smoker I will show you something even better. 100% corn cob pellets with no filler. and can't beat that price.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/best-cob-premium-horse-bedding?cm_vc=-10005

Hope it helps.

BTW there are generally accepted smokes. Hard, medium and soft. Hards are like hickory, mesquite, oak to name a few. Usually your nuts are medium, and fruits and berries soft but thats doesn't always hold true but its a good rule of thumb. You can use any with any meat if you balance it out by length of application but generally hards'  are for long smoked and soft for short fast.

In the olden days they didn't waste anything, I have heard they even used squeesed sugar cane to smoke with also but I have yet to try it and I was brought up in the middle of a sugar field. I'll try some day but I know how bagass smells and can't imagine that smell on my meat.....>LOL

 

[matt r]

Unbelievable! I guess you CAN use almost anything! Im going to try those corn cobs. I wish i had a pellet smoker but am still working things out on my mes and Weber Kettle. Throw a pellet into the mix and the wife will kill me!lol.
And thanks too for the education on smokes. Good info and I'm going to save it.

 

[zwiller]

Just reporting back and hope I don't throw this thread OT but put a pellicle on the ribs I smoked over the holiday weekend.  Easily the best I've made.  Add me to the "do it or don't smoke" camp.  First time I ever got that reddish smoke ring on em.  Took 2 hours under a fan a bit smaller than shown in the tread.  Time to upgrade!  They lost the wet look but didn't change color but might be the rubs fault...  Thanks again for sharing.  I cannot wait try do a pellicle on a turkey with pops brine. 

 

[zwiller]

Adding some data. Over the winter I moved from a gasser to MES30. I got real excited since I would be able to do low temps and expected pellicle to form better but not so... Gonna upgrade the fan and report back.

 

[zwiller]

LOL. Didn't realize I was supposed to report back but I just HAD to post. The pellicle has got to be one of the best things I've done to my cooking. Just last night wife throws some plain ole boneless chicken breasts in italian dressing for the grill BUT I dig out the fan and give them a half hour or so and they are just night and day from without the pellicle. Used it on some grilled shrimp too and the sear is just out of this world.