Need help with wife!

[Habanero Smoker]

My past experience, when I cook at 250°F and above in my Bradley, my food tends to acquire a burnt flavor. I couldn't guess what temperature to start ramping at, to fully cook in the Bradley. Maybe if you fully cook at 235°F - 240°F from start to finish, that may be a high enough temperature to render the fat out of the skin, but that is just a guess. When I cook chicken in my charcoal smoker, I use a temperature of 275°F, for about 2.5 hours, though the skin is not crisp, the fat has rendered, and it is bite through.

What temperature you pull it out of the Bradley mainly depends on how are you going to finish it. If you are going to finish in a hot oven (375°F - 400°F), or on the grill, I would take the chickens out when the thigh reaches 155°F - 160°F. If under the broiler, I would fully cook, then place them under the broiler for a few minutes, but this doesn't work well for whole chickens. A very hot oven, such as 500°F, will work better than using the broiler for whole chickens. With any of these methods, you need to monitor the meat very closely, or the skin will burn.

[Salmonsmoker]

Let me rephrase me questions.

If I am using a process of cooking at 225 and the ramping up temps or move to the over to finish at 165 , at what temp should I start ramping up the over temp or moving the bird to the over?

I run a PID. Am I correct in assuming that this would override any stock programing for oven temp?

Only if you're bypassing the high temp. limiting sensor. If your heating element is connected directly to the PID, then yes. If the wiring path is original, then the sensor is in play.

[TwistedSanity]

My past experience, when I cook at 250°F and above in my Bradley, my food tends to acquire a burnt flavor.

This did indeed happen to it this weekend. It didn't render the chicken unenjoyable,  but I could taste it there.
I cooked at 280 until the IT hit 165. I was surprised to see that at one point the pucks waiting on the ramp for their turn on the heater also light up. At one point I had burnt the puck on the element plus the next 1 and 1/2.

I also want to say that the chicken was not as tender or juicy as when it was done the entire time at 250.

Next attempt I will be trying in the smoker at 250 until an IT of 150, then in a very hot over until 165IT.

Either way thank you all for all the advice.  I will report on my next attempt.  Also looking for other suggestions.

[Habanero Smoker]

Looking forward to your report on your next attempt. I'm surprised the fat didn't render and make the skin bite through. I'm use to smoke/roasting chicken parts, so that may make the difference.