Trouble with chicken and sausage

[natural]

Hi everyone... wondering if I could get some pointers.   I have a number 1 and have been using it for about a year.  I've had great results with ribs and pulled pork but not so much with chicken or sausage. 

I use a maverick et-733 and monitor both box and meat temp.  I use small amounts of wood when cooking as I don't like a strong smoke taste.  (2 oz) usually apple, pecan or hickory.   

I place my temp probe under the meat rack with a little clip that came with the maverick.

What I'm finding is my internal temp of my meat seems to hit the proper temperature quickly (sausage at 168 was 1 hour at 235 today) but when I open it up, the outside of the meat still looks wet and is not browned up, like I've seen in pictures.   My maverick shows my temperatures are good inside the box (225-242).   I'm not preheating and I'm putting the meat on straight from the fridge.   

Chicken seems to have the same issue.  The internal temp is met but the skin is still pale and rubbery.  That's cooking it at max temp (250) and leaving the smoker in the sun to get a little extra heat.  I've tried different rubs to no avail.  I've added oil and even baking soda (or powder can't remember right now) to try and dry it out. 

Does anyone preheat there smoker or let the meat warm up?  It's the only thing I haven't tried. 

Any other thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks, Dan   
Windsor, Ontario,  Canada

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[Tyarra]

I haven't tried sausage yet, but I've got a couple of question about your chicken, to see what might be happening.  Of course, you won't get crisp skin on your chicken, but it shouldn't be pale and rubbery - okay, sometimes rubbery, especially if you add a moisture source.

You mentioned putting a probe under the rack - I assume that you also probed your meat?  (Thickest part of breast, not touching bone, etc?)

Did you do anything to prep your chicken? (Brined, or injected, or rubbed and left overnight in fridge?)  Rub before putting in the smoker?

Did you include a water pan?

That's all I can think of at the moment, so let's start there.

[gregbooras]

I agree with Leah, you won't get crispy skin on your chicken and it will be rubbery. You can always reverse sear the chicken on the grill or place under a broiler to crisp up the skin, but most of us just skip the skin.

Also I don't believe you will find anyone per-heating the smoker. Placing the meat in the smoker allows to meat to take on more smoke at least until it hits 140 degrees.

I would suggest looking at the chicken forum and seeing the results.

Here is a chicken I did, with photos and directions.

http://smokinitforums.com/index.php?topic=3163.msg24396#msg24396

I hope this is helpful.

Greg

[natural]

Yes I do probe the meat as well.

I have not brined a chicken as of yet but I do rub it and allow it to sit overnight.  I do not put anything else in the smoke, other then the meat and the wood.

I figured the skin was do to the inability to go past 250, and have been finishing them on the BBQ.   But my chickens definitely don't look like yours in the picture!  I'm going to try the olive oil rub and see if that makes a difference.  Is the colour of the skin for the bird caused by the rub in your picture or the cooking process?

[swthorpe]

Hi Dan...if I understand your post correctly, you are getting to the desired IT and the meat is fully cooked.  It sounds like the box temp is also hitting your desired levels.   So, I am wondering about your rub...what are you using, and what kind of binder (mustard, EVOO, etc) are you using to apply the rub.

[gregbooras]

Yes I do probe the meat as well.

I have not brined a chicken as of yet but I do rub it and allow it to sit overnight.  I do not put anything else in the smoke, other then the meat and the wood.

I figured the skin was do to the inability to go past 250, and have been finishing them on the BBQ.   But my chickens definitely don't look like yours in the picture!  I'm going to try the olive oil rub and see if that makes a difference.  Is the colour of the skin for the bird caused by the rub in your picture or the cooking process?

I apply mustard and then a light dusting of my rub.

Greg

[DivotMaker]

Dan, do you smoke your chicken at 250 from the start?  That helps.  Also, olive oil/rub with a paprika-based rub will darken it, as well as the right wood.  Cherry is great on poultry and makes a nice dark skin.

[Tyarra]

My chicken experience:  http://smokinitforums.com/index.php?topic=3768.0

I would assume the color comes from the rub - mine is primarily paprika, with sugar and peppers, other spices.  I don't usually give it a base - no mustard or oil, just apply the rub directly to the meat - which is still typically damp from being rinsed.  I've read about it, and keep meaning to try it, but many many years of not doing it is a hard habit to break.

I haven't tried a whole (uncut) chicken yet, or parts, but I just saw an ad for 39¢/pound drumsticks ... I'll probably grab a bag of those, and see what happens.

[swthorpe]

I think the color is rub based, and I recommend that you try out a whole chicken...they turn out perfectly.  Put the therm in the breast and you can't go wrong.

[DivotMaker]

I think the color is rub based, and I recommend that you try out a whole chicken...they turn out perfectly.  Put the therm in the breast and you can't go wrong.

+1!

[NDKoze]

I think a Jerky Dryer would help both your sausage and your chicken.

I tried smoking snack sticks "one time" and all it did was steam the sausage. Sausage has a lot of moisture in it and the SI smokers retain moisture so well that it causes a problem.

I haven't tried it yet, but there are a few threads from guys using their dryers with poultry too in an effort to get crispy chicken with decent results.

Chicken like sausage is pretty moist from the beginning, so I do not ever use a water pan.

[Boone]

When I smoke sausages I start at a lower temperature like 120 or 125 for 30 minuets to an hour and then bump up the temperature. For an example .. When I smoke a Kielbasa I start at 120 for 30 minuets them bump it up to 145 for an hour then up to 185 until I reach my 165 degree internal temperature.

Sorry for the late response but hope this might help