Here I go

Howdy again,Woodking.You are working much to hard at this. IMHO you might want to" slow down and smell the smoke".LOL.....I realize that's difficult and I get the same way.....I'd coat those chicks with oil or even mayo,sprinkle inside and out with rub and let set at least a couple hrs.....They can go together or on the top couple of racks.A couple oz. of wood should be plenty for a first try.225� or 250� will work. I'd shoot for 160� in the breast and 178�-180� in the thigh. They aren't going to crisp up unless you finish them on the grill or under a broiler.Wrap in foil and let rest awhile.They will probably be even better tomorrow........The pork butt will handle either temp. as well,but I'd set and forget it.It will plateau somewhere between 150�-165� and set there for 2or3 hr....Smokin' will tell you "its done when its done" Might be 6 or 7 hrs ,could be 10 or 12 hrs.Take it to about 205�,double wrap in foil for 1to 2 hrs.and the the fun starts......I agree with Smokin' that keeping a good journal,having patience,and enjoying the process while you learn your cooker are the "secrets" Hope this helps.

Thanks, yes a journal is a good idea. I have an extra legal pad around here somewhere.
Me? Working too hard? Hell no !! LOL I'm having fun with this. I'm not worried a bit. I have cooked with other smokers and grills for years and I have worked in Restaurants and BBQ Joints for years.
I am just excited about starting up my smoker for the first time and I love to know I am totally prepared as far as ingredients and accessories and recipes, and yes, I do make up my own all the time.
You guys got the wrong idea, I am asking questions because I love to have information. I am not worried or rushing around. I am having a great time. Sorry if you guys don't like my posts or they seem too mixed up. That's just the way I am. I know what I like to do, I have always liked to be very organized, but I like to keep things simple.
It's also fun to see who wants to help, and who just complains about my posts LOL

Thanks for all your help everybody !!

Congratulations on finally getting that Cookshack!! There's a lot of great ways to smoke chicken but I prefer the "Chicken On A Throne" method. Smokin' Okie posted the recipe from one of my old posts in the Recipe Section (by the way you can experiment & use any combination of rubs, spices & liquid that suits your taste). I've never had chicken stay as moist as it does when using this method. I usually shoot for about 175' breast temperature. If you go by the temp in the thighs/legs the breast meat usually is drier than I like. As for pulled pork - I set the temp gage at 225' & leave it there until it's done. Pork butts take a long time (I find 2 hours per pound for the heaviest piece of meat is a good rule of thumb). I did 2 6lb butts last weekend. They were smoked for 13 hours @ 225' with 3 oz. of apple wood. I rubbed the outside with my normal rub & injected them with a marinade (1/2 cup unsweetened pineapple juice, 1/3 cup spiced rum, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1 tbl brown sugar, 1 tbl ginger, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp red pepper). The internal temp was about 188' & the meat just fell off the bone! I pulled the meat & mixed it with my regular store bought BBQ sauce. I didn't have any complaints from my friends as they enjoyed their sandwiches.

Sounds Great Paul !!
Can you tell me what is the best type of injector to use for marinades? And is there any particular place I need to go to buy one?

That is the one last accessory taht I think I should buy.

Is there a big difference between a pork butt cooked with only dry rub versus marinading or injecting with marinade? Some people say they are just as good either way, some people say marinading doesn't really do much, and others swear that marinading is Fantastic. Others use a dry rub and then a mopping sauce. or just a mopping sauce. heh heh heh.

LOL, LOL....I know....I need to try out all the methods myself to see what I like best. I just figured if I can learn from someone else's mistakes, it will save me both time and money !!

Using marinades and mops would definitely be more messy, but if it makes a better final product, I don't mind.

That marinade recipe sounds really good Paul. Got to find an injector to keep on hand. I think I have seen attachments for Turkey Basters, but maybe there is a better contraption to use.

I found a notepad to start my journal with.

Thanks loads.

I think injecting does make a diffence when you're making pulled pork. When you just dry rub, the spice mixture only penatrates so deep into the meat. By injecting a marinade you're adding seasoning throughout the whole piece of meat. If you buy Paul Kirk's book, "Championship Barbeque Sauces" he goes into great detail about the effects each of the various marinade ingredients has on the meat. The acid softens the texture of the meat, the oil replaces moisture that the acid removes & the spices add flavor to the meat. In my opinion when using a Cookshack injecting a marinade is a better method of adding flavor than mopping. Your cooking times will increase when mopping (loss of temperature by opening the door) & I don't think the mop will penatrate too deep into the meat. Mopping is mainly just a method of keeping the meat moist in a wood burning smoker. I have to be honest & tell you that I'm still experimenting with marinades/injection liquids but at this point I think they are a superior method of flavoring meat than mopping. Maybe we can get a good discussion going on the Forum about this topic. If you're looking for an injector go to www.barbecue-store.com Scroll down to "Meat Flavoring" & check out the "Original Seasoning Injector". That's the one I have & I recommend it. Also scroll to "The Unusual" & check out "Willie's Chicken Sitters". I bought a pair of those - they're easier to use than beer cans when doing Chicken On A Throne.

Thanks again Paul, you have been a great help. I went ahead and ordered an injector. I also got 2 of those chicken stands and 1 for turkey, and I also ordered a 3 pack of mopping/basting brushes. (I will use those on the charcoal grill). This is my final order for Smokin' and Grillin' accessories until I might someday need 1 or 2 more digital thermometers.
Do you know anybody who has tried those cordless, remote thermometers? LOL, space age stuff here....good for up to 100 ft. Wonder if being behind several walls would block the signal?
$80 is alot to spend on a thermometer though !!