Rotisserie Chicken Open Pit Style

[MrHoss]

I am not sure if it was here or somewhere else I read about somebody doing roti chicken on a Kettle without the lid on. Soon as I read it I wanted to do it. Today was that day:



Chicken was injected with Grace Ginger Beer fortified with garlic salt and normal salt then rubbed with my own concoction and refrigerated for 5 hours. It was a mix of rain and freezing rain all morning and partway through the afternoon. It was still lightly misting when I got to it but the radar showed me it was going to clear up shortly:



I used Coshell with a little RO lump. Oak and pecan chunks were tossed on for flavor and heat. I kept the balance of the coals and all the chunks offset from the fowl. A few coals were left directly underneath:



A little over an hour in:



About 45 minutes later:



Done:



No plate shot. This was so tasty I plum forgot. Chicken was nice and juicy with just enough garlic....this stuff is some strong and I had feared overdoing it. Skin was near crispy but I could have done with more crispy. Smoke taste was weak. The birds were grain fed high end stuff...only reason I got it was the price was right....gotta say I could tell the difference from normal fare. Better texture and taste to the meat was the difference.

This is my 1000th post here if I am correct. It has been almost a year since I found my way here and in that year have probably not made 50 total posts at other bbq sites. Living with the number of women I do combined with the hours I spend on the net and the number of bbq's surrounding me drives me toward sites like this. I have grown to like this one.

Be well folks.

Here are a couple shots of my favorite Kettle I do not believe I shared here:





I do love that gorgeous wonderful piece of artwork. Just putts a big old smile on my face it does....and each of us needs one, two or in my case currently 16 things just like it in their lives.

[addicted-to-smoke]

Not sure I understand the value of the uncovered cook but that chicken looks great.

[Ted B]

Looks good. Is there a taste difference doing it uncovered?  Would you do it again this way? 

[MrHoss]

I think the idea is to extend the cook. I have had chickens done inside of an hour with the lid on. I have done but 7 or 8 chickens and 2 turkeys on the roti. This was the crispiest skin of all of them and the least smoke flavoured. No smoke ring at all that I saw. I didn't look as I was too busy eating though. Tasty chicken boys. I estimate I only used a little over twice the normal amount of charcoal....and it was cold and windy. It wasn't the best day to do this but I had it in my mind so that was that. Would I do it again...yes. More wood though and less charcoal. A warm or hot day would help too. Crispier skin and more smoke would be my aim.

[1buckie]

Happy 1,000th !!!!!

Great commemoration there with the cookups AND the pics !!!!

[SixZeroFour]

Congrats Hoss, both on the great cook up and post #1000!

Can't wait to see what you have in store for us over the next 1000

[austin87]

Chicken looks great! It makes sense to me that an open pit vs closed kettle would produce less smoke flavor with the swirling smoke in the covered lid. Happy 1000th and thanks for sharing!

[MacEggs]

Experiments ... yeah, I like experiments.   

Yardbirds look delicious!

[BBcue-Z]

Happy 1,000th !!!!!
Those look awesome!!!

[WNC]

Congratulations on the 1000th! Great looking chicken!