Tough, but tasty, chicken skin...

Deckhand

I did another of Little Steven's "Upside Down Chickens" and was happy with the meat temps (breast 165°, thighs 185°) and the skin was quite tasty...but tough.. Wanted to stay in one piece even when slicing with sharp knife. Previous "Upside Down Chicken" came out with "bite through" skin. Both birds were seasoned with a heavy dose of "Shakin the Tree" under and on the skin. Both were started at 250° dome and finished at 300°. The only difference was that the first (pre-Guru) chicken went longer at at the higher temperature. I was away from the house and the total cook went 2 hrs, slightly drying the breast meat. If I had gone 1/2 hr longer at the higher temp (or gone to it earlier) would I have increased my chances at getting crispy skin? (The chicken's skin, not mine... flashbacks will take care of the latter.) Oh yeah, I did put the bird in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to dry the skin and sprayed it liberally with lime juice. Could the D.P seasoning under the skin have a "curing" effect that would toughen the skin?