5.5Lb beer can chicken.

snake701uk

Hi Guys,
Tommorrow night I have to cook beer can chicken for around 12 18 year olds. We normaly do normal sized beer can chicken, but the butcher has gien me 2, 5.5Lb lovely birds. Any body help me with cooking times and temps. I have not got a good thermometer that I can trust. They all seem one worse than the other.
Thanks in advance, a bit worried here with young ones involved.
Using large BGE.
Andy

PhilsGrill

You're not going to cook with time and temp. Cook until breast is 160, thighs 180. You need a good thermometer. Time to head to the store.

snake701uk

Thanks,
I live in Italy. As such it is not easy to find a good thermometer. Or many other things for that matter for the BGE. The ones I have bought have been real bad. Next time I am in US I will certainly buy the best I can find. If anybody has any surgestions please let me know.
TA. I will use good cooking sense.

Little Chef

Andy: A good thermometer is a must! A trip to Wally World or Target will get you set up. Get a probe thermometer (I have used Taylor, and Pyrex brands with great success) They cost around $15 or less. Don't fly blind...get a good thermometer, especially when dealing with poultry. Internal temp of 165* is required.
As an idea for the cook, you can also spatchcock the birds. Two will fit on a large grid easily.

Little Chef

snake...Just read you are in Italy. Guess the suggestion for Wally World or Target isn't going to help you any... :blink: Perhaps you might contact Thermoworks via the net...I bet they would be willing to ship Internationally. They have the BEST customer service, and their thermapen is the bomb...here is a link to them.

http://www.thermoworks.com/

Wish you the best!

snake701uk

Thanks,
When in USA I will. But here in Italy they are all toys. They don't work.
If it was my beer mates and me I would not be worried (our problem), but a spatchcock solution could be great for the teenagers. I will see what I can find tom.
TA Andy

snake701uk

Thanks again,
I will make sure all is ok for the younger ones and sort myself out for "next time". If it was a 3.5 or 4Lb bird I would not be worried. But 5.5Lbs is big, but they look great. They are about to be chopped. LOL. I will sleep better.
Take care.
Andy

nlsteve

Thermometers are great, but the old fashioned way to cook a chicken still works just fine. Cook it until the juices run clear from the thickest part of the thigh (not right next to the bone). I am thinking about 90 minutes at 375, or a little more.

While the merest trace of pink flesh is allowed according to many modern chefs, any red flesh or juice is strictly verboten. The bird should rest a bit before carving.

My impression is that cooking the chicken vertically on a hollow stand may help cook from the inside a bit better than cooking a bird on its back, but I got no science behind that. Spatchcocking will make it go faster.

snake701uk

Thanks very much. I will let you know how it goes.
Andy.

deepsouth

andy..... what part of italy are you in? my family is in the marche region.

snake701uk

Hi,
I am in the province of Alessandria in the north.
Last night went well. the BGE was good for 5Lbs of various shrimp. I could not get the BGE back up to decent temp, so just left it longer. A good few bottles of wine passed the time, young ones in moderation. Was perfect at average 350F for 2 hours.
Thanks for all your help guys.
Next buy is a good thermometer!
Andy