Beer Can Chicken -- Next time I'll read the directions first.

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redclaymud

Meat Mopper
Original poster
Sep 7, 2011
277
16
Barnardsville, NC
I decided to give Beer Can Chicken a shot last night, made a bunch of mistakes and it still turned out juicy and tender. 

First picture is of the chicken after I had washed, mounted  and not so completely dried the birds.  I also didn’t use any oil, so the rub after applied showed a less than perfect application.

Lesson learned.  Dry the birds better next time and rub with oil before applying the old secret blend of herbs and spices.

e50e9a7a_BeerCanChicken1.jpg


The second and third pictures are of how I had the chickens positioned in the MasterBuilt smoker.  I had the meat on the far left side of the middle rack with a drip pan directly underneath.

426a0b85_BeerCanChicken2.jpg


c20da157_BeerCanChicken3.jpg


Next to the drip pan I had an A-Maze-N Pellet Smoker filled with cherry and a bit of hickory.   Below that I had a water pan with about a gallon of water, and then the heat source two trays down from the pellets.

Second mistake, never put your pellet smoker above the heat source.  My setup ignited every time I opened the door.  I’ll tell you what!   Along with huge spikes in temperature, I did get a great smoke. 

45b05981_BeerCanChicken5.jpg


And finally the money shot.  Nicely tanned and juicy.

I did a terrible job of carving, so I won’t show you that.  The chicken was just as juicy as promised and even the skin was delicious.  I had thought I put too much rub inside the birds but now I’m thinking there is no such thing as too much rub when these things self baste from the inside.  My son, a healthy food addict, was first to start grabbing at the leftover chicken skin on the platter.  For him to do that was the ultimate in compliments.

Happy smoking,

Ron Groetsema -- Barnardsville, NC
 
Looks good to me :drool
I like to mix butter and my rub and put it under the skin then more rub on outside of the skin
 
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When you do that, do you just do it to the top inside skin of the bird and let gravity flow it to the rest?  I couldn't figure out how to pull back enough skin to make a difference.    I'll tell you though, overloading the inside of the bird with rub was the best thing I did.  This was a bird worth picking the bones.

Now I'm wondering if I can do full turkeys this way.  I might need to get a couple turkey racks, just to give stability inside the smoker.  Maybe use a larger half can of beer. 
 
Looks good to me
drool.gif

I like to mix butter and my rub and put it under the skin then more rub on outside of the skin
 
Mistakes or no, they look pretty good to me.

It is a fun way to cook when your less than perfect efforts are still tasty.

To season under the skin, carefully insert your fingers between the skin and breast.  Idea is to lift the skin a little without tearing it.  Then slip seasonings under the skin as best you can.

Good luck and good smoking.
 
Looks like they turned out tasty and with the mistakes we learn how to make them taste better the next time.  Like Al said, the Fosters work great for turkey 
 
The Birds look great...I am always curious about, Secret blends of Herbs and Spices!...JJ
 
I've got two brothers that are very much into BBQ.  One has a restaurant in Fairbanks that Diners, Drive-ins & Dives and Ice Road Truckers made famous, and the other is currently in Vancouver Washington.  Both have won state championships along the west coast and as a family we have competed in the Jack twice and the Kansas City Royal once.  We tried competing Tryon NC and Kings Mountain NC but barely came in the money in either event, even with our brisket, which has beaten Texans for years.  I guess it's more of a local thing.

I also have a brother that competes in New Jersey.  Between the 4 of us, we create a lot of BBQ, but I'm the only one that has never competed under his own banner..  With that kind of thing I like to be the tester or a judge.

Anyway, the rub is not mine to reveal since it's still being used in competitions and at my brother's restaurant.    It's a blend conspired by one brother, shared with another, and grabbed my me for my own private use. 
The Birds look great...I am always curious about, Secret blends of Herbs and Spices!...JJ
 
When you do that, do you just do it to the top inside skin of the bird and let gravity flow it to the rest?  I couldn't figure out how to pull back enough skin to make a difference.    I'll tell you though, overloading the inside of the bird with rub was the best thing I did.  This was a bird worth picking the bones.


Now I'm wondering if I can do full turkeys this way.  I might need to get a couple turkey racks, just to give stability inside the smoker.  Maybe use a larger half can of beer. 

 

You can work your whole hand in under the skin and work fingers down in around the legs and thighs and separate the skin from the meat. As mentioned just take your time and don't tear the skin. Hold the skin out and poor a little EVOO down in and work it around and then hold skin out and poor rub down in and work that around... A set of extra hands help to sprinkle rub in while you hold skin back... If you tear the skin don't panic, just put back in place and hold there with toothpicks...
 
That's some good lookin' yardbirds, after reading your experience you probably have the necessary tool to do this.

To separate the skin without tearing it I use a wooden spoon, just run the concave side next to the bird, working from both ends I can reach the drumsticks and the thighs and around the wings, after that I use my meat injector with the closed or rounded end to inject my melted butter and spices, a little massaging moves them into all the tight places.

I hope that helps some,

Gene
 
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