Fryer vs. Broiler/Roaster

[Gordo]

Kroger had fryers on sale for .49 a pound this weekend so I picked up 8 small ones and brined them for 24 then smoked them.  I started the Bradley, dried off the chickens and dusted them up.  Now normally a chicken takes between 6-8 hours, but the first four took a little more than 3  :o .  I moved the temp probe around, hoping that I just had it too close to the surface and was getting a bad reading, but the juices ran clear and when I deboned one it was completely cooked.  The smallest cost about 2.20 - so my highly honed math skills ( and the computer's calculator ;) ) tell me that it weighed 4.5 pounds.  The second batch took closer to 6 hours.  Both were done after dark, same night - no rain, no wind. 

In my experience, brined chickens take less time than non-brined, but would a fryer take less than a broiler?

Off topic 1. How on earth can you raise, transport, butcher, package, and cool a chicken for 49 cents a pound?!?  Maybe I should just be happy that something is priced low enough for me. :-\

Off topic 2. That maple brine is some kind of good (salt, sugar in the raw, maple extract).  I did not use enough water - you can taste the salt - but it is really good.  The water that ran out during the cooling process, the kind that gels outside the chicken, was clear.  Talk about a juicy chicken!! 8)

[Oldman]

but would a fryer take less than a broiler

Less mass, less water / blood, less fat.

Off topic 1. How on earth can you raise, transport, butcher, package, and cool a chicken for 49 cents a pound?!?  Maybe I should just be happy that something is priced low enough for me

It could be a loss leader for the store, or market factors have come into play.

[hal4uk]

Gordo... 

Good question - and this is just a guess....
Say they need  $0.99lb just to pay the help.

If ya DOUBLE the weight with a water/salt injection solution to start with...
(you said you could taste the salt)

I'm betting your brine didn't even take - it was too "full" to begin with.
All the grocery stores seem to be in a race to see who can cut the price the lowest, while providing BIG FAT chickies.

Just guessing.  I dunno.  But $0.49/lb does stimulate a morsel of pontification.

[classicrockgriller]

Gordo, I live down here where chicken "Houses" are everywhere.

I have seen chicks come from the eggs (Hatchery)and to the houses (Hen Houses) and to the processor.

I have several friends that are in that business and maybe one will let me take pics.

[Ka Honu]

They only lose a little bit on each bird but they make it up in volume. ???

[CB]

but would a fryer take less than a broiler

I definitely agree to you based on my experiment. I much prepared with fryer it helps to reduce oil absorption. Fried foods are actually not healthy to our body.

i believe this is a spam-bot and I had trouble with the same address and post on our forum - I sent a note to Brian about it.

[hal4uk]

Good catch, CB - Saw tht last night and just thought someone had more bourbon than I did.