Crispy chicken skin / and best beer can chicken

PoppasGrill · January 26

For some reason I cannot get skin on chicken to crisp up on the egg. Baked in the oven it’ll crisp up nice, but when I cook it indirect on the egg it usually turns a bit rubbery/ chewy.
Any suggestions?

Have done beer can chicken a few times. First time used Heineken, wasn’t bad. Second time used Miller Lite. Wasn’t as good.
Thinking of trying Guinness for a bit of sweetness, made Guinness stew a few weeks ago and it made the meat sweeter than just using broth.
Thoughts?

abpgwolf · January 26

I'd recommend try spatchcocking the chicken, instead of using the beer can. By removing the the back bone and pressing the chicken flat it cooks faster and more evenly. Try bumping the temps up to 350 or so for crispier skin. Also consider leaving the chicken uncovered in the fridge overnight before the cook. (the steam from the beer may have contributed to the chewy skin).

Grogu · January 26

Try raised direct. The directions in the BGE cookbook for beer can are raised direct 20 mins straight exposed then into a drip pan (I used a cast iron pan) to the finish. Seemed to work well for me. I got a little more crisp with maple rosemary rub than honey hog rub. Not sure if that’s actually the rub or other factors by chance. I’ve had good flavor out of pilsners, but they are local microbrews that are still flavorful pilsners not the more mild flavor mass produced beers(no offense to those who are miller lite lovers).

PoppasGrill · January 26

Grogu said:

Try raised direct. The directions in the BGE cookbook for beer can are raised direct 20 mins straight exposed then into a drip pan (I used a cast iron pan) to the finish. Seemed to work well for me. I got a little more crisp with maple rosemary rub than honey hog rub. Not sure if that’s actually the rub or other factors by chance. I’ve had good flavor out of pilsners, but they are local microbrews that are still flavorful pilsners not the more mild flavor mass produced beers(no offense to those who are miller lite lovers).

I don’t drink much, if I get a six pack there will still be 4 left in the fridge a few months later if I don’t use them in a recipe, which is the reason for asking my question. I’ll try different beers if I can get them in singles . The reason I made the Guinness stew was that I had 4 in the fridge from last time I made it.
I’ll try it raised direct this time , though with the chicken prices going up around here I don’t want to experiment too much.
abpgwolf said:

I'd recommend try spatchcocking the chicken, instead of using the beer can. By removing the the back bone and pressing the chicken flat it cooks faster and more evenly. Try bumping the temps up to 350 or so for crispier skin. Also consider leaving the chicken uncovered in the fridge overnight before the cook. (the steam from the beer may have contributed to the chewy skin).

Thanks, I’ll bump up the temps to see if that does it. Usually I run close to 300 indirect, be it legs and thighs or beer can .

fishlessman · January 26

put hot ginger ale in the can, add ginger sliced up and some crushed garlic to the can. drink most of the ginger ale first. more of an aromatic. beer doesnt really add much with this cook. dry brine the bird overnight in the fridge.

Money_Hillbilly · January 31

@PoppasGrill To get crisp skin you have to raise the temp. The beer is working against you adding too much moisture. As mentioned above try spatchcocking the chicken and drying out at least overnight in the fridge, apply neutral oil (vegetable, peanut, etc), apply rub, place on egg legs tfacing the back of the egg at 400-425 direct raised high in the dome. Pull when breast reaches 157-160. I promise it will be very moist with crisp skin.

danhoo · January 31

I use SS beer can roasters, half full of whatever I have. These hold the bird better than a beer can.

Raised indirect at 425 F and over the cook I'll let temp drift down to 375 or 350F. Most of the cook is above 400F

https://cameronsproducts.com/product/stainless-steel-beer-can-roaster/

nolaegghead · February 3

Kamados can low and slow at near 100% humidity. More heat is your friend with chicken skin. Spatchcock turns out crispy because it’s direct and hot. You have to over power the humidity. Or add a ton of sugar in the rub and let it caramelize.

briwald · February 3

Agree with all posters. Personal formula is allow the bird to sit for 24 hours open in the fridge, spatchcock and cook at 425 on a raised grid. Two other things that I think have improved my skin texture that you may want to try: season the bird with whatever rub your using two hours before cooking, not right before cooking. Second, I've started loosening the skin with my fingers. I started doing that to get some seasoning right on the meat, but I think pulling the skin away from the meat allows some heat to get between the meat and the skin, allowing the skin to stay dryer and crisp up better. Good luck.

fishlessman · February 3

You can low and slow duck at 230 dome direct and it crisps up great. Takes 5-6 hours. Cook two, better than chicken. Buy duck

dmourati · February 3

I haven't had a chance to try these tricks/techniques yet but he knows what he is talking about:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUcZqyGrWYw

Spatchcock
Salt+baking powder
pierce the fat

And plus 1 to those above who said leave it in the fridge.

Thatgrimguy · February 3

In addition to higher heats and spatchcocking, Try pouring boiling water on the skin before cooking. https://nypost.com/2022/02/27/a-chefs-cooking-hack-for-crispy-chicken-skin/

I've used this trick and it works well.

nolaegghead · February 4

Thatgrimguy said:

In addition to higher heats and spatchcocking, Try pouring boiling water on the skin before cooking. https://nypost.com/2022/02/27/a-chefs-cooking-hack-for-crispy-chicken-skin/

I've used this trick and it works well.

Never heard that trick before. Thanks!

Photo Egg · February 4

Biggest mistake in beer can chicken…most people start with a fairly full can of beer. You only need an inch or two of liquid. If you use more it will not get hot enough, fast enough to steam. You’re basically stopping the inside of the bird from cooking by sticking a 12oz beer up its butt.
Like others have stated above, spatchcock starting skin side down. Cook till skin renders and starts to look good then flip to finish.

rekameohs · February 4

Photo Egg said:

Biggest mistake in beer can chicken…most people start with a fairly full can of beer. You only need an inch or two of liquid. If you use more it will not get hot enough, fast enough to steam. You’re basically stopping the inside of the bird from cooking by sticking a 12oz beer up its butt.

I thought the whole thing with beer can chicken was debunked. Here's a review from the Naked Whiz
http://www.nakedwhiz.com/beercanchicken.htm

Jstroke · February 4

I never tried it. It didn’t seem to make sense. If I want meat to taste like beer, I braise it.

jtcBoynton · February 4

The beer used is very important. Beer can chicken starts by pouring the beer into a glass for the cook to drink. The Guinness will be better drinking than any light/lite beer! Never waste the beer by leaving it in the can.

nolaegghead · February 4

Make sure you keep the beer carbonated. You might have to exchange the flat stuff with fresh a few times. Very important to keeping crispy skin!!!

Grogu · February 4

rekameohs said:

Photo Egg said:

Biggest mistake in beer can chicken…most people start with a fairly full can of beer. You only need an inch or two of liquid. If you use more it will not get hot enough, fast enough to steam. You’re basically stopping the inside of the bird from cooking by sticking a 12oz beer up its butt.

I thought the whole thing with beer can chicken was debunked. Here's a review from the Naked Whiz
http://www.nakedwhiz.com/beercanchicken.htm

There’s a faulty base assumption that derails that “experiment.” The experiment is conducted on the premise that a liquid must boil to change the moisture content of the ambient air. Yes, the boiling point is where a liquid changes to steam, but liquids evaporate even at standard room temperature and evaporation increases with temperature. Think humid summer days, that’s moisture in the air and it’s not over 200 degrees in August

People stuff the cavities of roasting turkeys with fruits and vegetables with the same intent and that’s certainly not boiling either.

How much moisture will be the result? I don’t know. Is it enough to actually make a difference or not? Don’t know. Chicken is cheap enough people should probably try different ways and use what works for them, but a lot of times efforts to “scientifically debunk” a method of cooking aren’t actually very scientific.

briwald · February 4

I've done many-a beer can chicken. If you want to know how much flavor the beer imparts, just do two birds at once, one with something light like a hefeweizen, and one with something strong like a good porter or stout. I have done this "Pepsi Challenge," and you can taste quite a difference.

billyray · February 5

Love him or hate him, Meathead has put way more science into this subject than any of us will probably ever do.
https://amazingribs.com/bbq-techniques-and-science/beer-can-chicken/

Grogu · February 5

billyray said:

Love him or hate him, Meathead has put way more science into this subject than any of us will probably ever do.
https://amazingribs.com/bbq-techniques-and-science/beer-can-chicken/

He’s actually making the same incorrect base assumption as the naked whiz article. Just because you took measurements doesn’t make something scientific.

nolaegghead · February 5

Baby Yoda has a point, his type of practical experimentation on a macro level doesn't necessarily make it the scientific method, but Meathead has been at the forefront of debunking false assumptions.

Grogu · February 5

The issue is really that the base assumption is that boiling is required for the presence of a liquid to impact the moisture level of the air. The experiments then set forth to prove that the liquid doesn’t boil in his cooking conditions. It’s not that his experiments didn’t necessarily prove what he designed them to prove (the beer didn’t boil during his cook). It’s that he had an incorrect base understanding that boiling point was all that mattered, so what he proved didn’t prove the base claim of “no effect” because he had an understanding gap between cause and effect. A couple simple real world examples to help visualize why the boiling assumption is faulty: A steamy hot shower, a steamy cup of coffee, a hot humid summer day. All cases where boiling obviously isn’t happening, but air moisture is. Some on the actual science:

https://wonderopolis.org/wonder/why-is-hot-water-foggy

nolaegghead · February 6

I think the assumption that the beer can is somehow braising the inside of the chicken’s ass is behind the “boiling”. Braising is a reflux loop where boiling water condenses on relatively cool meat and the moisture largely cycles between liquid and gas states. So he is saying that doesn’t happen because the beer is not hot enough. A braise is a kind of heat pump where the heat is released through condensation.

SMITTYtheSMOKER · February 7

I don't use conveggtor, just get a pie pan size pan under beer can to catch drippings and run at 375. Gets more heat on the bird itself, and teands to crisp up skin.