Too smoky tasting

[Fanc]

I am a newbie from Southern Ontario Canada ..Seasoned and did my first smoke...  Oh my!  The 30 large chicken drumsticks were tasty but too smokey flavoured for most... They smoked for about 3 hr and could have stayed on longer as they were a bit pink at the bone although the temp was ok on the thermometer when inserted.  I have looked on here...  I saw some advice....Keeping the top vent open?  Only smoking for 1:40 hour or so with the biskettes and finished without?  I used hickory.  I have the Bradley Digital 4 rack BTDS76P.  I also read about moisture attracting the smoke.... Is it possible to smoke with the bowl without water in it? 
Any help would be appreciated!!  ;)

[cathouse willy]

Welcome to the forum, three hours of hickory is imho a lot of smoke for chicken and I like smoke. Next time try 2 hours or less and use a milder wood like maple or apple, save the hickory for pork.Leave the vent open, I keep mine wide open all the time. Smouldering pucks produce a bitter smoke and can be a fire hazard so keep water in the bowl to extinguish the spent puck. I've found that chicken has some pink next to the bone even when it's done. Hope this helps.

[Edward176]

Greetings and Welcome to the Forum Fanc. Cathouse Willy gave away everything I would have suggested!!! Yeah, follow his advise and you'll do fine. I too find hickory a tad over powering for poultry. I normally use Alder or Apple, or a mix of both Alder/Apple for 2 hours. Enjoy

[Fanc]

Thanks, tons Edward!!  I needed help big time!!  Thanks so much!!  I really did over smoke!!!   ;)

[Habanero Smoker]

Hi Fanc

Welcome to the forum.

You recieved excellent advice. I just want to add chicken parts have lot more surface for the smoke to adhere to. So for chicken parts I will only use 1:40 hours of smoke, and I ususally will use maple, apple or sometimes pecan.

As for the redness of the meat around the bone, that is normal for chicken that is cook low and slow. The most common theory as to why this happens is that chickens are breed to grow faster, and are slaughtered at a much younger age. Because they grow so much faster, the internal organs; that includes the bones are not fully developed at the time of slaughter. Therefore when cook low and slow, the bone marrow leaches out of the undeveloped bones and creates that pinkness in the meat. Taking the temperatue is the best way to check for doneness, but if you don't have an thermometer available, and you have questions about the doness; the way you can check to see if the chicken is fully done, touch the pink area with a white paper towel. If there is any pink color on the towel the chicken is not fully cooked.