Bradley temperature guide

Beewacker · November 17, 2005, 04:15:20 AM

Hi everyone,

I smoked my first chicken last Sunday. Taste was terrific but a little drier than I would have expected. AVERAGE temperature was probably 200F +/- 10F, for around 5 hours. (Trouble fine-tuning thermostat- first time you know). Now that might sound like too much time but here's why I cooked it for that long. I was following the meat temperature guide on the Bradley web site which said to cook chicken to 180F. I took the bird out at 172F anyway. It wasn't dry, but I thought it should have been 'like butter'. I have two very accurate thermometers, one Fluke with insertion probe and one Comark with insertion probe. The Fluke is accurate to within .5 deg. I was just wondering what everyone else cooks their chickens to?

Thanks,

Ron

bsolomon · November 17, 2005, 11:19:03 PM

The answer is: it depends. Specifically on where you take your reading. I usually go for about 168 degrees in the breast, which I believe will be closer to 175-180 in the thigh. I also aoways FTC (foil, towel, cooler) for at least an hour, and that will give you a temperature rise of up to another 5 degrees or so, but all the juices should remain in the meat instead of dripping out if you were to continue cokking until it reached the higher temperature. For the most part, if the juices are still pink, it's not done, and if they run clear it is done.

In your case, 172 in the breast would probably be high enough to make it a little drier than you would like.

Beewacker · November 19, 2005, 04:54:41 AM

Your'e right, I did poke it in the breast. My next one I'll quit at 165 and try the FTC method.

Thanks,

Ron

Oldman · November 19, 2005, 02:04:40 PM

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">temperature was probably 200F +/- 10F,<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"> MY simple 2- cents is these temps are too close to boiling water if the + 10 happens to often. My suggestion is closer to 190F if you have that much +/

Olds

Beewacker · November 20, 2005, 04:38:04 AM

Olds,

Do you mean I should always try and smoke everything at 190F? Is that the number to hit? Any help is greatly appreciated!

Ron

Habanero Smoker · November 20, 2005, 08:14:20 PM

For whole chickens I never go over 165 F. for the internal temperature; measured at the tigh, and will usually pull them from the smoker at around 160 F. If just doing dark meat, I will also cook that the 165 F. For breast meat only I will cook that to 155 F., usually pulling it out at 150 F.

Oldman · November 21, 2005, 04:42:34 AM

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Olds,

Do you mean I should always try and smoke everything at 190F? Is that the number to hit? Any help is greatly appreciated!

Ron<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Other than when I do bacon wrapped chicken breast I try real hard not to allow my box to get hotter than a maximum of 205... many items I do closer to 190F box temp.

If I'm doing chicken I look to be at 185-190 F box temp. It is almost impossible if not impossible to dry a bird out if you stay below the point of boil water. Especially if you keep that water bowl full. Even if you cook your bird until it is 190 F, if the box is below boiling boil the bird will be overly done but with much clear juices.

Olds

Beewacker · November 21, 2005, 05:57:41 AM

Thanks Olds. I'll keep that in mind.

Ron