Getting some dry chicken during practice

[Atlasman]

Darn it I am getting frustrated. Did a brisket and 8-10 racks of ribs last week to practice and I was on fire!! Nailed my first brisket, dead on smoke ring, tender, juicey, bend, pull.....all there with a nice taste profile. Ribs were all kinds of experiments on tastes but end products were great.

So I am Mr confidence all the sudden and do a couple chicken cooks just for fun.............they sucked.

I keep getting dry chicken (thighs). Did bone in and bone out, rub under skin and not, marinade and no, inject and no.

Gotta be my cook times but the thighs are temping no where near over done........even had some in the 140-150 range that were dry.

Used multiple different chicken brands so wasn't the meat.

Running about an hour light smoke wide open then same in foiled butter bath, sauce then back on 15-20 to firm up sauce.

Pit Temp is always 250 spot on.


Hard to believe I am over cooking them but I must be to get them dry.

Have used fab c dark, bird booster, and kosmos soak and STILL had dryness issues.


What the heck??

[Jacked UP BBQ]

to be honest, I dont think you are cooking them long enough. I cook mine at 240 and my process takes 2.5 hours and they are juicy as can be

[INmitch]

For what it's worth here's my timeline:

9 am on 250 degree's in uncovered butter bath.
10 am cover w/foil.
10:50 out of pan on rack.
11:10 sauce n back on (I drop smoker temp to 220 @ 11)
11:47 out for turnin

Internal temp is usually 205. At 12:10 I taste one of the two thighs that I don't turn in. Juice still runs down my chin. Hope this helps.

[indianagriller]

Thank you Jan... ;)

Originally Posted by INmitch

For what it's worth here's my timeline:

9 am on 250 degree's in uncovered butter bath.
10 am cover w/foil.
10:50 out of pan on rack.
11:10 sauce n back on (I drop smoker temp to 220 @ 11)
11:47 out for turnin

Internal temp is usually 205. At 12:10 I taste one of the two thighs that I don't turn in. Juice still runs down my chin. Hope this helps.

[Butcher BBQ]

How big of thighs are you cooking? If they are small nothing will help with a long cook cycle. After injecting how long are you letting the product set before cooking?

[Red Valley BBQ]

Try brining your chicken. I have had zero moisture problem since I began brining.

[NazBQ]

Originally Posted by Red Valley BBQ

Try brining your chicken. I have had zero moisture problem since I began brining.

This helps for sure. If you're not already doing that.

[Butt Rubb'n BBQ]

Brine it, Brine it and brine it again. You will never have dry chicken again as long as you dont cook it to death.

[Atlasman]

Originally Posted by Butcher BBQ

How big of thighs are you cooking? If they are small nothing will help with a long cook cycle. After injecting how long are you letting the product set before cooking?

Pack of 8-10 thighs roughly weighs 5+lbs......not huge but I don't consider them tiny either. After injecting I tried cooking anywhere from 1/2 hour to 3 hours later (thighs soaking in left over injection).

Did a cook with bird booster honey and it was AWESOME......juicey, tender and delicious. Did another cook the next day and dry.......same pit, same technique.

[Atlasman]

Originally Posted by Red Valley BBQ

Try brining your chicken. I have had zero moisture problem since I began brining.

What's the brine made of??

[indianagriller]

Bird Booster is a good product, no dry chicken

[Bentley]

All I can say is...welcome to the Club!

[Hawg Father of Seoul]

Your thermometer got off. The meat, not the pit.

[Atlasman]

Originally Posted by Hawg Father of Seoul

Your thermometer got off. The meat, not the pit.

Using brand new Thermapen........calibrated and been dead on with other meats/cooks

[Atlasman]

The only culprit could be the open pit time to start right?? Butter bath can't be sapping moisture out and I stopped putting rub on meat in case salt was drawing out moisture. Sauced pit time has been as short as 15 min so I highly doubt that is doing it.