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Author Topic: Beer Can Chicken  (Read 9344 times)

Offline bonjour

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Beer Can Chicken
« on: November 09, 2009, 05:26:07 am »
What exactly is Beer can chicken?  Can you do this to a turkey?
Fred Bonjour
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Everything under 1.100 is a 'session' beer ;)

Offline akr71

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Re: Beer Can Chicken
« Reply #1 on: November 09, 2009, 06:46:18 am »
What exactly is Beer can chicken?  Can you do this to a turkey?

Open the can of beer and set the chicken on the can.  Put it in the oven sitting upright.  The heat boils/evaporates the beer, essentially steaming the inside of the chicken with all that beery goodness.  You can buy a little rack to keep the whole thing upright, but a roasting pan should work fine.

I don't see why you couldn't do it with a turkey.  You may want to use a tallboy can or a can of Foster's  :-\
Andy

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Offline Pawtucket Patriot

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Re: Beer Can Chicken
« Reply #2 on: November 09, 2009, 06:47:38 am »
What exactly is Beer can chicken?  Can you do this to a turkey?

Click on the following link, Fred.  It's got a recipe and several photos.

http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/chicken2.html
Matt Schwandt | Minneapolis, MN
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Offline bonjour

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Re: Beer Can Chicken
« Reply #3 on: November 09, 2009, 06:55:29 am »
Click on the following link, Fred.  It's got a recipe and several photos.

http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/chicken2.html
I'm sorry,  I can't do that

(picture of 2 cans of Bud)
Quote
Wash 2 12-ounce beer cans with soapy water and rinse well. Open the cans and drink half the beer in each.


Now if that were a CRAFT beer, that would be different

Fred
« Last Edit: November 11, 2009, 11:31:04 am by bonjour »
Fred Bonjour
Co-Chair Mashing in Michigan 2014 AHA Conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan
AHA Governing Committee; AHA Conference, Club Support & Web Subcommittees



Everything under 1.100 is a 'session' beer ;)

Offline Pawtucket Patriot

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Re: Beer Can Chicken
« Reply #4 on: November 09, 2009, 07:49:40 am »
I'm fairly certain you could do it with craft beer too.  But only if it comes in a blue can, otherwise your efficiency will suffer.   ;)
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Offline denny

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Re: Beer Can Chicken
« Reply #5 on: November 09, 2009, 10:19:51 am »
I've done it with craft beer by either finding craft beer in a can or dumping out a can of cheap yellow fizzy stuff and refilling it with craft beer or homebrew.
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Offline bluesman

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Re: Beer Can Chicken
« Reply #6 on: November 09, 2009, 10:22:43 am »
If I was a gambling man...I would say you guys are trying to make a funny.  ;D
« Last Edit: November 11, 2009, 10:34:26 am by bluesman »
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Offline capozzoli

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Re: Beer Can Chicken
« Reply #7 on: November 09, 2009, 11:13:50 am »
I never understood this beer can chicken thing. Ive seen it done but I just dont get it. It does nothing to the chicken IMO.

Just roast the bird in some beer and bay leaf and you will get a much better effect.


If you want to cook a great turkey in much less time, and keep it juicy and tender. Split it up the center of the breast and splay it out in a roaster pan in such a way that the breast meat is under the wings and thighs. sprinkle on your herbs spices and beer, a few pats of butter then cover it with tin foil. Roast it till it reaches an internal temp of about 150 then remove the foil and cook it till the skin is golden brown and crispy. After you remove the foil baste it frequently.

Makes for a unique presentation too.
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Offline denny

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Re: Beer Can Chicken
« Reply #8 on: November 09, 2009, 11:58:13 am »
I think that when I do a chicken on the grill, the extra moisture from the beer can really helps.  I dunno, mebbe it's psychological.

And I agree that spatchcocking is a great method for turkey or chicken.  It's the key to a great Fra Diavala (sp?) chicken.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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Offline nicneufeld

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Re: Beer Can Chicken
« Reply #9 on: November 10, 2009, 03:17:30 pm »
I believe its psychological.  I read some interesting articles about tests done to see the effect.

It's a stand, basically.  The beer never reaches a boiling point and just gets nice and warm inside the bird.  If I can find the link about the tests I'll post.  One of the great modern myths of BBQ, and my experiments seem to push me in the direction of skepticism, but the more I read the more I think it is truly all in the mind.  Which isn't to say there aren't some very brilliant and respected "believers"....poor Steven Raichlen wrote a whole book on it, so he's a bit beholden to it, true or not!  :D


Offline denny

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Re: Beer Can Chicken
« Reply #10 on: November 10, 2009, 04:26:09 pm »
Very interesting, Nic!
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline nicneufeld

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Re: Beer Can Chicken
« Reply #11 on: November 10, 2009, 07:00:42 pm »
Here it is:

http://www.nakedwhiz.com/beercanchicken.htm

I can't say it's too far from my own experiences, personally.  Not that I've been as thorough as them in testing.

Offline tubercle

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Re: Beer Can Chicken
« Reply #12 on: November 10, 2009, 07:07:54 pm »
I've done this with mixed opinion. Also used apple and orange juice instead of beer.

I helps to plug the neck with an onion or tomato or something though.

If I've a whole chicken its going low and slow over pecan smoke ;)
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Offline Pawtucket Patriot

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Re: Beer Can Chicken
« Reply #13 on: November 11, 2009, 06:28:36 am »
tubercle,

What sort of flavor does pecan wood lend to your chicken?  I've heard that pecan is a relatively close approximation to pimento wood, which is the wood Jamaicans use to smoke jerk-style meats.  I know a guy who opened a caribbean BBQ just outside of the Twin Cities and he uses pimento wood imported from Jamaica.  Aside from finding a direct source (i.e., Jamaican supplier), the only pimento wood that I've found in the U.S. comes as chips, not chunks.
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Offline tubercle

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Re: Beer Can Chicken
« Reply #14 on: November 11, 2009, 09:07:23 am »
tubercle,

What sort of flavor does pecan wood lend to your chicken?  I've heard that pecan is a relatively close approximation to pimento wood, which is the wood Jamaicans use to smoke jerk-style meats.  I know a guy who opened a caribbean BBQ just outside of the Twin Cities and he uses pimento wood imported from Jamaica.  Aside from finding a direct source (i.e., Jamaican supplier), the only pimento wood that I've found in the U.S. comes as chips, not chunks.

 Pecan is in between hickory and mesquite best as I can describe. I've never tried pimento wood so I can't compare with it.
It's not as strong as hickory but mild like mesquite with out the sweetness. It's pretty much a staple wood in the south east for all kinds of smoking. They are everywhere around here. I've got six in my yard.

 Not only the wood works but the nut shells. I usually get 2 or 3 bushels of pecans from my trees every year so I have plenty shells. If it wasn't for the squirrels I'd have twice that much ::)
Sweet Caroline where the Sun rises over the deep blue sea and sets somewhere beyond Tennessee