First MAK2 Cook, Chicken, With Fair Results...

[NorCalQ]

First cook on the MAK2. Chicken was dry brined for 6 hours, then put in MAK on Smoke for 1 hour. Took chicken out and raised temp to 450. Once MAK hit target, I put chicken back in and cooked till 171 in breast.
Meat came out very moist, but lacked smoke flavor. Skin was crisp, but burnt in the highest parts. I think lots of heat gathers in the upper regions of the cook chamber. Since I used the beer can set up, the upper 1/3 of the chicken skin was rather burnt. Lower part was better. That said, all the meat, thigh and breast, was very moist, although lacking the smoke flavor I was going for with the 1 hour smoke.
High heat method has worked with other cookers, so there's no reason why it won't work here. Next time I'll try 425 and I'll lay the chicken down in the traditional roasting position. Please make suggestions as chicken is, to me, the hardest thing to cook correctly. By the way, I love, love, love good chicken skin and must have it gite thru or crispy.

 

[sparky]

450° to cook chicken seems high. smoke and then try 325 - 375 to cook your chicken works for me. have you tried spatchcock your chicken yet. that works real well. i never eat the chicken skin so i don't know anything about it.

 

[NorCalQ]

450° to cook chicken seems high. smoke and then try 325 - 375 to cook your chicken works for me. have you tried spatchcock your chicken yet. that works real well. i never eat the chicken skin so i don't know anything about it.[/QUO
To me, it's all about the skin. In my Primo, the high heat method gives me perfect meat and perfect skin, along with good smoke. I may have to modify the temp or find a whole new method.

 

[Big Poppa]

you cannot cook the same way on a pelletcooker as a primo Your recipe is flawed for a pellet cooker...spark gave you good advice..

 

[jimsbarbecue]

You will not get the smoke flavor you can get in your Primo by added a wood chunk and having it smoldered on the hot coals. You also will not get the cook on wood flavor a pellet grill gives you on your Primo. They are different cooking tools.
Cooking chicken I program the Pellet Boss for the entire cook. You may want to reference the MAK cookbook for a recipe.

 

[Scallywag]

Sparky is right on with this one. What no pics???

 

[NorCalQ]

Please...those of you who value good chicken skin...give me some suggestions, please. Thanks!

 

[Scallywag]

I like chicken skin.. I have not found a way to get it real crispy the way I like it..

 

[TentHunter]

I agree, at 450 you don't get much smoke and it sounds like the burnt skin flavor may have overwhelmed the smokiness. Run it in smoke mode for a while if you like, but definitely lower your temp, dump the beer can and try spatchcocking. Spatchcocking opens both the inside & outside to the smoke and you can cook it at a lower temp which gives more smoke.


I get plenty of smoke flavor that way.

 

[NorCalQ]

I agree, at 450 you don't get much smoke and it sounds like the burnt skin flavor may have overwhelmed the smokiness. Run it in smoke mode for a while if you like, but definitely lower your temp, dump the beer can and try spatchcocking. Spatchcocking opens both the inside & outside to the smoke and you can cook it at a lower temp which gives more smoke.


I get plenty of smoke flavor that way.

But do you get good, edible skin that way?

 

[TentHunter]

But do you get good, edible skin that way?

We eat it cooked that way.

The trick is getting the fat rendered out of the skin so it crisps without overcooking & drying out the chicken.

Some people raise the pit temp to around 350°-400° when the chicken reaches around 158°-160° to crisp the skin for the last 5 - 10 minutes, and pull the chicken at 165° (we do this sometimes). Some people like to cook it skin side down for part of the cook to crisp it up.

Lately I have taken to pricking the skin all over with a toothpick before putting it on the grill. This helps the fat under the skin to render out a little easier. Its an old trick used for cooking duck and it seems to work well.

 

[Bossy J's BBQ]

What TentHunter said! and it works