Quick smoker question

[Adillo303]

I'm hauling out htesmoker tomorrow. I am smoking a chicken and a rack or 2 of ribs. I'm pretty much OK with temperature fire and what to do with the wood. My questions are these.

1) Do Ipar cook the chicken or ribs.
2) Do I cut the chicken up or leave it whole.
3) About how long for each.

TIA

AC

[Andy M.]

Originally Posted by Adillo303

I'm hauling out htesmoker tomorrow. I am smoking a chicken and a rack or 2 of ribs. I'm pretty much OK with temperature fire and what to do with the wood. My questions are these.

1) Do Ipar cook the chicken or ribs.
2) Do I cut the chicken up or leave it whole.
3) About how long for each.

TIA

AC

1) No, that leaves a lot of the flavor in the water

2) Leave it whole

3) Ribs 3-4 hours @ 225F. Chicken - don't know

[kitchenelf]

I can help you with the chicken - leave the chicken whole, rub it with softened butter and then a rub of:

1 TBS each:
kosher salt
brown sugar
oregano
smoked paprika if you have it otherwise regular paprika

For these use 1 tsp. or less each:
dry mustard
ground red pepper
ground cumin
chili powder
black pepper

Now, if you REALLY want to do it "right" do beer can chicken. Remove the top off a beer can using an old-fashioned church key opener - just be careful and start at the tab pressing down all the way around until you can bend the top down. Pour half the beer out, add 2 TBS chopped onion, 1 TBS butter, 1 TBS above rub. Do the rub last as it will cause the ber to foam. Proceed with inside of chicken (butter and rub) then place on top of beer can. Rub outside with softened butter and rub and carefully set inside your smoker. It's good to have someone pour the rub on the chicken or in your hands so no cross-contamination happens. I make a HUGE amount of this rub and then keep the rest for future use.

When you remove it from the smoker (after 5 - 6 hours - if the leg wiggles easily its done) be sure and use the proper gloves. Have someone use a towel to carefully/slowly pull the beer can out. Apologize as you do this . Let the chicken rest for about 30 minutes. I have also cooked for 3 hours in the smoker to get the good smoke flavor and then finished for about 45 minutes in the oven.

Was that hard to follow?

A soda can will also work in a pinch - it's just the contents in the can create steam which makes the most delicious, moist chicken! How big is the bird? The ones I do are usually around 5 plus a bit lbs.

[Dave Hutchins]

For chix check with a instant read thermometer after 3 hrs. should reed 170 in the thigh. My thinking is the bigger the bird the longer the smoking. A 2 1/2 pound bird should be close after 3 hrs @ 225*F but check do not take a chance with a m rare bird

[Adillo303]

Thank You everyone for your help.I thought that I would report in on the weekend BBQ. I will call this writing "Smoked Ribs and Chicken, The hard way".

After reading everyone's input, I decided on smoked ribs and chicken. In fact KE's smoked beer can chicken sounded deevine. As I left to go grocery shopping Saturday morning, I noticed the family across the street was cutting down the tree in their front yard. It had long since lost it;s keaves and some of the branches had fallen down in the street over time. I saw that thwy were not equipped for what they had started. They were using a small electric chainsaw to fell a tree that was two and a half feet across the trunk. I told them that I would help when I ot back from shoppig.

Sure enough, I got back and all the branches were down and the electric shainsaw had burned out. I got me trusty saw and helped drop the trunk. I even got to hook my diesel truck to it and pull it down. DW snapping pix all the way. I then cut the trunk in half, wrapped my tow chain around each half and dragged it to my driveway. I also got all the branches for firewood over the winter.
On to the BBQ. As I got ready to fire up the smoker, I used some of the wood from the day before to get a bed of coals. I was going to use some hickory chunks, shich I started to soak. Then the light came on. The tree was maple. I used all maple and smoked the ribs and chicken. It all came out delishous. I got a great smoke ring and everyone loved it. I added homemade potato salid and the neighbors brought baked beans and desert. Add some lemonaid and a great afternoon was had by all.

Than k You for your help
AC

[paddfoot]

as for the chicken, the best i ever had was a rubbed smoked beer can style, put some aeromatics in with the beer as well, it cooks extremely even

[jminion]

Chicken and ribs don't need low pit temps like brisket and butts. Bump the pit temp up to 260 to 275 range. The chicken at low pits ends up with rubbery skin and doesn't have the connective tissue requiring long cooks.

Butterflying the chicken by taking out the backbone makes it easier to control the cook.
Jim