Applewood and Mesquite Smoked Spatchcock Chicken

We live a unique lifestyle.  My fiancée works at a remote mining site on a two and one rotation, two weeks up at work, and one week at home.  I essentially mirror her schedule, taking that same week off from most coding and tech projects.

This week, I decided to smoke a full chicken.  Instead of keeping the bird whole, I spatchcocked it, removing the ribs and backbone leaving just the bones in its legs and wings.  To season it, I  rubbed it in honey, and coated it in a dry rub mixture of brown sugar, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and chili powder.

I set my weathered Webber egg up to slowly smoke at around 200°F with applewood chunks and mesquite chips.

I have no formal controls on this beast, but do employ a Thermopro BBQ Bluetooth thermometer to monitor ambiant temperature and internal meat temperatures.

One hour in and an internal temp around 120°F, I flipped both halves over and it looks like this.  Amazing grill marks, and a nice rich color wash over the chicken's surface.

At 130°F I wrapped both halves in foil to retain as much moisture as possible.  This is a crucial step to ensure we don't dry out the thinner parts the chicken.

Once the internal temp comes up to 165°F we pull it off the grill and let it rest, still wrapped, for at least 10 minutes.  After resting, slice, and enjoy!

In the near future, I plan on building a smoke house in which I will include temperature sensors, fans, and a servo or two to control temp.  When I get to it, I'll be sure to document it all on here.