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Vertical Chicken on MiniMax?

Peytonwat
Peytonwat Posts: 17
edited May 2016 in EggHead Forum
I just got a MiniMax as a gift to go along with my Large and I'm so thrilled to have this little rig. I cant wait to start experimenting with all the possibilities. I went ahead and bought the BGE plate setter. I know many people say the Woo from CGS is a great product and I will probably get one. With that said, does anyone have any experience with indirect vertical chicken on the MiniMax? I am not sure if there is enough room to do one. Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

Comments

  • stompbox
    stompbox Posts: 729
    My own advice would be do a chicken direct, and instead of vertical, spachtcock'ed.  My 2 pennies.
  • JMCXL
    JMCXL Posts: 1,524
    Spachtcock! Is the way to go for my MM
    Northern New Jersey
     XL - Woo2, AR      L (2) - Woo, PS Woo     MM (2) - Woo       MINI

    Check out https://www.grillingwithpapaj.com for some fun and more Grilling with Papa (incase you haven't gotten enough of me)

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  • Chubby
    Chubby Posts: 2,955

    Get your Bird and whatever "Sitter" youre gonna use...and see!

    You'll ideally want a couple three inches clearance in the dome...to prevent scorching...I'd still say though..,spatchcocking is prolly your best bet!

    I spent most of my money on good bourbon, and bad women...the rest, I just wasted!!
  • Austin  Egghead
    Austin Egghead Posts: 3,966
    I think the minimax and small are pretty close in measurements. Whole chicken will probably not be good idea. Sptatch it.  Now cornish game hens might work
    All my eggs haveWoos and cook indirect just fine. (Can be tight squeeze on mimi). Highly Recommend the Woos 
    Large, small and mini now Egging in Rowlett Tx
  • stompbox
    stompbox Posts: 729
    I think the minimax and small are pretty close in measurements. Whole chicken will probably not be good idea. Sptatch it.  Now cornish game hens might work
    All my eggs haveWoos and cook indirect just fine. (Can be tight squeeze on mimi). Highly Recommend the Woos 
    They share the same lid.
  • SmokeyPitt
    SmokeyPitt Posts: 10,490
    edited May 2016
    I do vertical chickens on the small but the cooking grate sits 2-3 inches lower in the small so there is much more vertical space.  

    I agree spatchcock might be best or if the chicken is too big for that then just set it on the grid in the normal roasting position.  

    @Lit did two whole chickens once. 
    http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1178763/2-whole-chickens-on-the-mini-max




    Which came first the chicken or the egg?  I egged the chicken and then I ate his leg. 

  • Chubby
    Chubby Posts: 2,955

    Yes...as above, (depending on set up) the Small will easily do a large Bird vertically, and so a dam fine job of it with headroom to spare!!

    The MM and Small may share lids and grids (as it were)...but the depth of the cooker itself,  and size of the firebox make them different animals altogether!

    Below is a 4 1/2 lb'r on the Small sitting on a Spannek Vertical Roaster.

    I spent most of my money on good bourbon, and bad women...the rest, I just wasted!!
  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
    edited May 2016
    A young chicken or 5-7#  roaster will fit as a vertical "beer can or sittin' chicken" indirect using the CGS WOO indirect setup. Or just lay it horizontal (legs toward the hinge) or do it splayed / spatchcock. It'll fit. Depending on the size put the thermometer thru a cork or you'll poke the bird. 
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
  • 1move
    1move Posts: 516
    You can do a beer can vertically no problem under 8 lbs, anything over that gets a little tougher. 
    XLBGE, MMBGE, CyberQ
  • Peytonwat
    Peytonwat Posts: 17
    Could you please explain the cork setup with the thermometer?
  • Dyal_SC
    Dyal_SC Posts: 6,023
    @Peytonwat, the wine cork mod is a must IMO.  :)  Just remove the clasp holding it inside the dome and toss it.  It is unneeded.  Then start a hole in a wine cork with a bamboo skewer (or small drill bit).  Then slide the thermometer through and then place it back in the egg.  If it's not protruding enough inside the dome, cut a little length off of the cork.  This allows for extra dome space for larger cuts of meat.  


  • Stormbringer
    Stormbringer Posts: 2,007
    edited May 2016
    I use the wine cork method too for our MM, stops the thermometer spike from skewering bread when it rises.

    Is there any way of doing this without the CGS woo setup? Being on the wrong side of the pond we are limited to what we can get from BGE. Weber stuff is available here. I tried once by taking the fire ring off and putting the PS legs down on the lower ceramic, but that just starved the coals of oxygen and produced a lot of smoke. I guess the CGS woo setup works precisely because it is made from thin metal and there is no oxygen starvation.
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