Test run on chicken skin!!!!!!

[Smokin3d]

So I worked with a kid on my last run to Chicago and he says he can get crispy chicken on his MES set at 275 and he showed me a picture of them and they did look great.
So said I'm going to a least try once. So was at meijers yesterday and chicken legs on sale and 12 of these were $3.70
I did not brine them and I took paper towels and dried them as much as possible. Set smoker at 340 (don't no if it get that high) put on second shelf from bottom with hickory wood. Shooting to check in an hour.

 

[Smokin3d]

Up to 305 degrees in 35 mins!

 

[BedouinBob]

John, I detect a young man that is excited about lunch!  Can't wait to see how it turns out.

 

[Smokin3d]

Yes he is! He loves chicken.
Well the smoker hit 330 right at the one hour mark and I opened it up and as you can see in pics the skin is black and shrunk a lot and burnt! (Cat food)
But on the positive side the chicken was really really moist and had a great smoke flavor and was better than the last 25 leg quarters I did.
I put 3 large hickory chunks in (one chunk I had to chip some off to get the lid to shut). You no when you get a good smoke on when you can still smell it in your fingers an hour later.
I normally smoke my chicken at 250 for 1 1/2 ta 2 hours. From this test run I learned that I can smoke chicken at higher temps with great results and faster.
The chicken internal temp was 185 when pulled.

 

[NDKoze]

Wow, that is a lot of wood for chicken! Must have been 6+ ounces. But, if the results were good, you may have found your sweet spot.

 

[BedouinBob]

Hey John, I think you are on the right track but I would have the chicken on the upper racks. The heat from the wood box is pretty intense down low so I wasn't surprised at the overdone skin.

 

[NDKoze]

Hey John, I think you are on the right track but I would have the chicken on the upper racks. The heat from the wood box is pretty intense down low so I wasn't surprised at the overdone skin.

Excellent point Bob. I always try to place my meat as high up in the smoker that I can because the temps are a lot more stable up there and you won't risk the burning issue that can happen by placing too close to the element.

 

[Smokin3d]

Yes lots of wood but was definitely the sweet spot for me an ole lady. 
I was thinking straight to the heat on bottom to get skin done but as we can see that didn't work out. Since chicken is cheap I will try again on top rack as you guys say.
I don't believe the guy from work that he got crispy skin from his mes.

 

[DivotMaker]

John, I feel you for what it did to the skin!  That's why I never smoke chicken above 250 anymore.  I'd rather have the meat protected the whole time, then discard the skin (i.e., feed it to my 200 lb scrap disposal unit - the English Mastiff named Cyrus).

About the amount of wood.... Don't get hung up on the ounces, since you only smoked them for an hour.  One chunk would have produced the same result.  The idea, for short smokes like that, is to have smoke going the whole time (at least for me), so one chunk would have certainly made it an hour.  No sense wasting extra wood, if it doesn't make a difference!