First Beer Can Chicken on WSM - Meh


 

James Harvey

TVWBB Pro
So I used 2 - 3lb organic birds from Loblaws and Sleeman's Honey Brown Lager with Wild Willy's Number One-derful rub (with a little less paprika and a little more chili powder. Cooked around 225 - 250 for 3 hours (just a little too long as the white meat was a little dry but still tender). The skin was not crispy but I was prepared for that but have lots of flavour. The smoke only penetrated the meat slightly with no visible ring.

It is my opinion that there's very little you can do to enhance the flavour of this on a WSM. Next cook I'll inject it with something and probably prepare a dipping sauce (and take it off 30 mins earlier or whatever the internal temp dictates). I believe the skin blocks the smoke so the meat isn't really any different from a roasted chicken.

Does anyone else have opinions on this?

Thanks,

James
 
im not sure beer or any liquid in the can makes any difference. As for smoke flavor, i find i have to be careful as i made a few birds that were way over smoked. What did you use for smoke wood? also if you raise the temp to 300-325 the skin texture will be alot better. I usually spritz the bird with oil for the last half hour.
 
I read something on here a while ago that really made sense about "debunking" the Beer Can Chicken concept. The fact is you never get the beer up to boiling so it really adds nothing to the cook other then a stand.

Cooking chicken "low and slow" really doesn't tickle my fancy. I really like crisp edible skin. Also the skin holds so much of the rub even if you put it under the skin that it's a shame to have to toss it away (like you do when you cook slow).

I would recommend cooking those chickens split in half "spatch-cock" at high heat. I add some larger chunks of apple wood so I still get a nice hint of smoke but I still get the skin I desire.

Also give the roadside chicken recipe a try.... just by some leg quarters and let them sit at least 6 hrs in the marinade.... you'll be hooked.

Glad to see another Ontarian.
 
I agree. I think the beer is pretty much just a stand but makes for a good name. I can't get my WSM past 250 at the best of times (with hot water in the pan). Maybe next time I'll try it dry and foiled with more lit coal and see if I can get it to 350.

Oh, and I was using Smikinlicious Sugar Maple chunks.

James
 
Just be very careful when running "dry"... as you will find it a lot different. For one, always do a "minion" type start. If you are dry then you have nothing to help moderate the heat. If the fire gets too hot you will fight like **** to get it down.

Just remember that the water acts as a cooling vessel in your smoker. Since it can only reach 212 is actually makes it harder for you to raise the cooker temp too far above. It's a great design for easy low and slow cooking, but it makes high heat very hard.

I can honestly say I have had my WSM well above 400 F so you shouldn't have any issue either. Flipping the door upside down and propping it is my personal choice for giving the coals the extra oxygen they need.
 
I agree on the beer can not being so great. I use empty cans to fit 6 in the WSM.

I am using about 4 small-fist sized chunks of pecan wood dry added on top of the lit minion. Nice smoke flavor but not too strong. I also rub chix with olive oil before the bbq rub and that helps make the skin a little crispier.

1/2 chickens work best for smoke and cooking time IMO and make it easy to serve them too.
 
Question then....how about filling the water pan with beer? Thatll boil for sure. But at the same time thats an awful big waste of beer
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I'm with Peter. That big pan on the 2009 WSM must hold close to a 12 pack of beer (1 Gallon?). I'd rather drink the beer and let my chickens lay flat
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Pretty sure my next Beer Can Chickens will be done on my old crappy propane grill at 375 with a few smoker bags tossed in. Let the smoker do smoker type work.

James
 
Try the whole bird laying breast down on the top rack of the WSM at 275-350! IMO it makes the breast meat more juicy and the skin is good!

I agree the can or anything in it does nothing for the flavor or tenderness, to get the contents hot enough to boil the bird would get burnt!
 
Glenn, I can't get my WSM past 250 on a good day using Minion and a full hot water pan. Haven't tried the empty pan yet. Doing an overnight brisket Friday night. Hopefully all goes well.
 
James, stick to what your comfortable with, esp with the brisky. I run dry, with a foiled pan and foil balls (LOL) also running the Guru. I disagree about the liquid but the easy test would be to put a 3/4 filled can on the same shelf and see how much evaporated. As far as smoke, like others have said be carefull I use a small amount of apple but burn Sugar Maple Lump from Basque ( out of Canada) awesome stuff. I never have a problem with skin 'cause i'm cooking at 325-350. HTH
 
James,

I cook my beer can chickens at 375 degrees for about an hour - crisspier skin and planty of smoke flavor. I also leave 1/2 the beer in each can, and my chickens are always a big hit.

Ray
 
I don't have great luck getting smoke flavor to penetrate poultry skin. I can taste a little mesquite but apple? Might as well just throw the wood away for the little flavor it gets.

I don't take chicken to the smoker anymore, it goes to the kettle. I put coal on both sides of the grill, chicken in in the middle (whole chicken cut in half or pieces), and then let it run at 350-425 until its done. Finish skin side down over coals. I get moist chicken, crisp skin, etc.

I've been experimenting with injections to get flavor into the chicken but it also isn't going the way I'd want. I find that with breasts I get a lot of "pockets" of injection instead of even distribution. I think if anything in the future I'll be brining and tucking spices under the skin.
 
About the liquid in the beer can of a beer can chicken.

If you want to test, on the next cook pour out and measure exactly how much beer is in the can at the start. Then measure at the end. Do NOT set a can beside the chicken and use this as a measurement as that can won't have the cold blanket of chicken to keep it cool.

Think of it this way. Water boils around 212F... what temp internal do you pull your chicken off at?? I'm betting much earlier than 212. So how would the can in the center of the bird get that much hotter to cause it to boil??
 
I get decent smoke flavor through the skin. I usually use apple and lump charcoal (type depending on my mood).

You don't exactly get a smoke ring like in beef, just a pinkish tint on the outside of the meat.

It's good when roasting to use the largest bird you can find.

One useful trick is to lift the skin off the breast and get some seasoning under the skin, directly onto the breast meat.

I cook with the beer can method but nothing in the can - it's just a convenient holder. There's no benefit to putting anything in it.

Sometimes I'll cook low and slow, sometimes hot, just depends on how I feel. With hot it's nice to use mesquite lump - the skin's excellent, especially if you rub it down with a lemon and some greek seasoning.

If I'm cooking hot sometimes I'll use the WSM and sometimes the kettle depending on what else is going on.
 
Actually the alcohol in beer (or other grain alcohols) boils at just over 170F, so technically the alcohol can boil off at cooking temps. The flavor addition though will be minimal and the moisture addition would be little, especially using a 4%-5% ABV beer that most people use. Actually better off pouring wine into an empty beer can for additional flavor and moisture.
 
Originally posted by James Harvey:

I can't get my WSM past 250 on a good day using Minion and a full hot water pan.

Get rid of the water (empty foiled pan), dump a fully lit full chimney on a 1/2 to 3/4 filled charcoal ring of unlit. Let that get going for a couple minutes and assemble the cooker. Open all vents 100% and you'll be over 250º in no time. To keep it at a high temp, you may need to prop the door open or offset the lid a little, but you'll get the temp up if you give it enough air.
 
When I was first introduced to beer can chicken several years ago, I was thoroughly impressed. I made it regularly. I have a little stand. It was a staple on the old CharBroil.

Once I got into smoking, I looked forward to smoking beer can chickens. My first attempt was too heavy on the smoke. Yuck! But as I learned to smoke, I quickly found myself moving away from beer can. Brining introduced me to how moist chicken could really be. It is my preferred method. My quick method is the rotisserie. And then there is Roadside Chicken. Yum! Beer can chicken just doesn't cut it for me anymore.
 
James, Use Guiness beer or Doctor Pepper if your looking for flavour from the can.
I use a mix of oak and hickory, there will be no smoke ring. Try basting your bird with vegtable oil before loading the rub(will help to crisp the skin)
I never use my WSM for beer can chicken, I use the grill offset heat 350-375. internal temp in the breast at 170. let rest for 20 min.
Dont forget to throw the carcas in a pot of boiling water for soup the whole house will smell great from the smoke wood.
cheers
 

 

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