Before/After:
First time I've done chicken this way and wow! I don't think I'll change anything! Very moist, deep smoke ring, and slightly sweet flavor.
Here's one of the Pillars of Grillology I adhere to: poultry should be brined. Although i haven't tried it, I would think it would also be beneficial on venison and rabbit.
What's brine? Same general idea as marinade, but involving no oil. I've had good luck with the Ugly Brothers Bird Brine recipe. The process involves soaking the bird overnight completely submerged in a salt and sugar solution. It yields a much moister, more flavorful poultry than BBQ'ing alone. After brining I inject the bird with marinade and sprinkle judiciously with seasoning salt and lemon pepper, then it's ready for the fire. I'll expound on the marinade and cooking process later. Chicken size: 2x3.5 lb. Cook time: about 4 hours.
On to the brisket... The brisket came out good. More tender than the last one I did, but
somewhat drier. I must have overcooked it a little. I can't find a meat thermometer that doesn't lie. Anyway, I marinated it overnight instead of using a dry rub this time. Then I just sprinkled with seasoned salt and put in on the grill. I used my own concoction for a mop (more on that later). I cooked it until my thermometer said 160 degrees, then double-wrapped it in foil and put it in the firebox until thermometer said 180. I think it was more like 210. I was attempting to render out some of the tough connective tissue of the brisket, but do so sacrificing as little moistness as possible. It was tender, but would like to see it a little juicier. I think it was just overdone. Great flavor, just a little dry. Brisket size: 4 lb. Cook time: about 4.5 hours.As for the fire, I used mostly dry apple wood, then mixed in some dry apricot, and one piece of cherry from my woodpile. It was still really too green -- almost put the fire out. Here's a picture about 3 hours into the cook with a new apple mini-log on top.
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