Hoping someone can help guide me- bought a XL BGE rotisserie for my Big Joe. All works great, did a chicken wth stuffing and cooked really well. Only issue was that the stuffing inside had a super smoke flavour, not in a good way. Like an ashtray way. I used my usual hardwood charcoal like always- could it be that I needed to let the charcoal it burn longer before putting the rotisserie on? Or should you leave the lid open for most of the cook?
Any advice appreciated
by sashabeach
7 Comments
Need more details like temp you cooked at and timing of your cook.
Also, take a look at the smoke you’re producing in your rig. It could be dirty smoke if combustion is efficient. You want to see blue smoke rather than thick white, black, or grey smoke.
And for food safety reasons, I implore you not to stuff birds. Good way to get salmonella or overcooked meat.
Did you bank your coals to either the front or the back? If not, that would explain it
I’ve smoked full chickens on the joetisserie in 1 to 1-1/2 hour at 350 F (177 C). 2-1/2 hrs seems way too long. Did you monitor your temp to 165 (74 C) only?
What kind of wood did you use? Chicken takes smoke really well so Hickory and Mesquite are little too much for me. I use post Oak or Apple or something like that. From your description it kind of sounds like a piece of wood maybe didn’t light up and get cooked until halfway through with that white smoke coming out? You want to make sure all your smoking wood is through the white smoke phase before you put the chicken on.
The stuffing was over smoked but not the bird? Weird. Guessing something the stuffing was reacting to the heat, a porous and absorbent material like bread is going to take on a lot of smoke. I’ve got to say, though, I wouldn’t ever cook a chicken on a grill with stuffing. I always do the dressing separately.
That rotisserie motor is HUGE! WHOA! my KamadoJoe rotisserie motor is 1/4 the size.
Gotta bank the coals to prevent the drips just burning and making the meat acrid. Put a foil boat or some other vessel to collect the drippings – that isn’t fire. Plus that just helps keep it clean. Speaking of, the unit pictured could be overdue for a clean. Dirty grill and smoke will have huge impacts on flavor with “sensitive” meats like chicken and some fish. And with chicken, barely any smoking wood is all that’s needed. That also went for way too long. I’ve spun whole turkey at least 3x that size in less time.