First Chicken...What Did I Do Wrong?

Unknown

I cooked my first chicken tonight on the egg. Since I do not yet have firebricks to setup an elevated grid, I decided to do it whole and indirect. My setup was an inverted platesetter, drip pan filled with apple juice, grid, and the whole chicken (breast up) in the v-rack on the grid. I cooked at 375° until the Polder showed 165° in the breast(about 1 hour and 20 minutes). I opened the egg and confirmed 165° in the breast and 190°+ in the thigh with an instant read thermometer. I pulled it off the egg and took in the in house, where I realized the juices were very pink. I turned the bird over and discovered the entire bottom was raw. Back to the egg. What did I do wrong? [p]Tom

Bobby-Q

RevTom,
My guess is you had that drip pan filled with Apple juice and it was too close to the bottom of the V-rack. You were trying to slow steam the back and that will take a lot longer to do than meat that is getting 375° of indirect heat.[p]Also if you put the drip pan on with cold Apple Juice at the same time the bird went on, you've got a big cold spot sitting under your bird for quite a while until that AJ gets up to 212°[p]How did it turn out after you finished it off?

mad max beyond eggdome

RevTom,
i agree with what bobby-q said. . .concept was good, execution might have been problematic. ..when doing whole birds, i would recommend either spatchcocking them, or going the beer can route (you can certainly take empty soda cans and use apple juice as well). .. or, even using the set up you had, instead of the apple juice in a pan directly under the bird, take an empty soda/beer can, cut the top off, fill it upwith apple juice, and set it right in your fire box on top of the lump (when i do this, i put it near the back of the load, resting against the wall of the firebox). ..you'll still get the benefit of the steaming apple juice, without the problem of the cold spot. ..

Smokin Bob

RevTom,[p]Agreed with all above. My prefered method is the Spatchcock method. If you were using the drip pan with apple juice because you were concerned with your chicken retaining it's moisture, don't be. Your chicken will turn out perfect with the spatchcock method.[p]Check out the Naked Wiz site for the basics which are a breeze...

[ul][li]Spatchcock Chicken Method[/ul]

Essex County

RevTom,[p]Is it possible that the bird was frozen on the bottom but thawed on the top? Ok, I know that's not likely but I had to suggest it.[p]I do whole chickens on a v-rack over an earthenware pieplate. The rack actually straddles the pieplate and sits on firebricks. Having said that, spatchcock is my absolute favorite method.[p]Paul

fishlessman

RevTom, when doing inderects with any large type of meat, i like to get the meat as high into the dome and away from the fire bricks, pizza stone or platesetter ( i dont have one of these). i feel that the heat circulates and reflects off the dome better if the meat is closer to it. just the way i do it.

Unknown

Bobby-Q,[p]The drip pan was on the platesetter, as far away from the chicken as I could get it. The apple juice was room temperature.[p]It turned out fair in the end - a bit dry in some places. [p]Thanks
Tom

Unknown

Essex County,[p]I want to try spatchcock, but I don't yet have any way to set up an elevated grid. Do you put any liquid in your pieplate? From what I had read, I understood it was best to use some kind of liquid to keep the drippings from burning.[p]Thanks
Tom

Essex County

RevTom,[p]My wife is just finishing cooking a spatchcock chicken right now. We do it direct and don't raise the grid. About 1 hour at 350.[p]With the v-rack, I do put some liquid in the piepan, usually beer, white wine, or chicken stock.[p]Paul