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rookiedad
10-20-2005, 10:33 PM
i was thinking of cooking a beer can chicken. what i wanted to know was how much flavor gets from the stuff in the can into the meat. i was under the impression that only water and alcohol evaporated leaving any residue, and flavoring, in the can. also, if it does work, what is good to put in the can? thanks.
phil

smokincracker
10-20-2005, 10:40 PM
I use about an inch of apple juice.
I used Mountain Dew once and it was real good.

off food network

Q) Why did the chicken cross the road? A) Because it couldn't remember where it left its beer


1 (4-pound) whole chicken
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons of your favorite dry spice rub
1 can beer

Remove neck and giblets from chicken and discard. Rinse chicken inside and out, and pat dry with paper towels. Rub chicken lightly with oil then rub inside and out with salt, pepper and dry rub. Set aside.
Open beer can and take several gulps (make them big gulps so that the can is half full). Place beer can on a solid surface. Grabbing a chicken leg in each hand, plunk the bird cavity over the beer can. Transfer the bird-on-a-can to your grill and place in the center of the grate, balancing the bird on its 2 legs and the can like a tripod.
Cook the chicken over medium-high, indirect heat (i.e. no coals or burners on directly under the bird), with the grill cover on, for approximately 1 1/4 hours or until the internal temperature registers 165 degrees F in the breast area and 180 degrees F in the thigh, or until the thigh juice runs clear when stabbed with a sharp knife. Remove from grill and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Sawdustguy
10-21-2005, 04:34 AM
I could be mistaken but I don't think much flavoring would is absorbed from liquid in the can. It mostly keeps the chicken very moist. I base this on the fact that I used a can of ginger ale once because I was out of beer (I know, I commited a mortal sin) and didn't taste much added flavor from the ginger ale. Again this is pure speculation because the ginger ale doesn't have an overpowering taste of it own, so I could be very wrong.

CarbonToe
10-21-2005, 05:33 AM
Am I one of the only people that think this dish is 'style over substance'?

I've made variations of this dish over the pas two years and I think I have perfected it!!!!! :)

Using the beer can isn't necessary because:

a) The can is normally pushed into the cavity of the chicken, the part of the cavity that is touching the can will not get any steam.
b) Most of the steam will pass through the chicken throught the neck hole, and if it the can prduced that much steam how come after an hour of two of cooking is there still a large percentage of liquid still in the can?

I think the chicken come's out tasting good as it's cooked upright in a moist environment (as I place liquid in the drip pan). I found that just propping the rubbed chicken upright with the cavity open produced a better result than beer canning.

It is important to make sure the inside of the bird was fully rubbed as well as under the skin (but no rub on the outside as it can colour and burn). A little butter/oil basted onto the skin during the cooking process will then crisp it up.

Trout_man22
10-21-2005, 05:45 AM
Am I one of the only people that think this dish is 'style over substance'?

I've made variations of this dish over the pas two years and I think I have perfected it!!!!! :)



I agree with you, I done my share of beer butt chicken it's a good way of keeping the chicken supported but that's about it.

Part the the old bird out and smoke'er much better.

icemn62
10-21-2005, 06:22 AM
I've used different spices and never gotten a different taste to the meat. My daughter loves it thought because it is so moist.

VitaminQ
10-21-2005, 07:36 AM
I agree with CarbonToe. I really like the idea of beer-can chicken, but I always prefer the ones I butterfly and lay flat on the grate. That takes up more room, but it's a better resultm IMO. Plus, Raichlen really seems to like beer-can style, and anything that sunglass-wearin' no-shavin weenie likes, I'm against :mrgreen: . Seriously, that dude annoys the fark out of me.

Bill-Chicago
10-21-2005, 08:40 AM
As far as Toe's #2 point, Me, Chad, and a few others will shove a potato or something in the neck hole to keep the steam in.

I love the BCC for the moisted jerk chicken you can cook.

MikeG
10-21-2005, 09:33 AM
I agree...moisture seems to be the plus for beer can chicken
over additional flavor. The style catches my eye too..
I just love the lady like pose when they are done...love that
tan!!
Mikeg

Qczar
10-21-2005, 10:16 AM
Personally, I never did a beer can chix, but have done the verical rack type cooking.

Now that it has been mentioned the hole in the can is near the top of the cavity and most if not all of the moisture escapes. Has anyone tried a half can of liquid with holes in the sides of the can down to the liquid level, in a chix that was sealed up at the neck?

Might be an answer?

sfisch
10-21-2005, 11:59 AM
I ususally cut a onion in half or quarter it and stuff it in the neck hole to plug it up. Don't know if its the can or not but the birds are definately moist.

chad
10-21-2005, 12:37 PM
Like others said, potato or onion in the neck makes a difference - even if you just use the verticle stand. Often I'll just pull the neck skin across the hole and pin it with a toothpick.

I jazz it up with injection and rub on and under the skin -- good stuff.

Aeynghus
10-21-2005, 02:27 PM
I did one this past weekend, as I have on weekends past. Brined it, rubbed it down good, stuffed a chunk of onion in the opening, threw it on the smoker.

I don't notice any flavor from the beer, but the bird is real moist. Plus it looks cool standing up in the smoker.

My two year old scarfed the bird down as fast as I could pull it.

CarbonToe
10-22-2005, 12:55 PM
How about we all scratch a line on the can inline with the level of the liquid we've left in it before cooking and post our 'drop levels' after x hours smoking....?

In the past I've not 'lost' more than 2cm of liquid.

wsm
10-22-2005, 01:11 PM
2 cm of beer - farkin' near to an inch, no?

I really don't care about the beer - but the chicken is REAL moist - and that is what I care about.

Bill-Chicago
10-22-2005, 01:32 PM
How about we all scratch a line on the can inline with the level of the liquid we've left in it before cooking and post our 'drop levels' after x hours smoking....?

In the past I've not 'lost' more than 2cm of liquid.

I never loose much more liquid that you also. Just by virtue of the math, it is in the cooker for 3.5 hours at 325* (kettle). It would probably take at least an hour or more to even get the contents of the can up to 212* to where steam could even be produced