Brined yard birds are giving me a rubbery skin

[Jaredhulon323]

when i am smoking my yard birds the brine is getting my chicken skin rubbery. I have increased my cooking temp but to no avail. I have heard about air drying the chickens in a refrigerator for a few hours will help it. Any luck out there with this problem?

[Free Mr. Tony]

If time permits I dry them off, set on a rack over a pan skin side up, and let them sit uncovered overnight in the fridge. Seems to work the best on chicken parts rather than halved or spatchcocked, but helps out either way.

[Right on Q]

I've found the longer I brine the skin becomes more rubbery. I played with my times and found about an hour and a half in a simple brine works best for me.

[SanJoseDale]

I do a lot of Spatchcock chickens in BGE and usually brine them. The temp needs to be quite high to get crispy skin, I usually go at 375-400°, not really smoking temp. This yields a great skin.

[tractoman]

Never had a problem because of the brine either. I think the temp is the key to bite through skin.

[Jaredhulon323]

Thanks ima overnight them in the mini fridge and run my pit at 400

[IamMadMan]

I not sure what isn't working for you; Temp, Brine, Chicken, or Technique....

I brine overnight, go directly from the brine to the grill, then to the serving platter. Chicken is always bite-through and tender.

Maybe try a different brine???????

http://cornell-classic.univcomm.cornell.edu/xsearch/?id=132&tab=facts

Cornell Chicken /Finger Lakes Recipe
Developed by the late Robert C. Baker, Professor of Poultry Science and Food Science.

(enough for 10 halves):

1 cup cooking oil
1 pint cider vinegar
3 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 egg

Crack the egg into a medium bowl and whisk until beaten. Slowly whisk in the oil until fully blended. Then whisk in the vinegar, salt, poultry seasoning, and ground black pepper. Set some of the sauce aside to use for basting while grilling. Place chicken in shallow baking dish, and coat with sauce. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

[LYU370]

Love the Cornell chicken. Although I cut the salt down to 1TBSP.

You can also rub some baking powder onto the skin or add some to your rub. That'll also help to crisp up the skin.

[Bludawg]

I brine all my chicken before cooking be it fried smoked grilled or BBQed, I never have rubbery skin but I cook the ever lovin holy CHIT out of it too. If the breast anit 180 it aint done. Just because the gooberment says it's safe to eat at 165 don't mean it's done. I cook skin side up for 1/2 the time to set the skin & finish skin down. Cooking skin down all the juices work between the skin and the meat to make it bite through just like them beauty pagent cooks use a a butter bath to accomplish the same thing.
I use a simple brine

2 tbl table salt
2 tbl sugar
2 tbl granulated garlic
in 1/2 gal of water or as much as it takes to cover the clucker.