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Going to cook a small chicken today....question?

Dawgtired
Dawgtired Posts: 667
in EggHead Forum
Trying to get BBQ chicken down today. I was thinking about low and slow with or without a baste. Does the baste make it difficult to get crispy skin, which is important to me, anyway. I also have a Joetesserie, so that’s at least another option. Thoughts?

If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under.

Ronald Reagan

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Comments

  • Mattman3969
    Mattman3969 Posts: 10,458
    You can baste in the beginning and crisp the skin later in the cook.  I like the results of a low n slow basted chicken cook direct high in the dome over no more than a 1/2 firebox of lump.  Smoke would of choice is oak.  

    -----------------------------------------

    analyze adapt overcome

    2008 -Large BGE. 2013- Small BGE and 2015 - Mini. Henderson, Ky.
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 36,806
    I use @Mattman3969 method running around 200-210*F on the dome for 4-6 hours, very raised direct.  Winner every time.  FWIW-
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint.  
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  • Dawgtired
    Dawgtired Posts: 667
    I have a raised grid but it’s level with the felt. Did y’all make one or buy one? 

    If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under.

    Ronald Reagan

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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 36,806
    edited June 2020
    I have a PS Woo and extender but you can make what you have work.  If you have another grid, you can drink three aluminum canned beers and use them to elevate a second grid.  If only one grid then get three tall-boys and balance the empty cans on the ring then drop on the grid.  FWIW-
    Edit:  You can go with felt level-just may need more skin to the fire time to get it crispy.  
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint.  
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  • Mattman3969
    Mattman3969 Posts: 10,458
    @lousubcap speaks the truth on the grids.  The idea with being high in the dome is that it really stretches the distance between heat and protein and second it takes advantage of the convection heat from the dome to crisp the skin.  

    -----------------------------------------

    analyze adapt overcome

    2008 -Large BGE. 2013- Small BGE and 2015 - Mini. Henderson, Ky.
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  • Dawgtired
    Dawgtired Posts: 667
    I spoke with a lady at the Ceramic Grill Store. She didn’t offer a lot of help since she didn’t know what my current set up is. I tried to explain that it was just another grid on top of the egg setter so level with the felt....and ...nada. I guess I’ll try the beer can suggestion with the grid off of my small. Baste early or no? Skin side up or down to start?
    Thanks for the help!

    If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under.

    Ronald Reagan

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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 36,806
    I would baste early as mentioned by @Mattman3969m above and then go skin side down but @Mattman3969 is the true pro here so I will defer to his input.  
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint.  
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  • Mattman3969
    Mattman3969 Posts: 10,458
    I really think is he only baste the first 2 1/2hrs at the temps you mentioned skin up or down shouldn’t matter if he finds a way to get high in the dome.  Regular raised I would definitely flip for a period of time.  

    -----------------------------------------

    analyze adapt overcome

    2008 -Large BGE. 2013- Small BGE and 2015 - Mini. Henderson, Ky.
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  • Matt86m
    Matt86m Posts: 471
    You can make 2nd level. I used a Weber grate and 4 stainless carriage bolts with 2 nuts and a washer per bolt. I set it on the BGE cooking grid. The round end of the carriage bolt sits on the grate. 
    XL aka Senior, Mini Max aka Junior, Weber Q's, Blackstone 22, Lion built in, RecTec Mini 300, Lodge Hibachi, Uuni, wife says I have too many grills,,,,how many shoes do you have?
     
    IG -->  matt_86m
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  • Dawgtired
    Dawgtired Posts: 667
    I have a second level made like you described. Looks like I’m trying for a third, to get it higher in the dome. I have the grid off my small sitting on three aluminum cans on top of my second level. Seems to be working OK....just a little tedious when I flipped the chicken.

    If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under.

    Ronald Reagan

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  • LisaH
    LisaH Posts: 1
    I’m thinking of cooking a chicken similarly over the weekend. This will be my fourth cook on BGE, so my question is, wouldn’t The top rack of the eGGspander do the same thing? Are you trying to get higher in the dome than the eGGspander would allow?
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  • JRWhitee
    JRWhitee Posts: 5,678
    Is there any benefit to cook INDIRECT high in the dome? I have cooked many spatchcocks direct high in dome at high heat. Chicken is great just wondering about low temp and indirect benefit.
                                                                
    _________________________________________________
    Don't let the truth get in the way of a good story!
    Large BGE 2006, Mini Max 2014, 36" Blackstone, Anova Sous Vide
    Green Man Group 
    Johns Creek, Georgia
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  • JJensen
    JJensen Posts: 58
    JRWhitee said:
    Is there any benefit to cook INDIRECT high in the dome? I have cooked many spatchcocks direct high in dome at high heat. Chicken is great just wondering about low temp and indirect benefit.
    I’m curious too. I always thought the skin would get rubbery at low and slow temps. I’ve always done 350 375 and turned out great on other grills   Yet to try on the bge however 
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  • Mattman3969
    Mattman3969 Posts: 10,458
    JRWhitee said:
    Is there any benefit to cook INDIRECT high in the dome? I have cooked many spatchcocks direct high in dome at high heat. Chicken is great just wondering about low temp and indirect benefit.
    I mainly run direct on low n slow chicken. I like the taste that the drippings impart on the meat.  I don’t think you would see a huge difference direct vs indirect at these low temps. This conversation came up back when @JustineCaseyFeldown was still around.  He was an indirect proponent and I was on the direct side.  Cooking times were very similar when we compared.  Either way you get great results. 

    -----------------------------------------

    analyze adapt overcome

    2008 -Large BGE. 2013- Small BGE and 2015 - Mini. Henderson, Ky.
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  • JRWhitee
    JRWhitee Posts: 5,678
    Thanks @Mattman3969
                                                                
    _________________________________________________
    Don't let the truth get in the way of a good story!
    Large BGE 2006, Mini Max 2014, 36" Blackstone, Anova Sous Vide
    Green Man Group 
    Johns Creek, Georgia
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  • Dawgtired
    Dawgtired Posts: 667
    JJensen said:
    JRWhitee said:
    Is there any benefit to cook INDIRECT high in the dome? I have cooked many spatchcocks direct high in dome at high heat. Chicken is great just wondering about low temp and indirect benefit.
    I’m curious too. I always thought the skin would get rubbery at low and slow temps. I’ve always done 350 375 and turned out great on other grills   Yet to try on the bge however 
    Skin was quite crispy..The meat was a little dry and what someone said about the stall drying it out makes perfect sense. I would think that you can’t foil it without ruining the crispy skin. I guess next time I’ll crank up the heat to hopefully stop the stall.

    If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under.

    Ronald Reagan

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  • Mattman3969
    Mattman3969 Posts: 10,458
    edited June 2020
    I’ve never experienced the dry chicken on a LnS.  I generally mop (use a squirt bottle) every 30 mins or so the whole cook minus the hr or so.  Skin has a bite but not potato chip crisp.  Try it.  

    I made the baste for a couple hr comment above based on your skin requirements.  You could flip the last portion of the cook too

    -----------------------------------------

    analyze adapt overcome

    2008 -Large BGE. 2013- Small BGE and 2015 - Mini. Henderson, Ky.
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  • SciAggie
    SciAggie Posts: 6,481
    Mattman3969 said:
    JRWhitee said:
    Is there any benefit to cook INDIRECT high in the dome? I have cooked many spatchcocks direct high in dome at high heat. Chicken is great just wondering about low temp and indirect benefit.
    I mainly run direct on low n slow chicken. I like the taste that the drippings impart on the meat.  I don’t think you would see a huge difference direct vs indirect at these low temps. This conversation came up back when @JustineCaseyFeldown was still around.  He was an indirect proponent and I was on the direct side.  Cooking times were very similar when we compared.  Either way you get great results. 
    I’m in the indirect camp for whatever that’s worth. I get more uniform color and I don’t like the little charred bits I get when cooking direct. I think it’s more about the skin and looks - the meat is essentially the same in my mind. You can get crisp skin with either method in my experience. 
    Coleman, Texas
    Large BGE & Mini Max for the wok. A few old camp Dutch ovens and a wood fired oven. LSG 24” cabinet offset smoker. There are a few paella pans and a Patagonia cross in the barn. A curing chamber for bacterial transformation of meats...
    "Bourbon slushies. Sure you can cook on the BGE without them, but why would you?"
                                                                                                                          YukonRon
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  • Ozzie_Isaac
    Ozzie_Isaac Posts: 21,680
    What do you all baste with?

    I would rather light a candle than curse your darkness.

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  • Dawgtired
    Dawgtired Posts: 667
    I basted for the first hour, but that was all.
    This is the mop baste:
    Mop
    1 c apple cider vinegar
    1/2 c beer
    1/2 c Kraft original BBQ sauce
    1 oz Tabasco sauce
    1.5 t ground pepper
    1.5 t ground kosher salt

    If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under.

    Ronald Reagan

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  • marcdc
    marcdc Posts: 126
    LisaH said:
    I’m thinking of cooking a chicken similarly over the weekend. This will be my fourth cook on BGE, so my question is, wouldn’t The top rack of the eGGspander do the same thing? Are you trying to get higher in the dome than the eGGspander would allow?
    Hi Lisa, I have an eggspander as well and the top rack of the eggspander is perfect and what I use when cooking a chicken.
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 36,806
    @LisaH - Welcome aboard and enjoy the journey.  Above all, have fun.  
    Fire away with any questions and you may get several different answers.  Pick one and run with it then decide how to change it up the next time.  
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint.  
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  • billyray
    billyray Posts: 1,277
    I've never tried a L&S chicken cook. I cook high on the AR from Ceramic Grill Store @ 350-400, usually takes about 1 hour to get to 165 in the breast. I dry brine for several hours or over night and get nice crispy skin and moist chicken. I used the Joetisserie for the first time the other night and it was even more moist that the spatchcocked ones I've done. Took about 1-1/2 hours @ 350-400 to get to 165 in the breasts.
    Felton, Ca. 2-LBGE, 1-Small, PBC, PK360, Genesis Summit, Camp Chef Flattop, Smokefire 24, Traeger Pro Series 22 Pellet with a Smoke Daddy insert, Gateway 55 Gal. drum, SNS Kettle w/acc.
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