# Smoking chicken......problem!



## Neck-deep (Jun 27, 2007)

I just got my bbq pit on a trailor this past week. Its got a 2ft fire box with a 4ft chamber, and about a 2.5ft high smoke chamber at the end thats adds another 2ft to the whole length. 8ft long total.

I made the best finger ribs of my life last night with an awesome smoke ring and believe i couldve won something if i were on bbq pit masters, however the chicken tasted too smokey/fuelly tasting and wouldve probably placed dead last. I was using mesquite and smoked at about 200 degrees for 5 hours.

The chicken was good with all the skin off but tasted plain.

Any ideas?


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## igo320 (May 17, 2005)

Only use well aged mesquite, wrap chickens in foil if you want to reduce smoke flavor. You must season chickens heavy and let sit overnight for best results. (In my opinion....)


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## speckle-catcher (May 20, 2004)

I haven't smoked many chickens - but none of them took 5 hours to cook.


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## liftologist (Dec 8, 2007)

Brine brine brine. Do a search for brine recipes. Brining will add flavor and help with moisture.
I do have to agree 5Hrs is a bit long IMHO.


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## atcNick (Apr 7, 2005)

#1 brine
#2 don't smoke chicken, grill over mesquite.


-Nick


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## El Primero (Jun 14, 2008)

Smoking with mesquite for extended periods of time can make stuff bitter too. Really imparts a strong flavor. Check out BBQ brethren if you haven't already, tons of good info. Plenty of good folks just like 2cool, just a little more geeked up on q'ing than hunting and fishing. My thoughts, good luck.


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## scwine (Sep 7, 2006)

You can't(or shouldn't) smoke w/ mesquite directly for the entire cooking time. If mesquite is the only wood available you need to burn it down to coals in a separate area first. Then, just shovel a few coals in the cooking area or smoke box while keeping it at the desired temp. 
Mesquite is a very strong pungent oily wood. When used properly it has a great flavor though. When used wrong it will numb your mouth.


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## Neck-deep (Jun 27, 2007)

scwine said:


> You can't(or shouldn't) smoke w/ mesquite directly for the entire cooking time. If mesquite is the only wood available you need to burn it down to coals in a separate area first. Then, just shovel a few coals in the cooking area or smoke box while keeping it at the desired temp.
> Mesquite is a very strong pungent oily wood. When used properly it has a great flavor though. When used wrong it will numb your mouth.


I think you're absolutely right. I had thrown the wood in and let it burn to coals which was fine, but then the fire started dying out. So I threw more mesquite in the fire box chamber and that's when I noticed that the smoke was really strong and fuelly smelling.

Should all woods be burned in a separate area to coals 1st?

Thanks for your help guys.


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## Charles Helm (Oct 22, 2004)

You want real dry wood. I typically keep a few pieces on the top of the fire box to pre-heat it (keep an eye out as it can start igniting) and one piece in the fire box away from the fire. When the fire burns low, the pre-heated dry wood catches fast with minimal smoke. I keep the firebox door open for a minute to let the initial smoke clear out.










If you have the time and a place to pre-burn the wood to coals that will work too, but not every has the set up for that.

I like pecan, some prefer oak or hickory. A few like really, really old mesquite (think 50 year old fence posts).

Chicken can be cooked at the hotter side of the pit and for less time. Just be sure the internal temp gets high enough for safety.


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## 2hours2thecoast (May 1, 2006)

Agree 100% with Charles. Charcoal (prelit in a chimney) can also be used. I prefer to not use charcoal, but it will help keep your pit at temperature.

The best thing is to add the coals to the fire. I think that if you are going to smoke on a regular basis that you should have a way to burn the wood down. It does not have to be fancy. I use a tractor rim that 1/4 has been cut out. This helps shoveling coals out. I just turn the missing section around to adjust for wind. On windy days, the open section faces away from the wind.


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## Charles Helm (Oct 22, 2004)

I generally start the pit with two chimneys of natural lump charcoal and some wood. No briquettes.


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## Neck-deep (Jun 27, 2007)

Thanks for the replies. From now on I'm gonna burn 1st in a separate area when using mesquite. Lesson learned. 

I'm practicing on chicken 1st before I step up to the turkey.


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## w_r_ranch (Jan 14, 2005)

Neck-deep said:


> Should all woods be burned in a separate area to coals 1st?


That is exactly what we do, no matter what type of wood it is... especially if there is ANY bark on it (bitter & nasty). If you use only coals, you'll be in good shape (see photo).

Here, I use a lot of post oak, which is probably 80-85% of my smoke'in time, however I also use a lot of mesquite too (beef only). No matter what, all wood needs to be really well seasoned... Last year I split a pretty good sized pile of mesquite, but it will not be touched until at least 2014. Our post oak dries for at least 2 years before smokin' with it.

BTW, I agree that 5 hrs is too long for chicken...


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## kweber (Sep 20, 2005)

lookin mighty comfy, there, Ranch...:wink:
I let mesquite season a year, but this desert is a little drier than the rainforest called Colorado County :biggrin:


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## Neck-deep (Jun 27, 2007)

I took the chicken out about 3hrs later and put it back in because a piece i cut from the breast was still a bit too moist. It prob needed about 30 min more at about 200 degrees. i considered it a loss already since the skin tasted too fuelly . So I left it in there wrapped with foil paper and went to bed. I checked on it in the morning and it was done. I placed it in the refrigerator and havnt looked at it since. Lol. I was thinking of eating it tom with pasta or something. Definately without the skin though.


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## oc48 (Aug 13, 2005)

mesquite does make chicken bitter. I use pecan for my chicken. I'll go 2-2.5 hours unwrapped, then cover with foil for another 2-2.5

I've gone 5-6 hours plenty of times and the chicken will just fall off the bone!

Be sure to pull that skin up and get your seasoning all underneath the skin. Put a full beer up his butt and get on it! good stuff!!!!


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## ByGodTx (Sep 15, 2010)

I like to put a Tbs of what im seasoning the chicken with in the beer can. Dont know if it helps or not but I like to think so.


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## Farmer Jim (May 21, 2004)

ByGodTx said:


> I like to put a Tbs of what im seasoning the chicken with in the beer can. Dont know if it helps or not but I like to think so.


This sounded strange to me, but what the heck, I'm one of those try anything once guys.

Never again.sad3sm All that sage, parsley and such made my beer taste terrible.hwell:


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## 32redman (Apr 20, 2005)

This is some chickens we cooked in a cook-off. Took 1st place. We use mesquite for a bed of coals and pecan pieces to smoke. Cooked it for 4 hrs. at 200 degrees, basting it every 30 minutes.


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## Neck-deep (Jun 27, 2007)

This past wkend I experimented on another 2 chickens again. This time I used B & B lump oak and added pieces of cut pecan wood. (No mesquite this time)

Big difference! They came out awesome. Sorry, no pics.

I learned that cooking with mesquite is great too, but my problem the 1st time was that I was using mesquite that had been cut 2 months ago so it was pretty fresh / moist. I also will be preburning mesquite 1st (Getting them to coals 1st) before throwing logs in the fire box.

I'm gonna go buy a brisket this evening and get it prepared for tom. I'll have another thread coming up soon on how it turns out. I'm gonna try to tackle the half day + smoking procedure (no foil paper).


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## driftfish20 (May 13, 2006)

Marinated overnight, injected and smoked w/oak

Mmmmmmm Good!


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## smooth move (Dec 10, 2007)

i cook drunk chickens for 45min-1hr over mesquite with the pit vents 1/2 open. don't need so much smoke.


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## smooth move (Dec 10, 2007)

Farmer Jim said:


> This sounded strange to me, but what the heck, I'm one of those try anything once guys.
> 
> Never again.sad3sm All that sage, parsley and such made my beer taste terrible.hwell:


 LMAO!


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## corkysteve (Jan 16, 2010)

Spatchcock (remove the backbone) and inject and season. I have recently discovered Stubbs Chipotle Butter Injectible Marinade at the ****. I use an Old Smokey and do the indirect method with lump charcoal in a chimeny starter and throw some wet pecan chunks on right before. 2 to 2 and half hours later you have pollo magic. You lay the inside down and don't open the lid until it stops smoking. If it stops smoking before the 2 to 2 and a half, add a little wet pecan. Be prepared to lift up a tender chicken.
All this on a cheap arse Old Smokey. Trust me, I do it almost every weekend.


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