First Beer Can Chicken

yotzee

Smoking Fanatic

Original poster

Jul 8, 2013

427

35

Pittsburgh, PA

• Nov 4, 2013

• #1

Took my first shot at a beer can chicken.  No smoke was used, just a pile of lit Kingsford Blue indirect in the Weber Kettle.

Put a dry brine of just kosher salt on the bird for 2 hours in the fridge.  Read this on the Weber site, not sure how effective it is but I assumed it could help crisp the skin.

IMG_4068.jpg

• yotzee
• Nov 4, 2013

After a couple hours in the fridge rinsed the salt off, dried, rubbed with EVOO and my rub, half a can of Yunegling up the rear of this yardbird:

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• yotzee
• Nov 4, 2013

1.5 hours with no maintenance but to rotate it a little and this was the tasty treat we had:

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• yotzee
• Nov 4, 2013

Crispy skin, moist delicious meat.  The breast was dripping with juice.

Yep, this is my new way to cook chicken.  Thanks for the look.

 

Last edited: Nov 4, 2013

cappyr

Meat Mopper

Oct 26, 2013

210

25

South Louisiana

• Nov 4, 2013

• #2

Chicken looks great and congrats on ya first "drunk chicken".  I've been doing them for years now and they always are a big hit.  Here is a tip or 2.  We worry bout the thin aluminum painted cans beer comes in so we use like green bean cans that we peel the labels off of.  We always have a few of them ready in the cabinet.  Fill the can half full with beer then experiment with other things like spices, butter, etc.  Get ya some cheap aluminum pie pans and set the chicken in the middle.  Poor the rest of the beer into the pan along with seasonings etc.  This helps to deflect heat around when cooking directly over coals but also infuses the legs with the same juicy yummyness.

 

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bkleinsmid

Smoking Fanatic

Mar 11, 2010

478

31

Penn Valley, CA

• Nov 4, 2013

• #3

Yotzee........I have to agree. I started doing yard birds this way a couple of years ago and it is still the favorite way around here. I do brine mine and use a beer can rack........sometimes without the beer can.......and put a piece of foil in the neck hole to trap the moisture inside.

Brad

 

bkleinsmid

Smoking Fanatic

Mar 11, 2010

478

31

Penn Valley, CA

• Nov 4, 2013

• #4

CappyR said:

 
Chicken looks great and congrats on ya first "drunk chicken".  I've been doing them for years now and they always are a big hit.  Here is a tip or 2.  We worry bout the thin aluminum painted cans beer comes in so we use like green bean cans that we peel the labels off of.  We always have a few of them ready in the cabinet.  Fill the can half full with beer then experiment with other things like spices, butter, etc.  Get ya some cheap aluminum pie pans and set the chicken in the middle.  Poor the rest of the beer into the pan along with seasonings etc.   This helps to deflect heat around when cooking directly over coals but also infuses the legs with the same juicy yummyness.

Click to expand...

Cappy.........great idea. I will give that a try...

B~

 

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yotzee

Smoking Fanatic

Original poster

Thread starter

Jul 8, 2013

427

35

Pittsburgh, PA

• Nov 4, 2013

• #5

Thanks for the tips.

I did use a pie pan that I use for a water pan on smokes.  I just wrap it with heavy duty foil to make clean up easy.

That's a great idea with the foil in the neck.  Im gonna do that with the next one.  Thanks for the tip.

I'm not sold that it has to be beer.  Really didn't invoke a beer flavor that I could detect.

 

Last edited: Nov 4, 2013

cappyr

Meat Mopper

Oct 26, 2013

210

25

South Louisiana

• Nov 4, 2013

• #6

\

Here's a pic of some I did a while back.  While cooking if the pans get dry ya can just poor some in.  Lots of places around here sell special racks for this some made of black iron and quite expensive.  Being an ole country boy I sue veg cans we have anyways, and pans that pies came in.  Kinda recycled drunk chickens

 

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hambone1950

Master of the Pit

Jul 23, 2012

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46

Metrowest Boston , ma.

• Nov 4, 2013

• #7

These all look great. You just can't beat beer can chicken. With or without the beer ...or the can...long as you got the chicken! I do mine on the rack usually minus the can....honestly , I could eat this 5 nights a week!

 

Last edited: Nov 4, 2013

yotzee

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Original poster

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Jul 8, 2013

427

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Pittsburgh, PA

• Nov 4, 2013

• #8

Those look awesome!

 

bkleinsmid

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Mar 11, 2010

478

31

Penn Valley, CA

• Nov 4, 2013

• #9

Hambone1950 said:

These all look great. You just can't beat beer can chicken. With or without the beer ...or the can...long as you got the chicken! I do mine on the rack usually minus the can....honestly , I could eat this 5 nights a week!

Click to expand...

Are you sure thats enough.........I'm thinking maybe 6 times.........

The biggest reason that I use a rack is that some time back, one of the birds fell over and the beer spilled into the fire. That was exciting for a bit........especially since the "Q" sets on a wood deck. Amazon or Cabelas or some one had a close-out on beer can racks and i got 6 of them shipped for $22. Now I can do a party with all of them.

B~

 

yotzee

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Original poster

Thread starter

Jul 8, 2013

427

35

Pittsburgh, PA

• Nov 5, 2013

• #10

Hambone1950 said:

These all look great. You just can't beat beer can chicken. With or without the beer ...or the can...long as you got the chicken! I do mine on the rack usually minus the can....honestly , I could eat this 5 nights a week!

Click to expand...

I could eat this 5 days a week too.  The chicken seems to baste itself sitting up right like that.  The rub adds a sweet taste to the skin that is accentuated by the charcoal flavor.  I'm gonna do one with smoke too, but I was thinking not everything needs to be smoked.  I love the natural flavor of the juicy bird