Smoking a Whole Chicken

[Caribou]

Hello Everybody!
I have been checking out all of the interesting poultry brines on this site and the various methods of smoking.
Being a Newbie and all, I was wondering if some of you folks that have had experience brining and smoking whole chickens could share their favorite brines and smoking techniques on this brand new poultry board.
Kind of a 101 for someone like me that has the Bradley Smoker and the 5lb whole Costco chicken sitting in the frig but is feeling a wee bit timid.
Thanks....in advance!
Carolyn

[KyNola]

Caribou,
Don't feel timid.  Go to the recipe site.  There are plenty of brine recipes there as well as instructions on smoking a whole chicken.  One important piece of advice with poultry.  Open your vent 100% as poultry has a lot of moisture in it, particularly with skin.  You need that moisture to be able to escape.  Otherwise it will collect in the box, knock your heat down and condensate and run out of your smoker.  Also, poultry is like a sponge when it comes to smoke.  It really won't take all that much smoke being applied to give you that smokey flavor you're looking for.

Good luck and have fun!!!
KyNola

[Caribou]

Thanks Kynola,
Would around 2 hrs of smoke be OK?
Do you have a favorite puck you like to match with chicken?
What temp do you like to have the smoker at?

Carolyn

[FLBentRider]

Caribou,

I have used this brine from the recipe site http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?p=46#post46

and KyNola's Jan's rub - http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?p=718#post718

with great results.

I usually use 3 hours of smoke with the smoker @ 225F until an IT of 165F

[Gizmo]

Thanks Kynola,
Would around 2 hrs of smoke be OK?
Do you have a favorite puck you like to match with chicken?
What temp do you like to have the smoker at?

Carolyn

Carolyn,
Are you a skin eater?
Smoking with the low temps usually experienced with the Bradley, cause the skin to be rubbery.  You and reduce that effect by finishing the bird in a 375 or better oven.  You may still be able to notice the skin if you cook for a while in the BS but the oven will definatly make the skin edable, other wise, it is not.  If you are not a skin eater, no problem with start to finish in the BS.  I would push the temp on the BS when doing chicken as well.  Chicken is not a low and slow type meat.

Oak is one of my favorites but I also like hickory and apple.  Well actually, I could do Oak, Hickory, apple and alder on anything.  Mesquite can be good as well but go light.

[KyNola]

Caribou,
Both FLBR(thanks for the rub endorsement) and Giz have you pointed in the right direction.  I like FLBR's direction of 225 degrees.  I will respectfully suggest an alternative on one aspect.  If this is your first chicken I might try less than 3 hours of smoke, depending on your taste for smoke flavor.  If you are a fan of a lot of smoke 3 hours is great but as this is your first, I would go 2 hours.  If 2 hours is not enough for you, you will know to increase the time of smoke for your next chicken.  You can always add but you can never take it away.

Giz has a good suggestion as well.  I finish a lot of my smoked treats in the house oven.  Better heat and more importantly, better and more consistent heat control.  Plus it makes your house smell great!

Hope this helps and let us know how it turns out.  We like pics too!!

KyNola

[KyNola]

Caribou,
Sorry, just read your post again.  Forgot the smoke flavor you asked about but Giz has that one covered as well.  Personally, I'm a big fan of apple or maple on poultry but I also love me some hickory on a chicken as well. 

As FLBR mentioned the KyNola Jan's Rub,should you choose to use it, here is what I would do with it as Jan and I concocted it for chicken and then learned you can slap it on a rock and it's good.  Don't be afraid to apply it liberally and you can wait to apply it until just before the poultry goes in the smoker.

KyNola 

[Caribou]

Thanks everyone! Great advise
I'm going try this and I will take pictures.
I think I will do the oven finish to crisp the skin, my husband and daughter are big chicken skin fans.
Carolyn

[Brisket Lover]

I did 40 mins on just back attached drums last night using hickory then finished in the oven at 350.  It had a delicious flavor.

[Caribou]

I smoked my first chicken this weekend!
Thanks to every one for the help and encouragement. 
It turned out pretty good. 
I smoked it using the brine Kynola suggested and I was feeling a little lazy to make my own rub so I used Penzey's BBQ 3000 mixed with a olive oil.  I was planning to play it safe and smoke for 2 hours but ended up smoking it for 3 in hickory then finished it in the oven until done at 350F.  It tasted great...really pleased with the results.
Here's a pic, you can tell my hubbie and daughter sampled a little off the leg!

Carolyn

[KyNola]

Carolyn,
Your chicken looks great.  I would love to take credit for the brine suggestion but I think that was FLBR.  Congrats on the great looking bird!

KyNola

[Tenpoint5]

As good as that looks, I bet there is nothing but a bone pile left.

[deb415611]

Wow, that looks great!

[Caribou]

Thanks every body!
It did disappear quite quickly!
I'm excited and would like to do it again.....soon!
Carolyn

[Gizmo]

Did these two for my daughter and son-in-law last week.  This was a wonderful mix of related products.
Chickens were brined and glazed with Jim Tarantino's Turkey Maple Bourbon brine and glaze recipes from his Marinades book.  Jim is my son-in-law's best friend's uncle.
The birds then received 1 hour 20 minutes of smoke in the Bradley and were finished in the Big Easy (Christmas present from daughter and son-in-law).

Left overs were made into some killer chicken salad sandwiches on Saturday and tonight the rest went into a chicken pot pie.