AMAZING!!!!!

Gloria

We just finished eating our very first Beer Butt Chicken and it was AMAZING! Thanks to everyone who posted information on this method of cooking chicken on the Egg. It was falling off the bone, MOIST, wonderful. And to think how many you can cook at one time, as compared to the spatch-cocking method, which is great also. I have to admit that our twin granddaughters heard me telling our daughter about it and one of them said "Can WE say that?" They are not allowed to say the "B" word just yet. So I guess we will have to call it the Beer Hiney Chicken. Thank you, thank you, thank you all you great contributors to this Forum. Oh, BTW, how do ya'll get the beer can out of the chicken? That was a tiny problem, but no matter, it was worth any kind of problem. If any of you have not tried this, DO IT RIGHT AWAY.

The Naked Whiz

Gloria,
I'm going to try it this weekend as a high-volume alternative to spatchcocking. What temp/time/setup did you use? And how does one cut the top off of a can of beer?[p]TNW

Unknown

Gloria,
What is this recipe "Beer Butt Chicken"? Would you be so kind as to share it with me?[p]Thanks

Mark G

The Naked Whiz,[p]You don't have to cut the top off the can, just empty about 1/3 of it and add some of your favorite spices, some worcheshire sauce or wine and cook away. I do mine at 350° until done on a raised grid. I got a fancy clay container that looks like a can that cones at the bottom that give the bird a place to sit and aids in removal. I can send you a pic if you want but I can't remember where I got it other than it was a link from this forum. would be similar to this but solid.[p]http://www.barbecue-store.com/chickcan.htm[p]Mark G

Unknown

The Naked Whiz,
There is also a recipe for it in the smoke & spice cookbook
calls for 200-225 (slower & lower) I just stick a probe in it and take em out at about 165 internal. They are just as Gloria described. I like to pay a little more & get a young "Redbird" brand chiken about 3-4 lbs, I think it is worth the difference. You can fit several on. I do mine with the grill on top of the upside down platesetter.

GaDawg

Gloria,
I think that "Beer Hiney Chicken" is my new favorite
term.
Chuck

Dave's Not Here

Gloria,
It sounds wonderful. I'm a big fan of spatching, but this is now on the menu for this weekend. Guess I'll have to call PETA to find a place that sells beer approved chickens.

Mikey

Mark G,
I have a couple of the Willie Chicken Sitters that sound like what you've got. I actually got them from the same store you posted.[p]http://www.barbecue-store.com/sitters.htm[p]I like them a lot and used them just last weekend to do a couple of birds at once. Plenty of room on the grill and they came out great.[p]Mike

Gloria

The Naked Whiz,
I just cut the top of the Coke can off with a hand can opener then poured the beer into the Coke can. I am definitely going to buy some canned beer tomorrow!

Porkchop

TNW, you can use a regular old can opener. also, i always cover the can in foil, just b/c i'm paranoid about the paint on the can. i have also used mason jars. as long as they are heat-tempered, they won't shatter at 220-225 range.

Gloria

Mark G,
I agree; it is not necessary to cut the top of the can off; don't know why I did. And we have the upright thingy that you cook a chicken on but I am going to give it to a friend. Why have something sitting around taking up space when you can use an aluminum can and then trash it or recycle it? And there is no provision for the beer and herbs/seasonings and I do think that the beer added to the flavor and moistness of the bird. Of course, the Coke liquid would have probably been good to use as well, but hey, the half of the beer was pretty tasty! And that little 'ol bird looked so cute just settin' there on the Egg.

Mark G

Gloria,[p]I thought there was no need for the chicken sitter(I found the info) at first as well. The chicken does look cute just sitting there on its "can". What is not cute is the first time that things tips over, and it happens quite easily. That's when I got the Willy Chicken Sitter. It is great and well worth the money and storage space. It's also very easy to mix up your own concoction in there.[p]Mark

[ul][li]Willy Chicken Sitter[/ul]

Unknown

If you like this technique, I'd highly recommend picking up Steve Raichlen's Beer Can Chicken cookbook. There are about 75 recipes in it using this technique (including using a large Foster's can for turkey). The nice thing about the recipes is that all of them use the portion of liquid dumped out of the can in a recipe for a sauce to go along with it. The lemonade chicken alone is worth the price of the book.[p]Scott

Hooch

Mark G,
What are the sitters made of? From the picture on their site they may be ceramic? Just wondering...

BlueSmoke

Gloria,
"How do you get the beer can out?" Verrrrrry carefully! :-))
It's easier if you haven't cut the top off. I hold the bird over the sink and grab the can with a gloved hand. You may need to loosen it with pliers first.
I like Beer Hiney Chicken, too, but there are lots of alternate names - Chicken on a Throne comes to mind.
Try the same technique with single-serving juice cans and Cornish Game Hens.
Ken

Gretl

Gloria,
I have a metal framework "chicken sitter" which looks like a little Eiffel Tower. The base is too small to fit over a beer can, so I use a small can from either tomato paste or pineapple juice, minus the label. I fill it with beer and place the whole shebang on a pie pan to catch the juices. I'm able to recycle the cans; they run through the dishwasher. Anyway, just a suggestion that you might try before you donate your "upright thingy" to a yard sale.
Cheers,
Gretl

Gloria

Scott Franz,
Thanks for the tip; without thinking I tipped the chicken over the kitchen sink thinking I would just pour out the liquid remaining in the can and I discovered that I had wasted some good broth.....won't do that again and I will pick up a copy of the book.

Gloria

BlueSmoke,
Chicken on a Throne sounds great; now what do I call Atomic Buffalo Turds to the Granddaughters? Atomic Buffalo Stinkies just doesn't do them justice does it?

The Naked Whiz

The Naked Whiz,
I'm laughing now. Shows you how sometimes one's mind can get into a way of thinking and won't go "outside the can". I was thinking of tin snips to cut the whole damn top off. Hmmm, can? Can OPENER? DOH!! Next thing you know, I'll be asking stuff like "I want to do two. Do I drink the whole first can and pour half of the second can into the first can, or do I drink half of the first can and half of the second can? What about three? Or four?"[p]Thanks all....
TNW

The Naked Whiz

Gloria,
I'd probably go for "Beer Bottom Chicken".
TNW

PuppyBreath

Hi Gloria,
oil the can before insertion... makes ALLLL the difference...
Pup

JSlot

Hooch,[p]They are ceramic. I have 2 and they've lasted 4 years, although one arrived with a hairline crack in it. It works fine anyway. All this talk about BBC has made me hungry. I'm off to get a couple chickens..............[p]Jim

BlueSmoke

Gloria,
NOW you're asking the Really Hard Question... (Actually I dislike the term "Atomic Buffalo Turd" as much as "spatchcocked".) Unfortunately, the only alternate I know is what they are: cheese-stuffed jalapenos.
Ken

El Jefe

Gloria,
Try inserting a metal skewer down the hole where the neck was all the way down to the bottom of the can. Have someone else pull the chicken up with two forks while you push down.

El Jefe

BTW, we call them Drunk Chickens.

IQ

PuppyBreath,
I have always called this Can Chicken & have been cooking it this way for years... [p]Never did I think of oiling the can, Thanks[p]Lewis[p]

BluesnBBQ

"we call them Drunk Chickens"[p]Drunk from an enema?

Wise One

Gloria, call it 'Beer Bottom Chicken'. that way you get to keep that "B" alliteration.

Unknown

Gloria, As someone may have mentioned in an earlier post, BBQ author/celebrity, Steve Raichlen refers to the recipe as beer CAN chicken. I will never forget the first time I assembled these things. My kids busted out laughing and wondered if the old man had finally lost it![p]I am not a big fan of BBQed/smoked chicken. Twenty years ago, I got food poisoning from grilled chicken and I still don't have much of a taste for it. When I cook beer can chicken, I don't cook it to be served immediately either. I save the meat for other recipes.[p]As for my technique for this method of cooking chicken, I cook at a higher temperature range between 275ºF-325ºF using either cherry or pecan for smoke. I could careless about maintaining a constant temperature as the birds will be done when they are done. I don't even use a thermometer to check them. As long as the juices are running clear and you can easily "shake hands" with the leg, the bird is done. (The leg will move easily when you wiggle it.) However, if you want to check the birds with a thermometer by all means do so.[p]I am an old tightwad and I don't like to waste anything. After I am done marinating boneless/skinless breasts that I grill, I freeze the leftover marinade to use a future time for beer can chicken. I don't use beer in the can as I hate abusing alcohol like this. I also don't like the taste of beer on the chicken. I will use the leftover marinades I have on hand in the lidless beer can. If I have no leftover marinade on hand, I will use a combination apple and lemon juice and Italian dressing or any other liquid I have on hand EXCEPT beer.[p]I use whatever rub I happen to have on the skin. I don't worry about a crispy skin and this reason will be explained later. I do no basting during the cook and when the chicken is done, I simply place it on a serving tray to cool enough where it can easily be handled. Once the birds are cooled then I remove the cans and discard the liquid inside the cans.[p]My method of carving the bird is contrary to most conventional methods too. I remove all the skin and throw this in a pot. The breast meat is then fileted from the carcass and kept whole. If I am freezing the breast meat, I feel the hold better if they are left whole. I use the white meat for soups, casseroles and quesadillas. I debone the dark meat and throw the bones in the pot with the skin. The dark meat is used in soup and casserole recipes too. [p]I make stock out of the skin and bones. I just add water to the pot and boil for an hour or so. I use no vegetables in this stock as I have found the veggies will overpower the smoke taste I am after. Once I am done boiling the stock, I strain it, let it cool and refrigerate it. Then next day, I will remove the top gelatenous layer (if there is any) and then measure out two cup amounts for freezing. The stock works good for soup and for boiling rice. [p]I hope some of this information is helpful.[p]Lager,[p]Juggy D Beerman[p]

Nature Boy

Awesome post, Juggy. Thanks for it!
Chris

Unknown

You are more than welcome, Chris. Thanks for the kind words regarding my unconventional techniques. [p]I bet know what it was in my post that caught your attention. It was my line, "I don't use beer in the can as I hate abusing alcohol like this." :-)[p]Lager dude,[p]JDB