Wanting to do Spatchcock Chicken

[YoMoma]

Need some advice here please.
Never smoked on my WSM yet, but plan on it tommorrow.
Making 2 Spatchcock Chickens.
Question, I should brine this chicken before smoking, correct? If I can find an enhansed chicken, could I bypass brineing?
Some on the board here have told me to cook at around 350 degrees. But a friend of mine told me he thought I should go lower in temp. Because at 350 a chicken will cook in the oven in nearly an hour and a half to 2 hours.
And lastly, I probably wont need to use the minion method because this wont be a long cook. To get a little higher temp will I need two full lit chimineys of coals?
Thanks for helping out a smoker noob.

 

[bbquzz]

First shot I'd try not doing a brine, but would go 325-350 degrees, chicken is not a low and slow meat. If you open all the vents on your WSM it should get pretty hot using the Minion method with one full chimney. Be sure to post some pictures.

 

[Nick Prochilo]

I'd brine. Then do as buzz said.

 

[Vermin999]

marinade the chicken in some good Italian dressing, Stubbs chicken marinade or some other marinade that you might like, season it well and then do what Buzz says.

 

[Puff1]

What everyone except Nick said. If it's enhanced. Make a killer marinade!
I'm surprised the Eyetalian doesn't 2 thumbs up the dressing.

 

[Bob In Fla.]

Marinade is good for adding flavor.


I was originally told that one of the reasons you do a spatchcocked chicken is that you can get really good and juicy chicken withOUT brining. I have never found this advise to be wrong.

First shot I'd try not doing a brine, but would go 325-350 degrees, chicken is not a low and slow meat. If you open all the vents on your WSM it should get pretty hot using the Minion method with one full chimney. Be sure to post some pictures.

You sure saved me some typing.

BOB

 

[YoMoma]

At 300 to 350 degrees, when should I first check the temps? I don't want to be opening the pit a lot. And at what point should I comsider applying the BBQ sauce?

And yes, I will take pictures to post..

 

[bigwheel]

Great advice your getting here. I vote on the eyetalian dressing marinade. Kraft 7 Seas Viva Eyetalian is the best. To that 1/2 cup Kikkoman soy sauce..1/4 cup lea n perrins wooster sauce..and half a cup of brown sugar. Whatever seasoning your using rub it under the skin..real easy to do on spatchcoc*ed birds. Cook it hot and fast "Breastes side down" with just a little water in the pan and all the air you got. Poke at 30 min intervals in the thigh to see when it hits 175 tend your fire or add a little more water if needed. At the 2nd 30 min interval it should be about done if you was able to keep up the heat. After that it needs to be wrapped in foil and stuck in the insulated box for at least an hour. Crank the fire back up and throw it on for a final glaze. That be your favorite tomater based chicken sauce and enough honey or maple syrup to make it sweet. Only hit it once on each side with the glaze or it will rob your spices. You can flip if for the glaze but thats after its done. Best of fortunes.

 

[YoMoma]

I'm having a hard time keeping the temps up. I used 1 chimney of unlit charcoal and 1 chimney of lit charcoal. Nearly 2 hours into the cook and struggling to hit 290 after getting it to 350 before the meat went on. I've added 2 handfuls of unlit charcoal since I've started. And the dampeners have been wide open the whole time.

 

[bigwheel]

Have you been shaking the firepan to get rid of the dead ashes? That can stifle it a bunch. How much water in the pan?. Too much water is bad old deal for trying to get some cooking heat built up. Propane prickly pear burner be a girls best friend for putting a fire in the hole on any kind of combustibles. My Uncle Jim used a similar model to drive the Japs out of their hidey holes in the S. Pacific during the Big War..cept his run on Ethyl gasoline and Ivory Snow with the ability to reach out and touch folks..so to speak. The chicken will still be good. We will work on the grand prize winners later. Rome wasnt built in a day ya know?

 

[YoMoma]

I've stirred the coals once from opening the side door, but couldn't stir too much with the little opening. Temps never raised after that. Think my main problem might be that I used too much water or just used water in general. Lid temp shows 280 right now and it's never gone over 290 at all during the cook. Chickens been on for 3 1/2 hours now and I'm just gonna make a guess soon as to when to raise the lid to check the meat temp. Worried ill never get the temp back up if I raise the lid too early to check the temp.

 

[Puff1]

BW......those are the biggest heartfelt posts I have seed typed by you.
I am truly touched.

 

[Nick Prochilo]

Should have brined it. Italian dressing is for rednecks salads! Could also have started with more lit coals. How did it turn out?

 

[Bob In Fla.]

You're trying to cook @ what temperature?

Water boils and evaporates @ 212.

Do you see a problem here?

I think I do...

BOB
don't need no brine for Spatchcocked yard bird!

 

[YoMoma]

Ok, it's done and I've sampled some. I could have done a few things differently. Like not using any water, I think I could have got the temps up a bit higher.
Used 2 chimneys of charcoal, with one being lit. Had the temp to 350 before the meat was put on, but couldn't get it any higher than 280 to 290 after I put the chicken on. Maybe I should have used a little more charcoal?
I marinated the chicken in Itailian sauce for 5 hours. Didn't do it spatchcock, I just used gallon storage bags so I had to cut the chicken's in half, a full chicken wouldn't fit in the gallon Baggie.
Well, because of the low temps I had to guess when to check the temp of the meat cause I was worried I'd lose precious degrees.
I let the chicken cook for 4 hours. I goofed there. Breast temp was 200 degrees.
It was fall apart good and the dark meat was very moist but the breast was a little dry. With good smokey flavor.
Next time I'd do things a little different. I need to buy some sort of temp probe to see the temps without opening the lid.
Overall I'd give myself a D on the whole operation, even though the taste of the meat was better than a D.

 

[bbquzz]

I need to buy some sort of temp probe to see the temps without opening the lid.

Maverick ET 73

 

[Cliff H.]

Sand in pan.

 

[YoMoma]

Sand in pan.

Will bring the temps up better than nothing in the pan?

 

[Cliff H.]

Sand gives enough of a sink that you can expect temps to stabilize for longer cooks in a WSM.

That being said, I cook 90% of the time on a UDS so a dry pan may be just the ticket for chicken.

 

[Vermin999]

You can also prop the door open a little to get higher temps. I use a terracotta drip pan for potted plants instead of water. I believe it is 14". You can also use a couple of bricks or lava rocks.