Smoking quarter chickens?

[countrysmoke]

I plan on smoking around fifty quarter chickens for an upcomig party this weekend. Does anyone have any suggestions or recipes to try out. For example should I leave the skin on or off and how do I keep it from drying out and becoming rubbery?

[classicrockgriller]

1st thing. Keep that vent wide open. Lotsa moisture from chicken.

Maybe take around 35 of the quarters and pull skin off and season
and then replace the skin add a bit more seasoning to skin and then
when done, toss the skin.

The other 15 or so season with skin on (rub some seasoning under
the skin also) and right before serving, crispen the skin on a grill or
broiler in over.

You can make a great rub yourself for chicken. Jan's Rub.

[KyNola]

Aw shucks CRG. :-[ ;)

[Caneyscud]

Ohhh --- so many ways so little time.

I'd also go skin off or what we call "nekid chik'n"

Best way to get flavors into a piece of chicken is to soak it in something.  It can be as simple as some bottle Italian dressing - or as seemingly complicated as a brine.  Minimum of 4 hours.

Brine

    1 gallon Water
    1 cup Kosher Salt
    1 cup Brown Sugar
    1 cup Molases
    ½ cup BBQ dry rub

There are bunches of others. 

I will usually sprinkle some of whatever rub I have handy on and smoke it and 30 minutes or so before completion glaze it with a thinned down bbq sauce.  Adding some pineapple juice to the sauce gives a good flavor.  I will also add some coco lopez cream of coconut - the female types really like that south pacific, tropical flavor.

Been doing some with margarine as of late.  I've used Blue Bonnet and Parkay with good results - butter may be better, but haven't done it yet.    Take a half pan (foil)  - put your already seasoned chicken in it.  Add enough melted margarine to come up to about halfway up the chicken.  Usually sprinkle some rub in the margarine also.  Put the entire pan in the smoker and cook/smoke at 250 or so for 30 minutes or so (butter braising).  If your temp really drops as you put the pan in, - you can cook longer.  Remove the pan from the smoker - crank the smoker to 300 and put the chicken back in, lightly reseason it, and smoke/cook until an IT of 165 to 170 - residual heat will take it to 175.  Should already have your made up finishing glaze/sauce made up and warmed.  Dunk or brush all the pieces and serve.  If you kept the skin on, you could take the chicken off the smoker at 150-160 and finish off on a hot grill, crisping up the skin until the 170 IT is reached. 

Oh, I like using the cherry pucks as they give such a purdy color.

Oh and I've also injected a little hot pepper along the leg and thigh bones for a surprise! 

[ChubbyBadnews]

I would defo recommend crisping up the skin after, if you have the option to do it.

Makes such a good difference.


Best of luck!

[mikecorn.1]

That's a lot of bird parts. As stated above keep that vent fully open and don't peak.


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[countrysmoke]

Thanks for all the replys. I have five pork shoulders in the smoker now with another four to do tonight. I plan on starting the birds tomorrow morning using ya'lls methods. Wish me luck

[joeduke]

Skin on is the way to go..it drys out and gets tough with skin off. I soke it in beer for a hour before putting it in the bradley........yum yum 8)