Vortex drumsticks on 26"... so so results

[Familyman]

Looking for some expertise.

Last week I picked up a slightly used 26" kettle and a medium sized vortex.  My first cook was drumsticks and a few wings.  I had a full vortex with weber charcoal and add one piece of hickory in the middle.  I prepped the chicken with a bit of salt, pepper, and onion powder and left them exposed in the refrigerator for a couple hours before grilling.  The grill was nice and hot when the chicken went on the grill.  The dome temperatures reached about 550F (I didn't setup for grate temperatures).  They cooked for about an hour and then the temps started falling.   I thermopen'd all the chicken to ensure 165, the lowest temperature was 170.

The drumsticks had good flavor, but it was tougher on the inside.  Wings were nice though.

Questions
Should tougher chicken be expected with my setup?  I've done spatchcocked on my weber and the whole bird with just banking coals and it had perfect texture all the way through.  Would the drum sticks soften up if I had a longer cook time?  Should I throttle back the temperatures?

Advice appreciated.

[HoosierKettle]

Lots of variables, but typically legs will always take longer than wings so they should have cooked longer. Also you really want a 185+ internal for legs wings and thighs. That's what they take to be good and tender.
Also a 26 has a tendency to run a little cooler than a 22. Were all vents wide open?  You can also crack the lid to boost heat.

Sent from my iPhone using Weber Kettle Club mobile app

[dogman]

Nothing to do with grilling but the dark meat pieces like drumsticks and thighs seem do a lot better at lower temps. I do some killer chicken legs low and slow in a big pot on top of the stove.

I just read @HoosierKettle 's post and I don't mean to disagree with it. I meant cooking temps, not internal temps. I guess we are saying the same thing. If you cook dark meat too hot to get it done enough it will come out tough.

[Familyman]

@HoosierKettle - I had been hoping for higher temperatures, but it seemed that my batch of coal was losing steam at the end.  The only 26" grate I have opens at the end and not the center, so I can't refill without removing the food.  I was a little surprised they weren't done as temps were falling.

@dogman - I have had good luck with lower temps and spatchcocking.  Maybe that's how I'll have to approach drumsticks from now on.  I had hoped for better drumstick results from the super-high temp wings vortex method, but I'll change my approach next time.

Thanks!

[dogman]

@Familyman welcome to the forum! I was thinking if you wanted to go high because you prefer the crunchy skin and "bbq" appeal like you can get with chicken wings I wonder if it would be worth doing a reverse sear on the legs. I have never tried it but it might be just what the doctor ordered. So you would cook indirect or over low heat for a longer time and when you get the internal temp and/or texture you want you sear them over a hot fire long enough to get the outside done to your liking.

[Familyman]

@dogman - its an interesting thought.  My wife is definately anti-direct chicken on the charcoal grill.  (My kids and I like it fine).  For my next attempt, I think I'll go lower and slower for texture and experiment with sauces.

I do love reading this forum.  I picked up a SSP Gen 1 back in December for $25 with the intention of trying it out and fixing it up (the gas assist and is trashed and handles are damaged).  I loved it so much that I picked up the 26" for $250.  With a family of 6, the space will be nice.

For chicken so far I have done the following:
Spatchcock chicken - dry brined and exposed in fridge for 24 hours - loved it, perfect skin, perfect texture
Smoked chicken breasts - loved it
Wings on the 22" with slow n sear - very good, not great.  And needed more space to feed 6.
Drumsticks on 26" - mentioned above.

I'm really enjoying the charcoal.  And I still use the gas Weber a bit too - works well to have it available for veggies when the charcoal is fully occupied.

[dogman]

Well, you can't win 'em all. Maybe cook up a pot of legs with thighs for her on the stove. What I do is cut up a few chickens into breasts and separate thighs/legs connected. I sear the leg portions in some olive oil with chopped garlic and onion in a pot. When they look like I want on the outside, I stack the pot about half way high with leg portions all bone down, then I throw in a few potatoes and carrots. I throw in some chopped celery stalks (get the fresh stuff because the root balls are great for soup and the stalks have real flavor, if you buy only the stalks in packages you get watered-down stuff that only looks like celery but has no flavor), some salt and pepper, and paprika.

I bring the pot to a boil, the moisture from the potatoes and carrots help, and throw in a little red wine. I know, it should be white but I use red. Once it's boiling hard I turn it way down and simmer for a couple of hours. I guess you could do it on you gas grill so you would have all the bases covered

You'll get some delicious tender leg portions where the meat falls off the bone but still has tons of flavor, and the skin was seared at the beginning so you don't get chicken that looks like it wasn't cooked. Also, if you have time you can take out the chicken and sear the vegetables in the same pot then take them out and put the chicken back in and then the vegetables. Too much for some people but I usually do it because it looks and tastes better.

Because of my apartment situations I cannot grill very often. So I do a lot of oven brisket and lamb and stove top chicken.