off to the NBA...

borzwazie · 09-26-2013, 08:33 PM

...with the rubber chicken I did today. Seriously, this was the toughest, most terrible chicken I've ever made. WTF?

I cooked the thing on 375 to 400, for a little less than 2 hours. Juices were clear, internal temps were good...and I couldn't tear the skin with an angle grinder. It was super salty, and I didn't brine it, so I guess it had brine added.

I had the chicken on a rack, on top of a pan, to keep the heat indirect, and up out of the juices. I've done this before, no problem. What the heck happened here today?

Such a waste, I threw the whole thing out.

Fwismoker · 09-26-2013, 08:41 PM

Direct heat is a good thing...drop the pan. My birds get diffused in the mini with the steamer pan but doesn't even need that. Birds in my UDS is the same way...directly over the coals baby and perfect skin every time. Dark skin and never rubbery. Same temps as you ran also. Do some more experimenting.

HeSmellsLikeSmoke · 09-26-2013, 08:50 PM

Sounds to me like you did everything correctly. Must have been improperly handled somewhere along the way to your smoker.

Happy Hapgood · 09-26-2013, 08:54 PM

I don't do smoked birds, we whole Cajun deep fry them down here but I did try to smoke a chicken one time. The meat was great but the skin was like rubber.

bbqbull · 09-26-2013, 09:01 PM

A long long time ago I had a roaster bird that did like 28 hours in a crock pot. I was making a pot of chicken chili. That thing was tougher than a rawhide bone.
I ended up putting in a pressure cooker for like 2 hrs and it finally made it pullable.

Was this bird enhanced? weight? Somedays I get my butt kicked....especially on this old bird.

Now I only smoke smaller and younger chickens around 5# or less. That is all we seem to buy in my hood.

I might chance suppliers and try again. Good luck and let us know how things turned out.

mrbill · 09-26-2013, 09:02 PM

just a guess, but at the temps/time you posted, i'd say it was overcooked. too high, too long, imo.

Fwismoker · 09-26-2013, 09:13 PM

In my experience chicken and other poultry react better to direct heat vs indirect. Think how your skin reacts in say 90 degree shade vs 90 degree sunny day... you'll never get crisp in the shade but you sure as heck will out in the direct sun light. It's no different in your smoker so if you're smoker is capable of some direct heat i.e UDS or other vertical cookers then go for it.

treytexag · 09-27-2013, 12:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrbill

just a guess, but at the temps/time you posted, i'd say it was overcooked. too high, too long, imo.

I'm no chicken guru, but my first thought is the same as Mr. Bill. 2 hours at 375-400 may have resulted in overdone chicken. Overdone chicken in my experience is tough chicken.

sliding_billy · 09-27-2013, 01:55 AM

Did you check the temp when you pulled it? Sounds like too long a cook.

Diesel Dave · 09-27-2013, 05:44 AM

I agree with fwismoker here, poultry does react better to direct heat.

09-26-2013, 08:33 PM	#1
borzwazie Knows what a fatty is. Join Date: 04-07-11 Location: Ellwood City, PA	off to the NBA... ...with the rubber chicken I did today. Seriously, this was the toughest, most terrible chicken I've ever made. WTF? I cooked the thing on 375 to 400, for a little less than 2 hours. Juices were clear, internal temps were good...and I couldn't tear the skin with an angle grinder. It was super salty, and I didn't brine it, so I guess it had brine added. I had the chicken on a rack, on top of a pan, to keep the heat indirect, and up out of the juices. I've done this before, no problem. What the heck happened here today? Such a waste, I threw the whole thing out.

09-26-2013, 08:41 PM	#2
Fwismoker somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 08-22-13 Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana	Direct heat is a good thing...drop the pan. My birds get diffused in the mini with the steamer pan but doesn't even need that. Birds in my UDS is the same way...directly over the coals baby and perfect skin every time. Dark skin and never rubbery. Same temps as you ran also. Do some more experimenting. __________________ Change the way you rotisserie for the BETTER![COLOR="Red"][B]Cajun Bandit Kits for your WSM or Weber Kettle Now Available![/B][/COLOR] Visit [COLOR="Red"]OctoForks[/COLOR] in Sales & Ventures Website & Blog: [url]www.octoforks.com[/url]

09-26-2013, 08:50 PM	#3
HeSmellsLikeSmoke somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 04-02-07 Location: Warren, Vermont	Sounds to me like you did everything correctly. Must have been improperly handled somewhere along the way to your smoker. __________________ Jim - Another transplanted Texan Former KCBS CBJ Large and Medium Big Green Eggs , Black 18.5" WSM, Blue Weber Performer - Stainless, Green Weber OTG Kettle , Brinkmann SnP Pro, and a Stainless UDS. One retired Portable Kitchen grill. Red Thermapen, Maverick ET-732, EdgePro Apex Sharpener. Avatar is the original 1951 Weber Kettle

09-26-2013, 08:54 PM	#4
Happy Hapgood somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 03-17-12 Location: Shreveport, Louisiana Name/Nickname : Mike	I don't do smoked birds, we whole Cajun deep fry them down here but I did try to smoke a chicken one time. The meat was great but the skin was like rubber. __________________ Cooking Equipment: Weber WSM, Weber GA, Weber Spirit E-310, Weber 22" OTG Charbroil Oilless Turkey Fryer Wife LuzziAnn 1956 model. Ink Bird IBBQ 4T Wi-Fi Temp Monitor, Superfast LSU Purple Thermapen & ThermaPop, Party Q Ink Bird Sous Vide, HF Flame Thower My Motto these days is "Low Stress, Low Drag". The Artist Formally Known as Toast

09-26-2013, 09:01 PM	#5
bbqbull Watching over us. Join Date: 12-27-05 Location: Mid Michigan	A long long time ago I had a roaster bird that did like 28 hours in a crock pot. I was making a pot of chicken chili. That thing was tougher than a rawhide bone. I ended up putting in a pressure cooker for like 2 hrs and it finally made it pullable. Was this bird enhanced? weight? Somedays I get my butt kicked....especially on this old bird. Now I only smoke smaller and younger chickens around 5# or less. That is all we seem to buy in my hood. I might chance suppliers and try again. Good luck and let us know how things turned out. __________________ "You have never really lived until you have done something for someone who can never repay you." "I wish my mind could forget what my eyes have seen. :shocked:" "Heavily medicated for your protection. :doh:" Klose Mobile Pit Klose Owners Reccomended Pit Cookshack Smokette Gasser Little Chief Smoker Large BGE Gifted to me my Pit Barrel Smoker :mrgreen::clap:[URL="http://www.bbq-brethren.com//www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/"][/URL]

09-26-2013, 09:02 PM	#6
mrbill is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 06-25-13 Location: Tx	just a guess, but at the temps/time you posted, i'd say it was overcooked. too high, too long, imo. __________________ NYG Smokey Joe-Copper gas assist Weber Performer-Rec Tec 590 pellet grill/smoker

09-26-2013, 09:13 PM	#7
Fwismoker somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 08-22-13 Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana	In my experience chicken and other poultry react better to direct heat vs indirect. Think how your skin reacts in say 90 degree shade vs 90 degree sunny day... you'll never get crisp in the shade but you sure as heck will out in the direct sun light. It's no different in your smoker so if you're smoker is capable of some direct heat i.e UDS or other vertical cookers then go for it. __________________ Change the way you rotisserie for the BETTER![COLOR="Red"][B]Cajun Bandit Kits for your WSM or Weber Kettle Now Available![/B][/COLOR] Visit [COLOR="Red"]OctoForks[/COLOR] in Sales & Ventures Website & Blog: [url]www.octoforks.com[/url]

09-27-2013, 01:55 AM	#9
sliding_billy somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 08-27-13 Location: Princeton, TX Name/Nickname : )	Did you check the temp when you pulled it? Sounds like too long a cook.

09-27-2013, 05:44 AM	#10
Diesel Dave Quintessential Chatty Farker Join Date: 08-23-13 Location: In the woods	I agree with fwismoker here, poultry does react better to direct heat. __________________ [B][COLOR=Blue]Help us raise funds to feed our Veterans and Homeless [/COLOR][/B][COLOR=Blue][COLOR=Black][URL="https://www.gofundme.com/2s8fv5qs"][B][COLOR=Red]HERE[/COLOR][/B][/URL][/COLOR][/COLOR] Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring ― Marilyn Monroe