First Smoke

[badmojoe]

I completed my first smoke yesterday.  I decided to go with the item that I first tasted from a Bradley Smoker which was the sole reason I wanted one from the time of that first taste.

I smoked two whole chickens, just a little sea salt and in to the smoker using alder pucks.  I used alder because it was the only flavor the local store had and I couldn't wait any more for my shipment from Amazon.

Smoke time was 4:30 and the temp ranged from 200 to 225 during smoking.  I used a probe in the chicken breast and was trying to be good and get it up to 165.  I was told by another bradley user to take them out after 4 hours but he hadn't given me direction on cook temp so I went with the recommended internal temp.  When they went 30 minutes long and were still not up to 165 I decided to take them out.  The internal temp was 162.  The chicken was very tasty and overall a success.  While they weren't "dry" they could have been a little more moist.  Is there any recommendation for internal temp that is still considered cooked but more on the moist side?  Should I have just taken them out at 4 hours?  Should the bradley be set all the way to the right on the temp?  I did only put in 4 hours of smoke and they finished the last 30 minutes on heat only with the bubba puck on the burner.


Next up will probably be baby backs.  :)

badmoJoe

Not sure how to post the image here, it is hosted on picasa, hopefully if it doesn't show here you can click on it.



http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/H5DNsIN-JNzknKpOpz454g?authkey=Gv1sRgCJr6hZTqw7yiCQ&feat=directlink

[NePaSmoKer]

Fine smoke there badmojoe. Smoked chicken is good.

Here is an easy way to post pics, and its free.  http://photobucket.com/

nepas

[Mr Walleye]

Certainly looks good Badmojoe  ;)

Just to add to NePas's comment here is some great directions on how to use Photo Bucket written by FLBentRider here on the forum.

http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showpost.php?p=768&postcount=11

If you find your chicken a little dry you could try brining it or injecting it just to boost the moisture content a bit.

Mike

[Caneyscud]

Smoked chicken is great eats and those look tasty - very tasty!

Dryness can be a problem - especially in the breast.  There are a few ways to combat it. 

1. Brining
2. Injecting
3. One of my favorites is to carefully place some sausage slices between the skin and the meat of the breast.
4. The technique of Beer can chicken is supposed to keep the breast moister.
5. Stuff the cavity with something that will not pull moistness out and will add taste.  Lemons and Onions, Sausage, butter, bacon, etc...
6. Mop the chicken while cooking 
7. Part the chicken up and take out the pieces as they get done.  The breast quarters will finish well before the leg quarters. 
8. Wrap the parts that dry out in bacon.