Ocala Bill's Chicken

I used Cookshacks chicken rub, and got the same results of moist chicken and pretty crispy skin. Didn't taste too bad but nothing to really brag about. Seems I will need to practice a bit more. Right now I have eight butts on to go with the 10 racks of spares I did yesterday. Will be trying out the double beer can chicken stand that I made
tomorrow.
Will give results of that later.
NPJ

Better success with Bill's chicken today used rub's with no sugar no burnt skin this time around. Do you guys use rubs with a lot of sugar content with success

Sincerely
John Ford

Been doing better since dropping the sugar in the rub. I'm not really happy with the lack of BBQ flavor though. Any suggestions for getting a better BBQ flavor without hitting the skin with a sauce?

Are you starting at 275 deg. with a one hour warm up, then turning temp all the way up for 40 min? Marenade over nite in Numans with 1/4 cup of rub. Yes do sauce it lightly and place back in the cooker at 350 for 5-10 min. to carmelize.As far as the rub burning, I've had herbs turn black at this temp, and in comp I just flick them off for a better looking chicken.
Had a young man at the Huntsville cook come up and say he used this method and he said it was the best ever.
This is NOT my method both Fast Eddie, and DR BBQ sent me in this direction, if you like it thank them.
Bill

Bill I from time to time cook with Dr.BBQ and I met you at Tiger Town in Lakeland last January.
I was just wondering if your rub was sugar based.

Sincerely
John Ford

No it's not.
Bill

Black chicken also. Trying to improve my chicken methods and followed Ocala Bill's methods exactly. Tasted pretty good but black skin. I am plotting the 450 temp setting now, I believe my FE was hitting close to 495 on upper range of pellet drop.

I bought two more tubs of thighs and making this a chicken weekend. I am going to keep marinating in Neumans and cooking chicken until I get it right.

Hey Duck how did your chicken turn out last weekend

Did two more cooks on Sunday, both with Neumans and two different rubs. The first at 11:00am I did at 375 setting, 40 minutes cook, 5 minutes glaze. Chicken was great, would of liked a little darker. I had the chicken on second rack from bottom with a aluminum drip pan underneath with skin side up. This might have affected the color a little I believe.

Second cook started at 5:00pm, used the 400 setting. Cooked exactly the same as the mornings cook. This chicken looked a little too black. Taste was good, though I think the mornings rub worked a little better than the afternoons. I have since ordered some more rubs from the Dizzy Pig company to add to inventory.

Cooking chicken again this weekend, will try bottom rack no drip pan, 375 dial setting and will turn the chicken skin side down to try and pick up a little more color but hopefully just enough. I should be taking some pictures of the end product and will do this with next cook.

Doing Lavender chicken for a slow food event here in Oregon this weekend at a Lavender farm. Should be an experience, lot "different" kind of folks there than at a bbq competition.

duck
too kewl on the lavender. it jogged my memory of the 1st time I encountered that while in training. the old german chef i trained under was beside himself when for a catering event a lady requested a lavender sauce. all he kept saying was "surrender frogs, surrender" in a thick german accent and then he lit the ovens and smiled (still haven't figured that one out and to this i won't ask him )
jack

I have now cooked two contests with my new fec. I found the new cooker (one with the gaskit) cooks faster and temp goes up much faster than #0002. With this in mind I've had to adjust cooking times on the chicken. I will be happy to post time and temp when I figure out what they are. Right know I'm using the "open the door and dump heat", method. LOL. Some stick burner habits just will not die.
I hope I did'nt cause you fine folks any problems with your chicken.
Bill, Bill& the Dixie Chicks

I think it is Nina's influence.

We score well in our contests and seem to land right behind Bill's winning chicken.

See ya at Lakeland,old friend.

Tom-Fl

I tried Bill's chicken and it turned out fabulous for me. This was on a trial run, however. At a competition it'll be totally different! I don't use much rub and have no chunks of herbs or anything to burn. I'm hoping to jump our scores up with this method.
He's one of those great people you hear about who are willing to help you. And everybody loves Nina! They are such good folks!
Peggy

Thanks Tom and Peggy. Tom you know Nina runs the show. OK with me. When I met her I had nothing. Now "What can I say".
See you guys next week. Thanks Bill

Hot dog! Just got done reading the KCBS standings for last year. Bill& the Dixie Chicks....14th over all in chicken. With only 5 Kcbs contests last year we are really happy with that finish. This year our goal is top ten.Bill

And you should be proud of it Bill. And I expect to see your name up in the top ten this year also!

John

Hey, Bill,
My goal is top ten! You better be top 9!!!!
Peggy