First Cook: Chicken Leg Quarters

MJH

First of all, thanks to all of you for this forum. It has provided this newbie with an enormous amount of valuable info and because of all of you, I am embracing my Egg without fear. I feel like you are taking all of the trial and error out of the equation.

My large BGE was delivered yesterday and I couldn't wait to get started. Since I didn't have a lot of time after work to smoke something significant and because I was heeding the warnings not to go high heat on the first few cooks, I stopped off at Whole Foods and picked up some organic leg quarters.  I seasoned them with Stubb's Chicken Rub and let them set while I built my fire.  I decided to cook at 350, indirect and I added some cherry wood chips to the lump.

It took longer than I thought it would to get up to 350 and I had to open the lower vent quite a bit more than I had been led to believe to get it up there, but once I did, I was able to stabilize it and it sat at exactly 350 throughout the cook.  If someone has some helpful hints on getting to 350 in less than 30 minutes, I'd like to hear them.  Cook time was about an hour and 15 minutes and I pulled the legs at 190. 

Bottom line:  this was, hands down, the best chicken I have ever eaten in my life.  Neither my wife nor I wanted any sauce because it was so perfect.  My wife tends to like things overcooked a bit as she is squeamish about any sign that things are not thoroughly cooked.  Normally, I have to dry out chicken to get it to her preferred level of doneness.  Not this time.  The chicken was incredibly moist and every sliver of meat pulled off the bone cleanly.

One cook and I'm addicted. Rolling back with cedar plank salmon tonight.  Bummed that I can't cook this weekend because I'm going to Los Angeles for the Breeders' Cup World Championships.  

Yeah, that's where I am already: bummed to be going on a weekend junket to my sport's world series because I have to be away from my egg.

YEMTrey

Congrats and sounds like you're hooked.

You're one of us now.  I'm taking the family to Tennessee this weekend for about 5 days.  I'm a bit frustrated because I wanted to smoke some ribs this weekend.  Oh well, I'll immediately do them when we get home.

tulocay

How many places did you light the lump? When doing indirect or raised direct, I light at 12, 3 and 9 o'clock. Let it go for 15 min, close the top and I'm at 350 in seconds. I bottom vent wide open during the 15 while the top is open.

MJH

tulocay:  I just did 12 and 6. Will follow your advice from now on. I did ceder planked salmon last night and had better luck by keeping the vent wide open during the ignition period.  Best salmon ever, by the way.  But you already knew that.