Smoking a chicken?

[Moutaineer]

So, I have a free range chicken and a smoker with limited instructions that was a gift from my stepson that I have to use before the snow flies...

Recipes, ideas? How long to smoke a whole chicken?

Smoker is propane powered, I have a bag of wood chips of some sort.

[WheresMyWhite]

I have a propane water smoker and I *love* smoked chicken.

I smoke them breast side down for about 3 hours (how much does it weigh?)

Check the temp (I forget what chicken is supposed to be done at) but do not go by color... fully cooked correct temp chicken will still be pink.

I use alder and then some type of fruit wood (which type depends on my mood) as the wood.

I don't even need a knife. The legs separate easily and when it cools a bit, I can take all the breast meat off with my hands.

[Moutaineer]

OK, I have a meat thermometer so I can do that. It's a good-sized bird. I was thinking about 3 hours.

[Snork]

I initially read the title of this thread as "smoking children" which gave me a bit of a startle.

[WheresMyWhite]

Oh, and my smoker has a thermometer built into the door - I try to keep the temp at 250...

Let us know what you think!

PS - this is how I do my turkey every year as well... smoker, breast down, for hours (I'd have to dig up how long). The breast meat is nice and moist.

[SnowHorse]

I initially read the title of this thread as "smoking children" which gave me a bit of a startle.

LOL, I just had to reply because I read it the exact same way.
It wasn't till I was reading the actual post that I realized it was about chooks...

[carpevita]

And I thought wow someone has some really big rolling papers!

[Moutaineer]

Lol!

It is soaking in a bowl of brine as we sit.

[Moutaineer]

So, it was good, very moist, but all I can taste even now is the smoke. It was applewood chips. I need to investigate other woods, I think.

[silk]

I initially read the title of this thread as "smoking children" which gave me a bit of a startle.

LOL, I just had to reply because I read it the exact same way.
It wasn't till I was reading the actual post that I realized it was about chooks...

Blow drying a chicken, smoking a chicken... you people are toooooo funny

[Figgy]

They smoke the chicken using tea and a wok on masterchef

I've had some awesome smoked trout over the years - yummmmm

[Don Giovanni]

I initially read the title of this thread as "smoking children" which gave me a bit of a startle.

...and I opened it wondering if it would run along the lines of blow drying a chicken..
Think it's time for more coffee.

[piedmontfields]

I usually smoke with hickory (because we have a lot of it around). For chicken, I'll usually sear it first and then smoke it for about 90 minutes (this is with a broken down bird, not a whole chicken).

I do love smoked meat and fish!

[bascar]

So, it was good, very moist, but all I can taste even now is the smoke. It was applewood chips. I need to investigate other woods, I think.

I don't think the changing of the chips will help much. Smoked fish seems to work because fish has a distinctive taste to begin with, chicken can't compete with smoke in the same way that tofu can't. Pheasant might smoke well. Oh and what about cheese? Or would it just melt?

[SnowHorse]

Bascar - I've eaten smoked cheese, so it's a thing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoked_cheese




Smoked reindeer is about the tastiest meat you can ever have, right after smoked salmon/trout. Oh, yummm!

[WheresMyWhite]

I don't think the changing of the chips will help much. Smoked fish seems to work because fish has a distinctive taste to begin with, chicken can't compete with smoke in the same way that tofu can't. Pheasant might smoke well. Oh and what about cheese? Or would it just melt?

I think the wood does make a difference. Why else would pro BBQ's be so fanatic about the woods they use in competition?

It could be the applewood was too strong. My 'go to' is alder and I toss in a few other types of wood depending on my mood. Alder has a nice, "softer" smoke that isn't so overpowering IMO.

[Moutaineer]

It was much nice cold.

I'm thinking of making a stock out of the carcass and making pea soup with it... pea and ham without the ham