Time to get a smoker...

[KS63]

The wife bought me a Traeger as a surprise last month. Been using it three times a week. I cooked our Thanksgiving turkey in it, too. De-boned and brined it. Awesome!

[Great-Kazoo]

my smoker has 3 very large chicken breasts and a large roast in it right now. I am hoping its done here shortly. Been smoking since 1230 or so.

12:30 @ what temp? we run 350 - 425 for whole chickens, 325 for turkey.

[wyome]

Cabelas Branded Smokers Are Made By Camp Chef...All The Features Of Your Sub $800 Pellet Smokers For A Bit Less Coin....All Made In China At Tha Price Point Tho...

[Ah Pook]

Looked at this unit BUT having the chimney on the side over the shelf , knocked it out of the picture.

We have this unit, as you can see they are still offering $50 OFF when you order on line. They drop ship to the closest SW in your area. it comes with the side shelf & temp probe.
http://www.sportsmanswarehouse.com/s...7282/cat101724

The chimney can always be re-directed. The heat shield redirects the heat.

Nothing is off the shelf at this point.

[colorider]

For those using traegers, you kinda have to tend to the pellet hopper when doing long smokes. The pellets will form a hole and not feed. The pellets form a funnel shape in the hopper and the auger no longer gets pellets. You have to move the pellets around to avoid the funnel effect. A way to minimize this is to keep the hopper as full as possible. I have had my traeger for over 3 years and love the thing. I fabbed up a hopper extention and sloped sides so I don't get the failure to feed pellet funnel anymore.

[Great-Kazoo]

about 250ish

You might end up with a drier chicken than usual. Bump it up to 325 min, next time. Whoel birds after tonights @ 325 will be done at 425 as a rfew recipes suggest. This way the skin isn't rubbery, bird isn't dry eyc.

For those using traegers, you kinda have to tend to the pellet hopper when doing long smokes. The pellets will form a hole and not feed. The pellets form a funnel shape in the hopper and the auger no longer gets pellets. You have to move the pellets around to avoid the funnel effect. A way to minimize this is to keep the hopper as full as possible. I have had my traeger for over 3 years and love the thing. I fabbed up a hopper extention and sloped sides so I don't get the failure to feed pellet funnel anymore.

We found once you do temps over 350, those pellets go fast. This new unit is a deeper hopper with shallower sides, so they drop fairly steady. Something to consider is adding a baffle to the hopper.

[Dave]

You might end up with a drier chicken than usual. Bump it up to 325 min, next time. Whoel birds after tonights @ 325 will be done at 425 as a rfew recipes suggest. This way the skin isn't rubbery, bird isn't dry eyc.

Learned the hard way with some chicken wings not to use lower temps. The meat wasn't dry, but the skin was so rubbery that even the grill on high had a hard time trying to crisp it. And my grill will bury the needles past 650.

Anyone who has done whole birds either turkey or chicken, is spatchcocking something you have tried or do you leave it as is? I thought maybe getting it flat and getting the rub under the skin and on the flattened inside areas would have an advantage, along with plenty of exposed meat to get smoke flavor into would help.

[Great-Kazoo]

Learned the hard way with some chicken wings not to use lower temps. The meat wasn't dry, but the skin was so rubbery that even the grill on high had a hard time trying to crisp it. And my grill will bury the needles past 650.

Anyone who has done whole birds either turkey or chicken, is spatchcocking something you have tried or do you leave it as is? I thought maybe getting it flat and getting the rub under the skin and on the flattened inside areas would have an advantage, along with plenty of exposed meat to get smoke flavor into would help.

not yet. do an olive oil rub . wrap tips of wings & legs with thick cut bacon, once bird has OO, use dry rub of choice. Also do a beer can bird. But use lemonage with few cloves of split garlic instead. Same OO / dry rub.

For breast & thigh OO & lemon juice mix soaking pics for 5 - 10 min tops. Then dry rub of choice. I downloaded a chicken & sausage gumbo recipe today. will post it once i figure what file it went to.

[Dave]

Haven't tried wrapping any birds with bacon, seems like a waste of bacon to me. I wrap the end pieces that burn with aluminum foil about half way through though. With beer can chicken I just go with a pale ale, some smashed cloves of garlic and rough chopped rosemary and thyme after rubbing the bird with canola oil then topped with salt and garlic powder. Gives a nice crispy skin with good seasoning.

Been a few years since I made gumbo, would love to see what you found.

[Ah Pook]

Bringing this one back up.

Lots of "flavor" pellets around. What, if any, are closer to charcoal or low flavor?