My first attempt at beer chicken

[General of Darkness]

The chicken looks drunk

http://img828.imageshack.us/img828/1681/beerchicken.jpg

[Dogman]

The chicken looks drunk

http://img828.imageshack.us/img828/1681/beerchicken.jpg


I smoke my "Drunk" chickens with an oak fire in my smoker. They come out so good you]
want to eat the bones also. ;D

[MNeagle]

Where's the can of beer? I hope that's an empty or at least open can!

[Dogman]

Not sure how others do it , But marinade the chicken over night, take a can of beer and drink half of
it and cram the half full can up chicken, so it can set up on grill. It takes abt 2-3 hrs on my wood smoker.
The time depends on how hot the fire is. I like 250 deg . On mine the most at one time was 9 birds, took
abt 3-4 hrs total. Running a hotter fire.

Have also smoked turkeys, doing the same but using a big ranch style beans can, with one can of beer in it
and they take 3-4 hours. On both the chicken and turkey all of the fat cooks out of the skin and the skin
becomes paper thin.

Good eating!

[Libertytree]

General, did you cap it with an onion? It helps it retain the moisture.

[General of Darkness]

General, did you cap it with an onion? It helps it retain the moisture.


No one told me too. Me sad now. :boohoo

And MNeagle, the can is a used chili can I put beer into. Seems to be working so far.

[MNeagle]

good news, didn't want to hear about an exploding/flying chicken there!!

[General of Darkness]

At forty minutes. I'm thinking 75 minutes should be about right since the lowest the grill will go is 360 degrees.

http://img714.imageshack.us/img714/6466/beerchicken40minutes.jpg

[Dogman]

At forty minutes. I'm thinking 75 minutes should be about right since the lowest the grill will go is 360 degrees.

http://img714.imageshack.us/img714/6466/beerchicken40minutes.jpg


for best results think slow as you can go.

Edit: And do not place it directly over coals. Plus rotate it once and awhile.

[Libertytree]

You can to "cap" it with anything if you don't have an onion...taters work ok. It's not too late to cap it.

[General of Darkness]

Damn thing broke apart like butter.

http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/9748/beerchicken75minutes.jpg

[Libertytree]

Sweeet! That's my favorite way to fix chicken and has been a staple for many years. Wait till you try it on a smoker grill and get some fruit wood to infuse into it, you'll be a beer-butt chicken addict.

[Dogman]

Try pecan if you can get it.

[bellevuebully]

Not sure how others do it , But marinade the chicken over night, take a can of beer and drink half of
it and cram the half full can up chicken, so it can set up on grill. It takes abt 2-3 hrs on my wood smoker.
The time depends on how hot the fire is. I like 250 deg . On mine the most at one time was 9 birds, took
abt 3-4 hrs total. Running a hotter fire.

Have also smoked turkeys, doing the same but using a big ranch style beans can, with one can of beer in it
and they take 3-4 hours. On both the chicken and turkey all of the fat cooks out of the skin and the skin
becomes paper thin.

Good eating!


Nice. I've never done one of these so forgive my ignorance. A few q's for the pros out there.......So, the chicken goes into the smoker fully uncooked with full beer can penetration ;D and you run the smoker at ~250 f? Is the beer supposed to steam the inside of the chicken? How close do you set the can to the heat source?

The smoker I use is an old heating oven out of the nickle mines. The 220v element was ripped out and I just use a $20 hotplate with a cast iron pan full of chips. With this arrangement I can get about 160f. I could add another hotplate for temp control if need be, but likely I can just cook longer, but I was wondering if the beer bath would be effective at those lower temps. What do you think?

I had smoked salmon this morning (done last week). Smoked salmon on Rye Vita hard tack with melted havardi cheese and some ice cold beer......perfect breaky after a nightshift.

[Dogman]

Not sure how others do it , But marinade the chicken over night, take a can of beer and drink half of
it and cram the half full can up chicken, so it can set up on grill. It takes abt 2-3 hrs on my wood smoker.
The time depends on how hot the fire is. I like 250 deg . On mine the most at one time was 9 birds, took
abt 3-4 hrs total. Running a hotter fire.

Have also smoked turkeys, doing the same but using a big ranch style beans can, with one can of beer in it
and they take 3-4 hours. On both the chicken and turkey all of the fat cooks out of the skin and the skin
becomes paper thin.

Good eating!


Nice. I've never done one of these so forgive my ignorance. A few q's for the pros out there.......So, the chicken goes into the smoker fully uncooked with full beer can penetration ;D and you run the smoker at ~250 f? Is the beer supposed to steam the inside of the chicken? How close do you set the can to the heat source?

The smoker I use is an old heating oven out of the nickle mines. The 220v element was ripped out and I just use a $20 hotplate with a cast iron pan full of chips. With this arrangement I can get about 160f. I could add another hotplate for temp control if need be, but likely I can just cook longer, but I was wondering if the beer bath would be effective at those lower temps. What do you think?

I had smoked salmon this morning (done last week). Smoked salmon on Rye Vita hard tack with melted havardi cheese and some ice cold beer......perfect breaky after a nightshift.


My smoker is home made and was built out of 1/4" plate and burns wood. The temp gage that I use is from an old oil field thermometer that may or not be accurate. If you saw it you would understand! Out of all of the chickens and turkeys that have been smoked the cans always have liquid when finished , Is it beer? have not a clue, that is one thing I will not sample. Yes I think there is some steaming that does happen, I have never had a dry meat bird! burned wing tips yes. I check with a meat thermometer to see when they are done.

The birds are washed, then marinaded and placed in the smoker at room temp. On my smoker the heat source is maybe 18" at the hot end and almost 4' at the colder end. If I am doing more than one bird I move them from front to back, birds that are close to the heat are moved to the cooler end and the cooler ones moved to the hotter end and also turn them so they cook evenly.(slippery s.o.b's +hot!)

I do not have a clue about electric smokers, have only used wood here. Oak, hickory (little bit goes a long way)Pecan, mesquite, plum, pear,and peach.

So far as using 160 deg ? have not a clue if that is hot enough, Maybe soak the bird in beer? or add to the marinade? The beer does keep the bird from drying out. The only thing about temp I can say as long as the internal temp of the bird is right it is done.And the meat will fall away from the bone. And the lower the temp the longer it will need to cook.

Others here can say how they do theirs.


Edit: The cans go into the bird far enough in so the bird can setup like the picture in the 0/p.

[bellevuebully]

^^Thanks dogman.

**My temp gauge is an old T/I from the oilfield too, haha.... ;D

[Dogman]

^^Thanks dogman.

**My temp gauge is an old T/I from the oilfield too, haha.... ;D


The glass broke out of mine years ago, so not water tight, But is good
for guesstaments. ;D

[Golden]

While you wait for your drunk chicken to finish cooking here's...
My Drunk Chicken

www.youtube.com/watch=?v=eHQltwb2TNA
Cheers!\uu\

Oh yea, NSFW yinz guyz.

[Shami-Amourae]

Everything you need to know about Beer Can Chicken:
http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/19384

[hoarder]

Guys, when you remove the can and the chicken is laying there spread-eagled with steam pouring out her insides like smoke from a fire, you can tell your guests that's the way all chicks look when you get done with them.
Seriously, don't use aluminum cans, if the aluminum doesn't harm you the paint will. I have a re-useable thingy made of stainless steel that holds the liquid and doesn't tip over. Water works fine. Pour Cajun seasoning all over the chicken first, both inside and out, now I'm hungry.