No rules PBC cook #1

[Hugh]

Cooked up a chicken last night as my first cook. Of course I didn't follow any instructions since I just wanted to have some fun and see what happened.

My main goal was to get a halved chicken to 165 degrees and taste it to see what "smoked" tastes like on the PBC. No salt, seasoning, dry brine or rub. Just straight onto the cooker.

My secondary goal was to do hot and fast. We are more likely to eat chicken on week nites if I can cook it in an hour or less. 2 hours isn't workable on a regular basis. The upside might be a crispier skin which I really like. The downside might be less juice which both my wife and I are indifferent about.

I halved the bird.

It was 32 degrees F ambient.

I didn't load a full pan of coal (maybe 80%), just couldn't bring myself to do that for one chicken. I still lit 40 coals. I knew that would make me run hot but see main goal above.

I put one rod in on the diagonal.

I cracked the lid maybe an inch.

Therms in pit and both chicken breasts.

Turned around and pit was at 367 degrees - yikes.

Went and watched the temps from my phone sitting in my easy chair.

10 minutes in pit was at 425 degrees.

18 minutes in pit was at 488 degrees.

Hmmmm. Maybe I should slow this sucker down.

Walked to pit and temp was already at 496.

Closed the lid and it quickly dropped to 451.

25 minutes in pit was at 440.

30 minute in pit was at 403.

45 minutes in pit was at 394 and the chicken breasts were at 165.


The results:
- fast chicken
- smokier taste than I had hoped (I know, you all told me that, but I've been looking at smokers for 2 years!). Might not be to our taste for chicken. Having said that, I really liked it and I think after I have done about 50 of them this summer my wife will have acquired a taste for smoke
- skin was nice.
- meat was juicy and tender enough for us. we were quite happy with it
- cooking experience - compared to tying to maintain temps for smoking on the gasser or on the kettle, it was truly a joy to set up and cook on. Just crazy that I could do everything wrong (pit temp near 500 degrees?) and get such nice chicken out of it.

Tonight's cook.....ribs on the PBC, Brisket on Sunday on the PBC.

[Polarbear777]

As long as you split it spatchcock it, chicken works at 450-500F.

The PBC is my go to for chicken and ribs, basically anything that hangs well goes in there.

[goosebr160]

I've never had it get THAT hot, but from my experience, and from what others have said, it's really hard to dry out meat since it's such a humid cooker.

[jfmorris]

So, to clear this up, was it that hot because you left a rebar out, and 2 holes were wide open, or because you left the lid cracked an inch the entire cook? Trying to follow along here... regardless, glad the chicken came out nicely!

[goosebr160]

Definitely the lid crack, I've never had temps that high even with both rebars out. Crack the lid however, and temps can increase very quickly.

[Hugh]

I agree, closing the lid made a big difference. I was at near 500 and climbing fast with it open. It quickly came down to 450, settling in to around 400 when I closed it..

[JoeSousa]

When I roast chickens in the oven I usually run it around 450-500. No reason it wouldn't work on a smoker. The chicken doesn't really know if it is in an oven or a smoker.

[RonB]

I do the same for chicken in my kettle. I let the temp run as hot as it will go, (485* on the last chicken I cooked).

[Hugh]

Joe and Ron - brilliant! I am going to intentionally cook my birds hotter from now on. I have a second bird in the fridge I was going to try on my PBC following the proper instructions to see what the temp settles down to for low and slow. Decided that bird is going on the Kettle/SnS tomorrow and we'll see how hot I can get it.

Had to run tonight's test with Ribs instead. My life is so tough...

[jecucolo]

Nice look chickens. Awesome skin!

[FireMan]

Now Wibs,
Take yer time & enjoy it.

[BRic]

Chickens look good . Skin has nice colour to it . We like a crispy skin .on our chicken . Rules are meant to be broken .

[Spinaker]

Looks good to me! I generally cook PBC chicken at about 400 F. That way I can let it really crisp up the skin. I always run it with both rods in and the lid cracked wen doing chicken. This will give it nice even air through out the cook. Wait until to rip a brisket, ribs or a pork shoulder, then you are going love it.

[fzxdoc]

I've smoked chicken on the PBC and the WSCGC at 400°F or more and it's the best. It depends on how closely I want to watch the temps. I figure if I can get the temps above 350° (depending on the load in the PBC) then I should just let it ride.

Hugh , the next time you might want to dry brine overnight with the PBC's All Purpose rub under the skin (directly on the muscle) with more sprinkled on the skin, with or without a little baking powder mixed in for the skin rub only. The salt in the AP rub helps the chicken hold even more moisture.

I use a skinny (3/16 inch ) stainless steel rod placed diagonally for 400+ degree cooks in the PBC. I seldom have to tend the lid to get in that temp range. It's almost like having both rebars out.

Kathryn