Little Chief Smoker

[Dadbear]

I've used a Little Chief for years and been real happy with the results for my salmon & steelhead. I realize that it's small-time compared to high end smokers... but I'm wondering if it will get hot enough to smoke a whole chicken or turkey? I just want to make sure that the internal temp gets hot enough for safety purposes. Maybe I need to start it in the smoker and finish it off in the oven? Any help I can get would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[Grizzly95]

Do you have a insulating blanket for it?

[dogtuk]

dadbear

i would smoke for a few hour 1-3 and then finish in the oven if the smoker does not get hot enough it will sit in the danger zone for to long if its a thanksgiving turkey you dont want to get people sick

[Dadbear]

Thanks..I usually just slip the box over the smoker to keep it warmer. I had a friend of mine give me the same good advice about using the oven to finish it.

[WAPITIHUNTER]

I always put the smoke chips right on the burner and then cover the opening so that the wood does not catch on fire. This works really well and it gets very hot. My fish is usually done in 45 minutes. Also try using wood chunks instead of the powdered stuff.

[Geno]

dadbear

i would smoke for a few hour 1-3 and then finish in the oven if the smoker does not get hot enough it will sit in the danger zone for to long if its a thanksgiving turkey you dont want to get people sick

I agree with dadbear, I have a big chief with an insulating blanket and it will not get hot enough to finish a bird. I usually marinate my bird in white grape juice in the refrigerator for a couple of days then put it in a preheated smoker and go no longer than 3 pans of alder chunks. I then take it out of the smoker, put it in an oven bag with a temp gauge pushed into the bird as you normally would. Cook the bird until the internal temp reaches 180(better safe than sorry). Don't forget to make gravy from the drippings, you will love the smokey aftertaste. 

[WAPITIHUNTER]

Here is what it looks like when you do it that way. A whole bunch of Pinks from Valdez.

[Dadbear]

Man...... those pinks look tasty. Thanks for the idea. So you just put the wood directly on the heating element, right?

[WAPITIHUNTER]

Yes. And believe me it works great. Just so you know i have had i guess what you would call a backdraft a few times. The draw for oxygen becomes so strong that there is a small poof and the lid would blow off. Other than that i have not had any problems doing it that way. Never had the burner fail. Just make sure you keep the opening covered or the wood chunks will catch fire and then there could be a problem.

Anyway enjoy and let me know how that works out for ya.

[Dadbear]

I'll definitely give it a whirl....Thanks.