Getting Crisp Skin on Smoked Duck

[RAmorris]

Here is a picture of a duck I smoked on a vertical cabinet water smoker. The skin was not crisp.

I smoke chicken on this same water smoker and the skin is crisp. Would smoking it without a water pan make the skin crisp? If not, what will?

[RobertC]

https://vimeo.com/158404398

[holehogg]

I'm new to this all but have done a lot of smoker testing with chicken and found I get a crisper skin if I partially fill my water tray and it dissipates after about 20 min and the dry air seems to crisp the skin.
BTW that duck looks so good. We don't get duck here. I have never had the pleasure of eating any.

[jgreen]

There is also a new recipe on the main site for Peking duck that gets a crispy skin. You will get some tips there. I think one is sure might be the fat under a duck's skin. Chickens don't have the same layer of fat.

[EdF]

That one looks really good.

[DWCowles]

Humidity is bad when trying to get a crispy skin on chicken, turkey and duck.

[troymeister]

It would be hard to get crisp skin on a duck in any type of low an slow environment because of the thick layer of fat. Possible solution is to score the skin, smoke the duck until a few degrees lower than your target temp. Then blast it in your oven at 500 degrees for a few minutes. Crisping the skin but not overcooking your duck.

I personally separate the duck, render as much fat as possible, cook the legs and thighs confit, and the breasts medium rare.

[Huskee]

Duck is trickier than chicken, as mentioned by the others. Even though it's a bird it's not like most poultry. For the best results, follow the Peking Duck recipe's techniques https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/fo...ed-peking-duck