what happened???

Former Member

Greetings group!Just tried out my new SmoketteII(008) last night. Daughter & her family were coming over at 6:30 so I started putting the rub on the chickens(2)at 3PM. About 3:20 I inserted my temp probe(Taylor)into the thigh of one of the chickens, Lined the floor & wood box with foil, put in a small chunk of wood, & fired that puppy up. The initial temp of the bird was 44˚F so I set the temp alert at 180˚ & the timer at 3hrs, & the smoker temp at 225˚. 3hrs later the temp says 145˚ so I added another hour & cranked it up to 250˚. An hour & half later(total of 4½hrs) it was only up to 156˚ so assumed maybe the probe was set wrong or something so I took the chickens out assuming the thermometer was off. The birds were still draining blood. At this rate it was looking like a midnight meal so I fire up my indoor oven to 350˚ and tossed them in. A short while later they were done to perfection & delicious.I followed the directions for the chickens. should I set it for hotter & longer next time? I also tied up the legs & wings like in my rotisserie, is that a no-no? Or is something wrong with my SmoketteII? I'm thinking next time maybe 240˚ for 4½ hrs. TIA!

9/30/0710:17 AM

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smokingduffeyMember

I usually cook chickens and other poultry at 250 F. I don't think that there is much to be gained by going low and slow on poultry. They pick up a lot of smoke.

I suspect the reason that your cook took longer than expected was starting with 2 cold chickens and a cold Smokette. It probably took an hour or so just to come up to temperature. There is nothing wrong with this, you just need to account for it. I figure 30 to 45 minutes a pound after the smoker has come up to temperature is about right. It is useful to get a second thermometer so that you can monitor the smoker temeprature.

The birds are done at 160 F, I take them to 170 F for a bit of margin, so 180 F is a bit high. 180 will be juicy in a smokette though. I monitor the temperature in the thigh as I like dark meat, if you like white meat, you should probably monitor the breast.

There is nothing wrong with finishing them off in an oven, that crisps up the skin nicely. It is impossible to get crisp skin in a smokette. They don't get hot enough.

9/30/072:33 PM

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Former Member

I agree somewhat except to get a probe to monitor the smoker temps. The up and down temp swings will drive you nuts and make you sure something is wrong. 2 large chickens can easily go 5 hours at 250*. You might have more room for the temp probe in the breast. Maybe you need an instaread and then after 4 hours at 250*, you can open the door and quickly check the temp in thigh and breast, close door for another hour or 2 if not there yet. Also, be sure there is ample space beside and between the chickens for airflow.

Did you remember the drain hole?