beer can chicken help

Unknown

I tried this out last weekend the meat was tender but the skin was almost rubbery. In my med. egg I placed the platesetter in with it's legs up, placed the following on the platesetter ( didn't use grill) an aluminum pan with 1" of beer then a cooling rack to which the chicken sitter was placed on. The chicken sitter was also filled with beer. Cooked at 350 for aprox. 1.5 hours. Would like to have a crispy crust.

BigAL

tj,
My method....beer can 1/2 full directly on grill approx 15 min per lb of chicken at 350...I think the indirect and the short cook time was the problem....

Clay Q

tj,
Try this setup; grid(grill), aluminum pan without liquid to catch grease with chicken sitter in pan, dome 400. No platesetter. [p]Dry the skin on the bird with paper toweling. Rub with Dizzy Pig Raging River seasoning and place bird on sitter. Ok to have beer in sitter cup. Most of the crispy skin will develop on wings and top around the neck. Cook untill 175-180 internal. Good luck!
Clay

KevinH

I like Clay's method in general, except I use 350 degrees dome and rub the skin with olive oil between drying and rubbing with spices. It takes a litte longer at 350, but the bird still won't dry out and you can get more even crisping of the skin.[p]You could use any oil, but I prefer the taste of olive. The oil helps the seasoning stick and definitely helps crisp the skin. You really need the skin to be dry, too. Some people wash and dry the bird, then put it on a plate in the fridge uncovered for an hour or two to encourage the moisture to evaporate. After that, continue as normal.[p]Also, make sure to preheat the egg well before beginning the cook. The heat radiating down from the dome is at least as important as the heat rising from the firebox.

KevinH

I almost forgot:[p]Be sure to gently separate the chicken skin from the meat. It really makes a big difference in how crispy the skin will get. Just lift up the edges of the skin around the neck and push your hand in between the skin and the breast meat. You can do the same thing around the thighs and legs.[p]It's not a bad idea to rub some of the seasoning in between the skin and meat while you are at it.

JSlot

350° direct with no drip pan. The beer you put in the drip pan probably steamed the skin and greatly reduced the chances of crisping up your skin.[p]Jim

Unknown

Many thanks for the replies. I might try it again this weekend.