I don't normally need to time my cooks quite so closely as I do today. I don't normally buy large birds for smoking either....double whammy today. I usually cook 3-4 pounders and cook them around 250-275 on my 640. Have to cook 6 pounders today. Obviously, the larger, thicker birds are going to take longer--could be as much as 2x.
Just curious if anyone has any tested minutes/lb for a given temp for whole, butterflied chickens?
Thanks!
TJ
Just a SWAG, give yourself 4 to 5 hours at that cooking temperature. I normally do poultry at 300 to 350.
Do you cook them on the lower shelf or upper shelf at that temp Herb? I'm finding the radiated heat off the diffuser at those temps tends to burn the bottoms of some things for me if I use the lower shelf. The birds were each between 5 and 6 lbs and ended up cooking for about 3.5 hours at 250F set temp on 640. I have it extremely well insulated and only opened it once during cooking... I was worried that they wouldn't be done in time and had built in 4 hours. Turned out just fine. Thanks for the swag guess--you were pretty darned close on the lower end of the range. I let them sit in foil for about an hour too before cutting them into more manageable pieces and they were nicely smoked and very moist.
One other question, how much smoke flavor is there at 350F for a chicken?
When I cook, I fill up the cooker. It costs the same, and we can vacuum seal and freeze what isn't immediately eaten.
We don't notice a difference in the smoke flavor cooking at 225 to cooking at 400.
4 16 lb. spatchcocked turkeys on a 1500
2 16 lb. spatchcocked turkeys on a 640
4 chickens, 3 racks of ribs and brisket on a 640
Thanks Herb. I had 6 birds in a 640 yesterday and just rotated the two birds closest to the chimney side with the two on top halfway through cooking, when I flipped them all over to the skin side down. Worked great. Do you recall how long the big turkeys cooked?
Thanks!
p.s. I don't think birds absorb smoke as well as redder meats. Interesting that you didn't notice any difference at the different temps. If that's true, no real reason to slow down the cooking...might actually just make them more dry...
HI Herb, in one of the above pics with the 4 chickens and the ribs and brisket how did you cook them all together, what temp did you run at?? was the chicken skin crispy when done ??
That cook was at 225. The chicken skin was not crispy, but the chickens were used for soup, so it didn't matter.
Do you think that chickens could be cooked togethor to be served with the ribs and brisket
The wires were temperature probes. I do not use them any more.
Yes, but, the skin will not be crisp.
If you are looking to cook 3 meats, and serve them at the same time, then you are going to have to stagger the cooking times, and the temperature to get crispy chicken skin, or, put the chicken under the broiler in the oven to crisp it up.
You could cook the brisket over night and take it off and FTC. Then put the ribs on, and then add in the chickens just about an hour before the ribs come off, then crank the heat to 350 to finish the chickens.
OK Thank you Herb, i am assuming that FTC is foil tent??
FTC = Wrap in foil, wrap in towels and put in a cooler for holding till needed.
Awesome ty Herb !!!I just got this 640 and learning a lot about it
Return to Cooking Questions, Tips and Tricks
- Disclaimer :
- The views and comments entered in these forums are personal and are not necessarily those of the management of this board.
