Beer can chicken help


 
R

russell swift

TVWBB Super Fan
Looking for tips for indirect grilling 2 beer can chickens in a Weber 22.5" kettle. The last time we cooked fryers I could not close the top of the grill b/c of the height of the birds. Each bird was @ 4lbs and I used 16oz cans of Bud to keep the birds upright. I would prefer cooking the birds on the cool half of the grill, but based on the slope of the top that is not conceivable. Even in the middle it was very tight closing the lid. I ended up removing the top grate, dividing the bottom grate with two fire bricks to contain the direct heat, and cooking the birds in the back corner. They came out ok, but there has to be an easier technique?
 
Are you sold on doing it "beer can" style? If not, you may want to try your whole chickens spatchcocked over direct heat. I do both and find spatchcocking to be faster and more tender.
 
You can still do beer can style if you puncture the cans on their sides (leave top sealed), use about 1/3 can of liquid, and slide them into the birds that way. The birds can lay on their backs but you may want to make a couple holes along-side the backbone for grease to drip out into the drip pan. Cutting out the pope's nose will help with drainage too.
Good luck, I hope it works out for you this way.
 
Russell, take out ur cooking grate and just cook the birds on the charcoal grate, set a heavy duty foil tray in the center of the charcoal grate and stand the birds inside the tray, bank coals on each side of the foil tray and start cooking.
 
As already mentioned, spatchcocked is a great way to go...

Simple, and you can do it indirect, and get two birds done at once.

I do it this way:

1. Light a pretty hot fire (I use lump or Stubbs) on one half of the kettle, throw a few wood chips if you want some smoke.

2. Leave all the vents wide open so you are getting a fire of around 500-550 degrees with lump.

3. Put your seasoned and spatchecocked/butterflied chickens on the indirect side, skin down.

4. Cover and and check on your birds in about 45 minutes.

5. The chicken will be done by this time, but if you want a crispier skin move the birds over the direct flame for about 30 seconds and no more than a minute or so.

6. I add bbq sauce to the bird at this stage if I am going to do it, and pull the bird and let it rest.

This technique gives you good skin, doneness, and smokey flavor, all without a lot of work. And you can do two chickens at once.

Lot easier, neater than beer can chicken and dealing with that hot can and liquid. Good luck with it...
 
use 12oz cans instead of tallboys. That will make the birds shorter and allow the lid to close. I have done 2 birds this way a number of times on my 22.5 OTG. Use charcoal holders on both sides and cook the birds in the middle for the added height.
 
I find beercan chicken to be gimmicky with little benefit. I prefer to cut my chix in half, get a good hot fire 500 or so and cook indirect for about one hour. I season under the skin with s/p, garlic pepper, thyme and baste while cooking with:

# 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
# 1/2 cup Heinz apple cider vinegar
# 3 tablespoons salt
# 2 tablespoons garlic salt or 4 garlic cloves, chopped
# 1 onion, chopped fine
# 1/2 cup butter
# 1 cup water


Very tasty and crispy skin everytime.
icon_wink.gif
 
I don't use beer. Instead, I use chicken broth, a few crushed garlic cloves and a couple slices of red onion. Then I put my favorite rub on the chicken and invert over the cans.

I also use a can holder I picked up at my local Ace Hardware for like $3 each.

If I use my kettle, I do what was mentioned above and set the chickens inside an aluminum pan (disposable type).

I have done this for years on my gas grill and a couple times in the WSM.

Most of the time I just butterfly the chicken and rub generously and grill indirect for 45min-1 hour.
 
I'm with Jeff and Bill. Beer can is a fun visual for parties etc (did 6 of them in the WSM). I like to smoke 1/2 chickens because they take the rub and cook faster but suck up plenty of smoke. Easier to arrange the half chickens on the indirect side of the kettle rather than spatchcock. Spatchcock is tasty but you have to pay attention since it is cooked direct so if you don't have time to keep an eye on it then smoking at 375 is easy.

The pan with veggies underneath is great because the veggies will be basted by the chix drippings and you rub. Yumm.
 
Russell,go with a standard 12 ounce can of beer,don't use the can "holders" and it will fit on any of the one touch grills. HTH
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top