First roasting success!

[sunsanvil]

Yea I know "no picture, no story" but honestly, we did a whole chicken (basic rub) using a two sided coal layout with the bird in the middle over a water pan.  It was raining but I sat next to the kettle under an umbrella with a radio for the two hours...350ish... "never cooking chicken in the oven again" was the wife's comment after the first taste.

[Tim in PA]

Sounds delicious. Did you add any smoke?

[1buckie]

"never cooking chicken in the oven again" was the wife's comment after the first taste. "


This here pretty much absolves the need for pics..........

[sunsanvil]

Did you add any smoke?

I did try some soaked hickory chips but I'm still getting the hang of it:  seems even just 5 chips produced an awful lot of visible smoke (which according to Alton is "bad smoke").

[Tim in PA]

Yeah, I have the same problem. I throw on the wood chips and it smokes like a mofo. I get the smoke flavor and it has never been off putting but I don't know if I'm doing something wrong or not. First time I used chips I soaked the the directions state but most people on here say there is no point in soaking them so I haven't since.

[1buckie]

Try small chunks....between golf & tennis ball size, hot fire.....you will get a bit of white at 1st, then should go more thin blue as it digs in.....
Set 'em on the lid to pre-heat, which will reduce some of the smoldering, then drop gently in on the coals......

[addicted-to-smoke]

Doesn't soaking reduce the amount of smoke? Good, bad or indifferent?

[1buckie]

From seeing this exact disscussion approximately 5,000 times in various places.....here's the basic conclusion I've reached:

1) If everywhere you see  recommendations to "season" or air dry your wood for 6 months or more, it just seems counter-productive to add water back into it......

2) Some people do just fine soaking chips.....I've had much more trouble with it, esp. before I got the hang of fire management, which, at times, I STILL do not have the hang of.....

3) Some people use fresh cut wood in large smokers ( which, if you thnk about it, is like re-soaking seasoned wood)....... Myron Mixon, noteably, cuts fresh peach & goes after the sap that leaks on the branches.....wet wood can be used, but ya damn well better know how to work with it, or it'll be the most acrid tasting "Q" you'll ever eat.....

4) I do soak shread, sawdust some people call it, under controlled conditions, it produces a very smooth taste, but it's tricky........

See Here:

http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/introduce-yourself/this-is-great-!!!/15/


near the bottom is an explanation......

5) All of the above may easily be reguarded as bullshit by anyone who has different experince.....

[MacEggs]

^^^^ #1 - You're right on there, Ken!  No need to soak.

[addicted-to-smoke]

OK this is the site I was thinking of earlier: http://www.fruitawoodchunks.com They sell wood with moisture, as opposed to "Home Depot" chips which do not/cannot have it.

From their site, what say ye?

"BEWARE of *DEPOT and *Mart Stores bagged woods. These packages have been sitting in hot warehouses for months at a time drying out. They have NO VALUABLE MOISTURE AND NATURAL SUGAR CONTENT. This moisture gives the true fruit flavor to your meat.

    .....

Wonder why most Depot and Mart packaged woods are in sealed plastic bags? Its because these packages of wood contain NO moisture. If they did the wood will mold while sitting in these bags. Our woods are shipped in boxes which allow them to breath. "

[1buckie]

they're good folks, with a good product & ya still have to have your fire management down pat to use fresh cut wood.....It's also not an "either / or" situation....more like a "percentage of"

"The kiln dry process removes ALL the moisture from the wood. "

This, i'm not sure about, all wood has some moisture, just that below a certain point it's considered "seasoned" or what they may be calling "dry"..........and there is such a thing as too dry.....
Where they're talking about moisture being checked regularly, there's moisture meters for wood & paper products that will give a percentage moisture content........
I'll see if I can find where I saw a real good disscussion on this stuff.......

...if you doubt this, carve a small branch off an apple or apricot tree & throw it directly on your next smoke.....