Beer can chicken didn\'t reach temp?

florida Nick

So i was cooking slow-n-low with the plate setter and had on some pork butt and some beer can chickens. I know not everyone would do a beer can chicken slow-n-low but I have done them in the past and liked them. Thats not the issue as these also tasted great.
I had the chickens on for over six hours at a dome temp averaging around 250, sometimes as low as 210 and as high 300. (my first egg cook so i was playing with the temp a little)
After 6 hours the temp of the chickens was at 150-155. Took em off to check temp with seperate thermometer and mop with some apple juice. Added some more lump and let it burn clean. Once burning clean I put the chicken back on covered/wrapped with tin foil. They were still on the beer can stands so not completely wrapped in foil. pushed dome temp up to 300 for one more hour and the temp of the chickens never went above 155. Sliced em open and they were cooked though. White meat was very tasty but a little dry. Shredded it and added some sauce and it was a hit. Dark meat was very juicy and tasted great.
So why did the temp of the chicken never go above 155? My only thought is that taking them out to check temp and add more lump had something to do with it. Although I would think they would have reached 170-180 well before 6 hours. They got to 135 in the first 2 hours.
Any thoughts???

Mainegg

It sounds to me like the thermometer was bad? I would try calibrating it and see if it goes above 155? a six hour chix is a looonnngggg time :pinch: if it was clear and dry then it was over cooked. sorry about that. strange that two would read it though....

[Deleted User]

After 6 hours the temp of the chickens was at 150-155. Took em off to check temp with seperate thermometer and mop with some apple juice. Added some more lump and let it burn clean. Once burning clean I put the chicken back on covered/wrapped with tin foil.

That doesn't sound right.-
1- why are you adding lump after only 6 hours? If you start your cook with lump to the top of the firebox, you are good for a LONG time, especially at 250.
2- Why take the chicken off while it's still cooking? usually we mop while it's on the grid.
3- why wrap it in foil? In the egg, moisture retention in the meat is not the problem, it's getting the skin crispy that's the trick.

I think you are used to cooking on a weber.

I don't know exactly why your chicken didn't reach the desired temp, but I think it's because you stopped the cook, basted it and then started again after it was cooling off and covered in foil. Also, as Mainegg said, check your thermometer.

florida Nick

Flashback Bob,
1. This was my first cook on an egg. I had heard filling the fire box to the top would get you 20 hours of cooking so I filled it a little below the top of the fire box. After 6 hours there was very little lump left so I had to add more.
2. I did mop the chickens when they were on the grid. I only took them off because I had to replenish the lump.
3. After 6 hours the skin was nice and crispy. I wrapped them in foil after 6 hours because they weren't up to temp and I didn't want them to dry out.

Mainegg & Flashback,
As far as the thermometers, both work fine. Used the remote thermo to monitor the temp of the pork butt after I took off the chickens and it went up to 170.

So I guess it could only be because I had to take them off when adding lump and letting it burn clean (rookie mistake). But I still don't understand why they would only be at 155 after 6 hours with me not even opening the lid once?