Chicken on PBC question

[hoovarmin]

Mrs. hoovarmin gave me a PBC for Christmas that arrived today. I'm going to launch it with a chicken cook and was wondering, if I light it the standard way and keep the lid on should I expect crispy skin, or do I need to crack the lid a bit to get the temp up to get the skin crispy?

[Mo Porkplease]

Howdy and welcome to the greatest chicken cooker ever, the PBC. Cracking the lid last 20 minutes is usually enough to crisp it up. 2 hours is about right for cook time, but running a probe into the breast and letting it hit 160 or so is easiest. I usually do 165 and chicken very juicy dry rubbed. Hope that helps!! Happy cooking!!!

[hoovarmin]

Thank you, Mo Porkplease. Do you crack the lid at the beginning, end, or middle of the cook?

[Jerod Broussard]

I crack from the get go to maintain 350-400.

[hoovarmin]

Thanks Jerod Broussard. How much do you crack the lid, approximately?

[jecucolo]

I use a small 1/4” diameter twig and just prop one side open. Leave it for 5 minutes and close.

[Jerod Broussard]

This, until I installed my VENTA. Twigs were my friends on many a cook.

[FireMan]

Once upon a time Jerod lacked the crid. Yeah he did.

[hoovarmin]

You are the Poet Laureate of the Pit, FireMan

[Spinaker]

Load it up with lit charcoal and let it rip! Cracked lid and all! Blast that dirty bird!

[hoovarmin]

Yeah!

[kill2grill]

Hmmm - usually for a single chicken it runs around 1.5 hours at 330+. Cracked the lid once it hits 130-135 internal temp, pull at 160. Carryover temps takes care of the rest. How long does it take you to run a chicken if you run it for the whole cook at those temps Jerod Broussard ?

[Jerod Broussard]

No idea. doesn't seem too much shorter than your time.

[jecucolo]

On my last cook I used 1/4” diameter rebar instead of the 5/8” that comes with pbc and the temp held steady at 360. You can pick them up at Lowe’s. No more need to crack lid. When I cut chicken in half it usually takes 1-1.5 hours.

[hoovarmin]

I'll be headed to Lowes

[kill2grill]

That's what I switched to! Keeps it around 330, though that could be due to using a half basket of coals vs full.

[HawkerXP]

I leave one rebar out when cooking chicken. This usually keeps temp in mid 300s. Word of caution: expect your new PBC to run hot as lid hasn't been sealed by use yet.

[hoovarmin]

Good words

[N227GB]

Good point here! You need to build up some "gunk".

[hoovarmin]

Update: So I called an audible and picked up two racks of St. Louis ribs, corn in the husk, and brats yesterday morning. My buddy and his wife came over to see the first cook (and eat it). I don't have any pictures because the ease of use and the finished product blew me away to the point that remembering to take pics just escaped me. I'm not sure why I'd use my Kettle again, honestly.

[rototiller78]

I would use your kettle over PBC to cook steak on

[hoovarmin]

Cooked the chicken. OMG. This cooker is insane and I wish I'd gotten one a long time ago. Best chicken I've EVER eaten in my life. This thing is too easy. It didn't hurt that I dry-brined the chicken for about 60 hours. I'm an official PBC acolyte.

[hogdog6]

You knocked that out of the park. Great looking cook. Gotta love the simplicity of the PBC.

[Spinaker]

YES!!!!! LET'S GO!!!!!

Now ya get it?!?

[hoovarmin]

Spinaker - wish you would have knocked some sense into me a long time ago. Anyone who doesn't make this a cooker in their arsenal has no idea what they are missing. Can't go wrong. Insane.

[Spinaker]

LOL, great to hear that you love it! I liked it so much, I bought a second.