Beer can chicken vs chicken on cooking grate

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motolife313

Master of the Pit
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Aug 27, 2016
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Anyone tell a difference from one other? I haven't tried yet but thinking about welding somthing up lol. I usually cut the chicken down the breast and laying on the grate like above. but thinking beer can style will be more moist and juicy. Also how safe is using a beer can with all the colors on it?
 
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The beer flavours it and keeps it much moister. I like using bud light lime because the lime and salt get worked in from the beer. We do this all the time in Summer because we almost always have a cooler of beer and a little webber to put it on!
 
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I've got some nuts I welded to the top of my smoker I could just hang it and set the beer can on the grate and chicken hanging at the right height
 
View attachment 365754 Anyone tell a difference from one other? I haven't tried yet but thinking about welding somthing up lol. I usually cut the chicken down the breast and laying on the grate like above. but thinking beer can style will be more moist and juicy. Also how safe is using a beer can with all the colors on it?

I'm a sheet or two to the wind, but I can tell the chicken is in the rear, and there is ribs in front.
And the only beer can is the empty one to my right.

Was this a trick question?
Beer can is a term. You don't have to actually ram a can in the egg laying hole. Besides, the beer will keep the paint from burning off. The chicken would be incinerated before the paint burns off. LOL!
And if somebody can't spit out the paint, it will pass through. :rolleyes: ;)

Here is a great How To make a chicken say BAH-Duhk!
 
I spatchcock my chickens & smoke them in a pan with some chicken broth. Do turkeys the same way!
Al
 
I'm not a chicken fan but I admit the beer can method I enjoy the chicken. I have a couple of Kingsford stands with a beer bowl and the birds always come out moist and smokey.
 
I've cooked chicken whole on the grate, and used the beer can method. I didn't notice any additional flavor from the beer in the can. My preferred method is chicken parts on the kettle w/the vortex on high heat.

Chris
 
BCC is something many have opinions on. Best way to get to the bottom of the mystery is to do the test but make sure who tastes them doesn't not know which is which. Cook 2 prepped identically, one with the can & pulling off at the same IT. FYI, I really haven't been able to tell any significant difference. JMTC :)
 
I've never used the beer can but I have cooked chicken on "beer can" racks also known as vertical roasting racks and chicken on the smoker racks.

The difference I have noticed is that the skin behaves better in an electric smoker (probably all smokers) when using the vertical rack. I think this allows the heat and air to more evenly hit the skin as it rises upwards.

Additionally I have noticed a HUGE difference in ribs that are smoked vertical vs laying horizontal on the smoking racks.

My horizontal ribs come out nice an mahogany color, great texture, and superior flavor!
My Vertically smoked ribs come out blackened color, kind of a "stringy" texture in areas, dryer, and must less flavorful. It's funny how simply turning them vertically with a rack changes the end result so much.

Anyhow I hope this info helps :)
 
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