First WSM Chicken...

darita · 05-06-2011, 09:11 PM

I just got my first WSM chicken roast under my belt. I've done several chickens on the pellet pooper already. I always brine my chickens. Juicy and smokey.
Why can't I get that crispy skin that I love so much? What's the secret???
Also, why don't I ever get the fall-off-the-bone chicken? I go to an IT of 170 breast or 175 thigh. Meat is done and juicy and reddish, but not falling off the bone, like a roasted market chicken. Why?
Cook done at 225 to 265, with KB coals and mesquite chunks. Used the Method to lite.

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Boshizzle · 05-06-2011, 09:13 PM

Looks good to me! As far crispy skin is concerned, do you baste with butter or oil?

darita · 05-06-2011, 09:14 PM

Oil...

rookiedad · 05-06-2011, 09:27 PM

i think you are going to need to cook at a higher temp to get the crispy skin. crank to 350* or 375* and give it a shot. that chicken looks good though! the wsm all clean lookin' and all kinda brought a tear to my eye!

chambersuac · 05-06-2011, 11:07 PM

+1 for a higher cook temp.

NorthwestBBQ · 05-06-2011, 11:28 PM

Oil or butter on the skin helps too.

Big slick · 05-07-2011, 12:57 AM

I oil the skin and cook around 350-375 till I hit the proper internal temps. As for the fall of the bone tenderness?... I have yet to cook a chicken/turkey that didn't have the meat fall effortlessly from the bone. Try the higher temps and see what that gets you.

Dave Russell · 05-07-2011, 01:40 AM

Isn't CRISPY chicken skin the result of a VERY hot cook? as in grilled or rotisserie?

My BEST wsm smoked chicken yet (just the other day) was cooked at about 240* and I finally got tender "bite through" chicken skin, not rubbery, not tough. I think it was all in my prep, but since the results were SO much better than my dry pan HH cooks, I think I'll just use my wsm for low-n-slow in the future. Call me old school, even water in the pan, but when my brother-in-law told me sauce would've been an insult to this chicken, I think I finally got it right.

Brine (I dry-brine) , air dry in the fridge, REMOVE some fat and ADD some fat.

(as in butter)

If the leg quarters on sale look good to me, you can bet what I'll be smoking. Two dozen fit nicely on my three rack set-up in my 18.5" wsm.

propsync · 05-07-2011, 01:57 AM

I'm the idiot who has to ask- Could you take the pan out and lid off and crisp at the end? Turn the smoker into a grill (It is a Weber, after all)? It would be like Rendevous (SP) in Memphis. To me, I'd crisp at the end. Internal good, hit the skin quick with heat. I saw someone talking about a torch in another thread. Maybe a Bernzomatic would scratch that itch.

Dave Russell · 05-07-2011, 09:45 AM

Yeah, you can if you want to. I've just not had good results "crisping" the skin at the end. Personally, I like my grilled chicken to taste grilled and my smoked chicken to taste smoked. I'm after a bite-through TENDER skin for my smoked chicken and thank God I've finally figured it out....and I didn't have to take all the skin off and scrape all the fat off.

Yeah, I pulled off the big gobs that were easy, but not nearly all of it, and it didn't take long at all. My brother-n-law asked why I was putting butter under the skin when leg quarters already had so much fat, but he was the first one to hit the leftover chicken bag the next day...for breakfast.

Drew · 05-07-2011, 10:18 AM

That's a great looking bird!

I like the wheels on the WSM too!

darita · 05-07-2011, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Russell

Yeah, you can if you want to. I've just not had good results "crisping" the skin at the end. Personally, I like my grilled chicken to taste grilled and my smoked chicken to taste smoked. I'm after a bite-through TENDER skin for my smoked chicken and thank God I've finally figured it out....and I didn't have to take all the skin off and scrape all the fat off.

Yeah, I pulled off the big gobs that were easy, but not nearly all of it, and it didn't take long at all. My brother-n-law asked why I was putting butter under the skin when leg quarters already had so much fat, but he was the first one to hit the leftover chicken bag the next day...for breakfast.

Please go over exactly what you do to get that skin.

05-06-2011, 09:11 PM	#1
darita is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 08-01-10 Location: Roseville, CA	First WSM Chicken... I just got my first WSM chicken roast under my belt. I've done several chickens on the pellet pooper already. I always brine my chickens. Juicy and smokey. Why can't I get that crispy skin that I love so much? What's the secret??? Also, why don't I ever get the fall-off-the-bone chicken? I go to an IT of 170 breast or 175 thigh. Meat is done and juicy and reddish, but not falling off the bone, like a roasted market chicken. Why? Cook done at 225 to 265, with KB coals and mesquite chunks. Used the Method to lite. Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us __________________ NorCal Smoker...MAK2, Masterbuilt 560 GF, WSM 22, SnS Grill, Weber Kettle, Weber Summit Charcoal.

05-06-2011, 09:13 PM	#2
Boshizzle somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 01-26-10 Location: Virginia	Looks good to me! As far crispy skin is concerned, do you baste with butter or oil? __________________ Operation BBQ Relief Founding Member - I am Obsessive Compulsive about BBQ. Google it.

05-06-2011, 09:14 PM	#3
darita is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 08-01-10 Location: Roseville, CA	Oil... __________________ NorCal Smoker...MAK2, Masterbuilt 560 GF, WSM 22, SnS Grill, Weber Kettle, Weber Summit Charcoal.

05-06-2011, 09:27 PM	#4
rookiedad is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 07-21-05 Location: patchogue, n.y.	i think you are going to need to cook at a higher temp to get the crispy skin. crank to 350* or 375* and give it a shot. that chicken looks good though! the wsm all clean lookin' and all kinda brought a tear to my eye! __________________ Phil Better Days Barbeque Backwoods Party 3 WSMs 22" Weber Kettle Smokey Joe

05-06-2011, 11:07 PM	#5
chambersuac somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 04-02-09 Location: San Antonio, TX	+1 for a higher cook temp. __________________ Dan IMBAS Certified MOINK Ball maker and IMBAS Sgt. At Arms. And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. [Acts 20:32 KJV]

05-06-2011, 11:28 PM	#6
NorthwestBBQ somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 06-28-09 Location: Everett, WA	Oil or butter on the skin helps too.

05-07-2011, 12:57 AM	#7
Big slick is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 03-04-11 Location: Palatine, Il	I oil the skin and cook around 350-375 till I hit the proper internal temps. As for the fall of the bone tenderness?... I have yet to cook a chicken/turkey that didn't have the meat fall effortlessly from the bone. Try the higher temps and see what that gets you. __________________ 22.5" WSM, 22.5" Weber Kettle, Kenmore 6 burner Gas Grill.....Where's The Beef?

05-07-2011, 01:40 AM	#8
Dave Russell is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 01-06-10 Location: Lebanon, Tennessee	Isn't CRISPY chicken skin the result of a VERY hot cook? as in grilled or rotisserie? My BEST wsm smoked chicken yet (just the other day) was cooked at about 240* and I finally got tender "bite through" chicken skin, not rubbery, not tough. I think it was all in my prep, but since the results were SO much better than my dry pan HH cooks, I think I'll just use my wsm for low-n-slow in the future. Call me old school, even water in the pan, but when my brother-in-law told me sauce would've been an insult to this chicken, I think I finally got it right. Brine (I dry-brine) , air dry in the fridge, REMOVE some fat and ADD some fat. (as in butter) If the leg quarters on sale look good to me, you can bet what I'll be smoking. Two dozen fit nicely on my three rack set-up in my 18.5" wsm. __________________ If you're lookin' you ain't cookin', but if you're overcookin' you might start lookin'!

05-07-2011, 01:57 AM	#9
propsync Knows what a fatty is. Join Date: 01-24-11 Location: Milwaukee, WI	I'm the idiot who has to ask- Could you take the pan out and lid off and crisp at the end? Turn the smoker into a grill (It is a Weber, after all)? It would be like Rendevous (SP) in Memphis. To me, I'd crisp at the end. Internal good, hit the skin quick with heat. I saw someone talking about a torch in another thread. Maybe a Bernzomatic would scratch that itch. __________________ What ever happened to the thick coating for that buoy grill?

05-07-2011, 09:45 AM	#10
Dave Russell is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 01-06-10 Location: Lebanon, Tennessee	Yeah, you can if you want to. I've just not had good results "crisping" the skin at the end. Personally, I like my grilled chicken to taste grilled and my smoked chicken to taste smoked. I'm after a bite-through TENDER skin for my smoked chicken and thank God I've finally figured it out....and I didn't have to take all the skin off and scrape all the fat off. Yeah, I pulled off the big gobs that were easy, but not nearly all of it, and it didn't take long at all. My brother-n-law asked why I was putting butter under the skin when leg quarters already had so much fat, but he was the first one to hit the leftover chicken bag the next day...for breakfast. __________________ If you're lookin' you ain't cookin', but if you're overcookin' you might start lookin'!

05-07-2011, 10:18 AM	#11
Drew Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 10-16-10 Location: Adelaide, Australia	That's a great looking bird! I like the wheels on the WSM too! __________________ Drew - Because life's too short to eat bad BBQ!

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