Any hints for smoked chicken?

[Car Doc]

I am going to try smoking a chicken in my Little Chief electric smoker tomorrow. I was going to make a run with sage, thyme, rosemary(all three fresh from garden), garlic powder, onion powder and smoke with apple chips.

Any tips, hints, experiences?

I use a similar brine but I use oregano instead of rosemary but dont let me influence that it may be better! However I chop up a chunk of ginger and use a big handful each of the fresh herbs and add a tbsp of black pepper corns.

Then add 1/2-3/4 tsp of sure cure (sodium nitrite) white sugar and sea salt in equal amounts about a half cup each and a couple qts to 3 qts of h2o and boil the mixture like tea and simmer at least an hour , add h2o as necessary to keep it about 3 qts.

Cool it off and inject the bird and then bag it and add the brine and squeeze air out and set in a bucket in the fridge overnite rinse off and smoke w/ hickory or apple @ 275 - 325 untill it hits 170-180. Oh also add h2o as necessary to cover bird in bag when its going in the fridge and you may want to strain the mixture also makes a cleaner looking finished product no herbs hanging around. ymmv

(did I mention the kitchen smells great when doing the brine )

 

[RobertN]

A few weeks ago, our Scout Troop had annual "Pork Out". One of our leaders lined up three wood fired smokers, and 150lb pork butt/shoulder. It was smoked, then pulled for sandwhiches. The kids made home made fresh coleslaw. Trimmings for the smoked shoulders were used to clavor the baked beans...

He had done similar when we were in Cub Scouts, for end of year Pack picnic.

That is what got me to get the smoker out of the shed(I have the basic electric "Little Chief").

He recomended this book:
Smoke & Spice: Cooking with Smoke, the Real Way to Barbecue (Non): Cheryl Alters Jamison, Bill Jamison: 9781558322622: Amazon.com: Books

Ummmm.....save any for the rest of us?

I have been drooling since the start of this thread. Too close to thanksgiving to do poultry but, tomorrow I think a pork loin is destined for the smoker!

 

[RobertN]

These temperatures are also mentioned earlier in this thread. My smoker is just the basic electric "Little Chief". It does not get anywhere near that hot. Finally went back and read the manual, along with a web search. It appears these little smokers only reach 160-170 degrees.

I finished the chiken in the oven; it seems the "Little Chief" does not get hot enough to finish thicker meat. At 5 hours, the 5lb chicken was at 130 degrees.

smoke w/ hickory or apple @ 275 - 325 untill it hits 170-180.

 

[Car Doc]

Actually that is something I cant do with mine jealous of that you really can cook low and slow! If I could cold smoke I would do cheddar cheese and stuff like that sausages and hot dogs nuts etc yum. Happy holidays to you and your family!