New Adjustable Rig: Vertical chicken?

Mayberry

I just got a new AR yesterday with the extender. I did a spatchcock chicken last night, but the wife wants a beer can chicken tonight. What leven on the AR would be best to get the skin crispy, but not burned? Direct or indirect?

jhl192

Indirect at the felt level. Drip pan, 350-400 degrees. Cooking a vertical chicken direct is not easy.

tjv

for direct go as high as you can with the vertical roaster.  probably middle rig notches with a grid under it. 

if you want to go indirect and have the oval stone, can try oval stone on the lower notches of the rig and oval grid on the middle notches. then set the vertical roaster on the grid with a section of the bird hanging over the flat side of the oval stone. rotate the bird out over the stone as needed during the cook.   quasi direct and indirect cook for the bird. 

most folks find spatchcock birds the best in ceramic cookers.  I do 'em on the rig extender, high in the dome.  

t  

Mayberry

I like both spatchcock and vertical, and do both quite often. but, in my experience, wild it takes a little longer to cook, I've had better and more consistent results with the vertical roaster, both in juiciness and in skin texture. Tonight was one of the best chickens I've ever cooked. I couldn't use the top of the adjustable rig, and had to lower the grate one level so the birds were rubbing the dome. But with the skin being right up next to the dome surface and turning the birds every 20 minutes or so, they turned out great.
And to those that have suggested the Trader Joes coffee and garlic rub, thank you. Grabbed some today and it was delicious. honestly, one of the better rubs I've ever used, and that's including all of Dizzy Pig's rubs. Very surprising at $2 per canister.