Donna,
I duplicated your chicken cooking, with exception the brace of chickens weighed 4 lbs each and both fit on the middle shelf. We used 3.2 oz of hickory, started the smoke off with cold chickens and a cold AmeriQue, both chickens stuffed with apples and celery and covered with olive oil and CS Chicken Rub. Dinner was six hours away, so they were cooked at 220 degrees. The thermometer setting of 165 degrees in the thigh beeped and went into hold 5 1/2 hours later.
The chickens were beautiful and five of us enjoyed the best chicken I can remember in many years. Today, we boned what was left and added mayonnaise, pecans, celery, white pepper and 1/4 tsp of curry and had chicken salad sandwiches fit for a king.
Clean up took only a dish washing and tens minutes of a lemon juice wash of the bottom and new aluminum wrap. I can see that we will be using the AmeriQue more than the CS55.
smokemullet.
