Beer Can Chicken and Ribs- OK cook together ?


 
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Dave P

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Howdy!
Getting ready to try my WSM for the second time (did Cardog's salmon first time - my wife still raves about it!!).... I'm going to violate my 7lb Purdue chicken with a can of my beer and see what happens /infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif . I was thinking of adding some baby back ribs on the bottom grate but am not sure if the dripping fat off the chicken(top grate)would be a health concern /infopop/emoticons/icon_confused.gif .I was thinking of putting foil under the chicken to catch the drippings but wasn't sure if that would cause a problem with the smoking process. Any toughts out there?

p.s. I LOVE this web site.....it's SMOKIN'!!!

What time is it??? ....it's Beer-thirty!
 
I would switch the two around. Run the ribs on the top rack and the chicken on the bottom rack. The ribs might give a nice basting to the chicken as well. Could as some extra flavor. But yes I would be concerned about chicken drippings on the ribs. It could contaminate them.
 
Dennis,

Thanks for the tip. Another couple of questions if you don't mind... what type of wood would you suggest that would compliment the two, I have hickory,oak,cherry and apple. Also water or sand in the bowl? The water vs sand thing is confusing to me. Thanks again!!!
 
I use apple. But seeing as you have cherry go ahead and use that. I've never used it but everyone seems to rave about it. Ecspecially with poultry.
As far as sand or water. I use water. Mainly cause I have'nt gotten the sand yet. With a short cook like your going to do water should be fine. The whole point of sand or water is for temp control. The sand will do the same as water only you don't have to refill on longer cooks. If you do use sand in the pan. Make sure you cover the top of the pan with foil. And make sure you leave a decent dip in it to allow the juiced to be caught.

Hope this helps.

BTW you got me craving beer can chicken now too /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif
 
I agree with Dennis. One of my standard cooks is two chickens on the bottom and a mess of ribs on top.

I foil the pan before I put water in it. Helps clean up.

Pork Eat World
 
spatchcock.jpg
The problem is the beer can chicken will not fit on the lower rack. The solution is use a brine Marinade on a spineless chicken and cook it flat, skin up to start and then skin down. 7 lbs is more a small turkey /infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif Give it time. We call Pork fat dripped chicken "Chorken" /infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif It tastes very good.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Konrad Haskins:
[qb]
spatchcock.jpg
The problem is the beer can chicken will not fit on the lower rack. The solution is use a brine Marinade on a spineless chicken and cook it flat, skin up to start and then skin down. 7 lbs is more a small turkey /infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif Give it time. We call Pork fat dripped chicken "Chorken" /infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif It tastes very good. [/qb] <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Yeah I did'nt even think of that. There's now way a beer can chicken would fit standing up on the bottom rack.
I'm doing some country style ribs today. I was actually thinking of picking up a roasting chicken and doing that as well. I guess I could just do it on the big weber. I actuall like my chicken cooked at a higher temp anyway. And I don't have time to brine now.
 
If you haven't gotten the chicken already home, you can ask the butcher at the grocery store to butterfly it for you. They usually do it for free.

Keep on smokin'

DWL
 
It's always a bit of a Catch-22. You don't want chicken dripping on other meats, but other meats dripping on chicken makes for greasy, rubbery chicken skin.

Under the circumstances, I would do the beer can chicken on the top rack and put the BBs in a rack next to it if you have a rack that will fit. If not, skewer both BBs parallel-fashion so they will hold eachother up but not touch.
 
Thanks to all that have replied. For the amount of people I'm having over tomorrow, I need to cook 2 chickens (6.25 & 6.75 lbs) and the BB ribs. It sounds like I will have to forgo the beer can chicken (one more beer for me /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif )and put the 2 chickens on the bottom and the ribs on top. The chickens may be a tight fit...I may have to tie each one up with butcher string to keep them from spreading out and thus not fitting on the rack. If the skin gets a little rubbery from the rib drippings, not a big deal to me... I don't eat the chicken skin (unless I sprinkle some of my Lipitor on it first ;&gt/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif.
Do you think this approach will work?
Thanks!
 
Actually, I have gotten two 3+ pound chickens on the bottom and ribs on top with no problem. I also used the beer can recipe. I don't think a 7 pounder would stand upright on the bottom rack.
Good luck on your meal tomorrow!
 
Dave,
If you have a kettle, use it for the chickens. I cooked 4 halves today after brining for 12 hours. Used Maple Leaf briquettes with wild cherry wood. I cooked them to 165 indirect, put them in a pan with Sweet Baby Ray's thinned with apple juice until they hit 180, which was done. Put them on directly over the coals until nearly black ( doesn't take long, be careful, one got really black). Was delicious, best chicken I've ever cooked. Dome temp in the kettle averaged about 330 with bottom vents completely closed and top open.

Smokin' Jim in NC
 
dont forget if you like beer can chicken...... you can raise the height of the top grate using many mods!!!!!

Let your imagine take over
 
I had country style ribs today and beer can chicken. The chicken was awesome. I did the country style ribs on the WSM and the chicken on the Weber Kettle. The chicken was only a 4.5lb bird. I just filled half the cooking grate with lit coals, opened all vents and let it rip. It was done in an hour and a half. And that was cooked to 190f internal breast temp. Was tender and very moist.
 
My results from yesterdays rib fest (held off on the chicken)....everyone said it was some of the best ribs they've had in a long time /infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif . I used Lord Byrons Butt Rub and let the ribs "marinate" 3 hours. I used the "Standard Method" for the coals and used Apple and Cherry wood. I put water in the pan and let the WSM alone for about 1 hour...temp at the dome settled in at 240 (which what I was looking for..240 top, 225 bottom). I loaded up both racks and tracked time/temps in the cooker log. My temperature fluctuations this time was alot less than last time...it's definately a learning curve. At the 3 hour mark I turned the ribs and swapped grate positions. At the 5 hour mark I basted the ribs with Sweet Baby Rays Honey BBQ Sauce. 45 min later they looked done but there wasn't much of the meat recessing back from the bone as I expected so I tried one...seemed done to me.
The ribs were tender but not fall off the bone tender. Taste was excellent! The next Time I do ribs, I'm goint to try the BRITU recipie to see if that process produces a more tender rib then I will next try foiling the ribs for the 4th and 5th hours to see what that does.

Thanks to all that responded /infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif ... I helped me out greatly!

Next cook will be a beer can chicken. Dan, thanks for the picture of the finished product..I showed it to my wife..said it looks like it should be against the law! I almost wet myself laughing!!
 
The rub will not make the ribs fall off the bone. Foil will, cooking past done will if the is enough meat and fat, vinegar will and so will MSG. If you want falling off the bone without foil, prepare to do a lot of basting if you want a moist product.
Try 3-2-1
3 Hours Smoke,
2 Hours Foil
1 hour smoke and sauce once or twice in the final half hour
Adust based on experience
HTH,
 
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