Grease fires

Just curious, but how are you getting a fire? How is the grease combusting? Has to be grease getting in contact with the firebox as it doesn't spontaneously combust at 375.

Some good cooks around here, we'll help you out.

Okay, so are you cooking contests or just trying to cook good chicken?

I cook my chicken all the time for contests at 325 and have no problem with heat or gaskets.

I can get crispy skin also as long as it's above 275 or 300.

Since I've calmed down and am now thinking kinda straight, all I can figure is that when wiping the marinade from the thighs, I didn't wipe underneath the skin. The smoker had fresh tinfoil and was cleaned out but I hadn't cleaned the racks. That will be done in the next couple hours. I haven't burnt anything up at a contest (only cooked in one so far), just when cooking for catering jobs when there are large amounts of chicken. Do you use the "Ocalla Bill" method, when cooking @ 275*-325*?
I will try the lower temps though, because as I said before, new gaskets are eating up some profit.
I'll take any advice, constructive criticism, ideas offered.

We also hot cook our chicken pretty quick.

We cook it after we have done butts,briskets,and ribs.

We do clean our racks,for appearance sake.

We haven't had any problems yet.

Bill does advocate drying everywhere on the chicken, well.

Maybe the large amount of chicken,and oil,has something to do with it?

Tom-Fl

Okie

Which rack do you use and how much do you cook

Joe

north pole,
as you know i had a fire in my rig.
here is how i solved it since we are doing them every week now.
i cook my butts, ribs and brisket in disposable, full hotel size, aluminum pans into which i have inserted "french fry grids"
the chicken goes into the same thing.
we cook the chiken at 400f setting and have never experienced the fire problem we had 4 or 5 months ago.
the upside is my clean up time is reduced 75 to 80% with no lose in product quality but for sure a big improvement in lifestyle quality since i get at least part of a day off.
try it for yourself. it sure has worked for me
hope this helps some
jack
ps. each hotel can hold 2 10 to 12 pound butts or a 14 pound packer brisket

north pole almost missed the commercial part of your post.
i adopted this technique due to cooking the chicken for weekly sales not comp but we use the same thing in comp.
just dry them off some use the pans and grids for everything. i have to run the 400f also to make our biscuits come out right as we do a breakfast menu also.
by the way a fire in an fec in an 8 x 18 ft trailer is for sure an attention getter
jack

Joe,

Here's my question, how does the grease get to the fire?

Look at the chicken on the racks themselves. Look at where the grease/oil is dripping.

When the grease plan/slide is placed there are gaps front and back as it's made that way to let air by.

What I do is put the pan all the way to the back wall, almost eliminating the back gap.

That leaves about a 1" gap towards the front. Just make sure not to load chicken on the front part of any rack that's going to drip grease/oil down the front and maybe "splash" causing the fire.

quote:

Okie
Which rack do you use and how much do you cook
Joe

I use the bottom two shelves and fill them up. I'll put the larger meat, say thighs on that level for a few minutes before I add the smaller meat (size wise). If the meat on the bottom shelf is getting done before the others, then I most them up to a higher rack.

When I do full chicken in a CS I put the grease pan as desired and I try not to put chicken on the very front.

I also watch the chicken and I'll rotate it 180degrees if all four racks are full. There is a hot spot in almost all FEs along the back left and that chicken will burn in mine if I don't rotate.

Russ

Thanks for the idea's. Believe I'll try a couple of em.
Joe

Prisonchef,
How does the skin turn out doing it like that?
I will be trying it your way and Smokin's way?