Uploaded March 2019 | Updated September 2026, 4 days ago
I've been trying to get my BBQ Chicken to taste like my late dad use to do when he would grill bbq chicken on the grill. He would mop it with margarine and apple cidar vinegar during the cook. It would have the best flavor I ever tasted on BBQ Chicken ever. The way I set up the Weber Smokey Mountain Smoker today gave me that flavor of Dad's Chicken. It's a bit un-orthodox for the WSM, but it worked. I left the bottom vents open, and grilled on the bottom grate just above where the water pan normally sits with the charcoal in the bottom. This puts the chicken about 20 inches above the lit charcoal and prevents the chicken from burning. I left the lid completely off the cooker for the first 45 minutes. After 20 minutes, I mopped with butter and spritzed with apple cider vinegar and turned the chicken. After 20 more minutes, I repeated turning the chicken back over. At this time, my charcoal was burning low but still alive. To try to hurry the chicken doneness, I put the lid on and closed the top vents. I cracked open the front door about 2 inches to allow the smoke to go out there. I didn't want smokey flavored chicken. This setup did the trick. It allowed the heat to get the chicken done without smoking up the meat. The chicken came off tasting very close to what Dad use to produce. I will say the charcoal was about gone at the end of the cook, and since the meat was 20 inches above the coals, I didn't get the sear on the chicken I wanted. This is a step in the right direction. I have a solution for next time to finish off the cook where the sauce will get a better color. It was a success for me. Thinking about DAD.
I've been trying to get my BBQ Chicken to taste like my late dad use to do when he would grill bbq chicken on the grill. He would mop it with margarine and apple cidar vinegar during the cook. It would have the best flavor I ever tasted on BBQ Chicken ever. The way I set up the Weber Smokey Mountain Smoker today gave me that flavor of Dad's Chicken. It's a bit un-orthodox for the WSM, but it worked. I left the bottom vents open, and grilled on the bottom grate just above where the water pan normally sits with the charcoal in the bottom. This puts the chicken about 20 inches above the lit charcoal and prevents the chicken from burning. I left the lid completely off the cooker for the first 45 minutes. After 20 minutes, I mopped with butter and spritzed with apple cider vinegar and turned the chicken. After 20 more minutes, I repeated turning the chicken back over. At this time, my charcoal was burning low but still alive. To try to hurry the chicken doneness, I put the lid on and closed the top vents. I cracked open the front door about 2 inches to allow the smoke to go out there. I didn't want smokey flavored chicken. This setup did the trick. It allowed the heat to get the chicken done without smoking up the meat. The chicken came off tasting very close to what Dad use to produce. I will say the charcoal was about gone at the end of the cook, and since the meat was 20 inches above the coals, I didn't get the sear on the chicken I wanted. This is a step in the right direction. I have a solution for next time to finish off the cook where the sauce will get a better color. It was a success for me. Thinking about DAD.
