Chicken temp up, down and back up?

[mfreeman73]

I tried to do some chicken thighs. I took them off when they hit 165. They seemed wet and not quite done.

So, next time I let them stay on a little longer. As soon as they got up to about 170, all of a sudden they started slowly decreasing in temp back down to about 160. Then slowing increasing again back up.

What causes this? Anyone ever have this happen before. I've done three different cooks now and they all seem to do this.

So, do I go by the original reading before it starts to decrease? Wait for it to go down and then back up and then go by that temp? I don't want them undercooked, but I also don't want to overcook. So, I'm just trying to figure out how other people do this. I will usually probe two different pieces of chicken when I cook and they both seem to do this.

 

[Chef Jim]

170 seems a little low for thighs to me. I like 180.

Did you foil them? I like to let them rest so the juice goes back in.

Don't know if this is your problem but this is what has been working for me.

Also what are you using to check the temp. It could be way off!

 

[mfreeman73]

I don't foil them. I'm using a standard ET-73 to check on temps, so I see what the temp is at all times. I probe two separate chicken pieces just in case I improperly place the probe on one of them.

 

[Jeff Selle]

I had the same thing happen to me for the first time last night on my chicken cook. I hit about 174 on one piece and 168 on another so I repositioned the meat probes and the temp dropped to 150 on both pieces... it creeped back up to 168 and I sauced them... they dropped in temp again, my fire started to die and my rack temp cooled off, so I pulled and tented them. After an hour and half on the grill at 300-325 they were still a little pink at the bone... so I finished in the oven... Typically I like to hit 180 as well... my fire just couldn't pull it off last night.

BTW, I think my haywire temps were the result of porrly positioned thermometer probes and a less-than adequate fire...

 

[mfreeman73]

Now that I think about it, it seems to have dropped temps after I applied bbq sauce to them. I'd get them to a temp that was close to what I wanted, sauced them and then they'd drop down. Didn't think sauce on the outside could affect the inside so much, if that is what is happening.

 

[bocephus]

I have found that temps of your cooker will effect temps of the meat while they are still togeather. When I temp most things I like to pull them outta the heat and check them. I know we do this at work with grilling steaks as well. The heat from the cooker, especially on thin peaces of meat, will change what you get as a reading.

 

[Chef Jim]

Now that I think about it, it seems to have dropped temps after I applied bbq sauce to them. I'd get them to a temp that was close to what I wanted, sauced them and then they'd drop down. Didn't think sauce on the outside could affect the inside so much, if that is what is happening.

Interesting, very interesting!

 

[momb]

Mike, If your sauce is cold then your chicken will come down in temp and if you opened the lid then the temp of your smoker will have to come back up. Warm sauce and as little time as possible in the smoker should make your problem much less of an issue. Mary