Want to try beer can chicken, help please

jaredpost · November 16, 2009, 12:03:39 PM

I have always wanted to try cooking a beer can chicken. Does the beer flavor actually transfer into the meat? I really only like the darker beers and they don't come in cans. Could I put the beer in an empty soup or chili can or does it need to be a soda or beer can to work properly? And finally, does it make a difference what size bird you use? I know you can find chickens from a few pounds up to 7 or 8 pounds.

Thanks

Ka Honu · November 16, 2009, 12:29:58 PM

Actually the beer doesn't even need to be in a can (although that seems to best concentrate the flavor inside the chicken). I have an upright chicken roaster that has a drip bowl under the frame and it works fine with beer, wine, juice, or whatever. The object is to have the liquid under the bird so as it steams off/evaporates, the vapor flavors the meat.

You can use the technique successfully for any size bird; there's a thread around here (or on the Sizzle on the Grill/Big Easy forum) somewhere about doing the same thing with a turkey.

ArnieM · November 16, 2009, 12:59:09 PM

Quote from: jaredpost on November 16, 2009, 12:03:39 PM
I have always wanted to try cooking a beer can chicken. Does the beer flavor actually transfer into the meat?
I'd call it more of an essence. A nice light flavor but the chicken doesn't come out tasting like beer.
I really only like the darker beers and they don't come in cans. Could I put the beer in an empty soup or chili can or does it need to be a soda or beer can to work properly?
As KH said, any can will do as long as it will support the chicken.
And finally, does it make a difference what size bird you use? I know you can find chickens from a few pounds up to 7 or 8 pounds.
A smaller bird might take more flavor but I'm not sure. After all, the bigger bird will take longer to cook so that might up the flavor. You also need to size the can for the chicken. I'd go for a 16 ounce can for an oven stuffer.

Thanks

As KH said, you can use any kind of liquid that will add flavor. And of course, you can add herbs.

One problem with a 'bare' beer can is that sometimes the poor drunken bird will fall over while cooking. It's best to get some sort of rack made for the purpose; it supports the beer can which in turn supports the chicken. There are various kinds. This is one I've been using for years on the grill.

The advantage of this one is that you can put any liquid you like in the reservoir and sit the chicken on top as well as removing the center piece and replacing it with a beer can of your choice.

KevinG · November 16, 2009, 01:24:00 PM

Heck, and I thought they kept falling over because of too much alcohol in the beer. ;D

TMB · November 16, 2009, 01:25:51 PM

I did a turkey one time upside down in The Big Easy, that after looking at it found it was holding liquid in the cavity. So being a good 'ol boy from the south we poured beer into the bird while it cooked. Pretty darn good I must say (for an accident) I did know the bird was uside down till it was to late to pull it and put it back in the right way.

This was the 2nd time I ever used the Big Easy for a bird. Mistakes sometimes give use the best results!

Quarlow · November 16, 2009, 08:44:55 PM

Hey tommy I like that idea My first attempt at beer can was frustrating, one kept falling over and the skin stuck to the BBQ grill. I had done them in the Bradley and then moved them to the BBQ to crisp up. Anyway the next one will get some smoke in the Bdarley and then in to the TBE, maybe upside down.

ArnieM · November 16, 2009, 10:41:07 PM

OK, here's my upside down idea.

I read once doing a turkey in the oven breast-side down for the first half of the cooking time. The juices obey the law of gravity and flow down toward the breast. Then flip it and finish it breast-side up. I've done this a couple of times and the turkey came out good; nice moist breast meat. But, 'flipping' a hot 22 pound turkey is sometimes easier said than done.

Now, let's look at TBE (turkey smoked prior or not). There's more heat higher in the chamber. That means a right-side-up turkey has more heat on the breast and less on the legs and thighs. Something doesn't sound right here. If the turkey was in breast-side down, the legs and thighs would get more heat. That's good. The internal juices would flow down toward the breast. That's good.

I don't know how well the breast skin would crisp. I'd guess that it might work if 2-3 inches off the bottom of the chamber. In any case I'd rather have done dark meat and moist breast meat than crispy breast skin.

If anyone wants to send me a 14-16 pound bird in the next couple of days I'd be happy to try it. ;D ;D Of course I'd ship some off to Ka Honu for evaluation ;D

I haven't had in-bird stuffing for many years. STUFFING IS EVIL! But I was thinking. In the upside down case, first the stuffing would stay in the cavity. Second, any liquid would drain out of the neck. This would help to bring it's temp up faster and not soak it in turkey blood. If smoking, I wouldn't stuff until it was out of the smoker. Too much low temp for too long in there.

I'd appreciate your comments.

CB · November 16, 2009, 11:26:38 PM

When you heat water - does it rise? Moisture moves away from heat and wants to climb up - that's why burgers have the moisture on top when you grill them (ground meat is very loose so the moisture moves pretty easily) or the lid on a Dutch Oven has moisture on the underside of the lid or foil on the underside when you cover a roast right outta the smoker, oven, etc.

In the Big Easy the heat generated OFF the bird when the infrared hits it is constantly escaping as hot air. That heat is a by product that CRG used to scramble some eggs. But it is not what cooks the bird. The infrared energy hitting the bird, bathing it if you will, converts to heat on the surface of the bird the same way the infrared energy from a fire converts to heat on your face. The closer you get to the fire the more infrared and stronger it is - and the hotter your face gets. The energy doesn't need air (like an oven) or oil (like a fryer) it travels through a vacuum without any loss. If in a science experiment you could make the cooking chamber a complete vacuum with no air at all - the infrared energy would still pass from the sides to the meat and convert to heat - cooking the meat. (By the way, it would also cook very fast because the extra heat generated as a by-product would not be thrown off and carried away by the air!)

So if you think about it - the moisture is gonna migrate just a bit to the top of the bird...as it heats. Because the legs and thighs are smaller they will cook (generally speaking) about the same time as the breasts do on the larger commercial birds we see these days. That way the bird is kinda done all at once. Much the same way a turkey in a fryer is cooked all at once.

Your theory has some merit and I've cooked chickens and turkeys both ways - breast up and legs up. The difference I've noticed is minor - but I love your creative spirit and wouldn't argue with you if you played with it a bit. I think the issue you raise with the breast being a bit close to the bottom as one problem - possible to overcome, as you suggested.

As for stuffing in the bird cooked in The Big Easy I had a good conversation with Chef Gadi at The Bryant Park grill about that subject. He overseas kitchens that prepare around 1,000 covers a day and it's all pretty fancy stuff. We talked about the problems of stuffing getting all juicy from bird liquid and the temperature climbing so slow and possibly not achieving 165F in the bird - that the chance of illness from bacteria is pretty darn high. BUT in The Big Easy the temperature can climb pretty fast - so "theoretically" he supports the idea of cooking stuffing in the cavity of the turkey. I say theoretically because when I asked him if he'd do it - he looked and me, smiled real big and said "Nope."

ArnieM · November 16, 2009, 11:58:37 PM

Quote from: CB on November 16, 2009, 11:26:38 PM

Your theory has some merit and I've cooked chickens and turkeys both ways - breast up and legs up. The difference I've noticed is minor - but I love your creative spirit and wouldn't argue with you if you played with it a bit. I think the issue you raise with the breast being a bit close to the bottom as one problem - possible to overcome, as you suggested.

As for stuffing in the bird cooked in The Big Easy I had a good conversation with Chef Gadi at The Bryant Park grill about that subject. He overseas kitchens that prepare around 1,000 covers a day and it's all pretty fancy stuff. We talked about the problems of stuffing getting all juicy from bird liquid and the temperature climbing so slow and possibly not achieving 165F in the bird - that the chance of illness from bacteria is pretty darn high. BUT in The Big Easy the temperature can climb pretty fast - so "theoretically" he supports the idea of cooking stuffing in the cavity of the turkey. I say theoretically because when I asked him if he'd do it - he looked and me, smiled real big and said "Nope."

I agree the stuffing is kinda iffy. After the last one, with poor old aunt Etta - well that's another thread. ;D

Thanks for the compliment, I think. Creative? Maybe. Experimental? Definitely!

I'll be going fairly traditional for the upcoming holidays but experimenting in between.

TMB · November 17, 2009, 07:49:04 AM

Hey Quarlow, I think the reason the neck held juice in was we had cooked it for 30 min's or so before we figured out the bird was upside down. By that time i'm sure the skin had sorta seald the opening somewhat and the beer wee used was able to stay in a lot longer.

The neck/skin was on the bottom of the basket so it was being forced closed as well. All I can say is sometime mistakes are a good thing! ;)

Ka Honu · November 17, 2009, 11:15:17 AM

Quote from: TMB on November 17, 2009, 07:49:04 AM... and the beer wee used ...

"Beer wee?" Since I know you don't drink, I can only assume it was donated. You're supposed to flush that stuff, not try to recycle it!

TMB · November 17, 2009, 12:20:26 PM

oops! ::) But aleast you know it was not from me! ;D

Quarlow · November 17, 2009, 06:37:21 PM

Well I will be trying a stuffed turkey in the BE so I'll let you know how it comes out. But what I really want to hear you guys weigh in on is this. Are these really Infrared or are they more like Radiant heat. I thought Infrared was generated Electromagneticly were as Radiant heat is emitted through the transfer of actual heat through air.

ArnieM · November 17, 2009, 07:13:49 PM

Quote from: Quarlow on November 17, 2009, 06:37:21 PM
Well I will be trying a stuffed turkey in the BE so I'll let you know how it comes out. But what I really want to hear you guys weigh in on is this. Are these really Infrared or are they more like Radiant heat. I thought Infrared was generated Electromagneticly were as Radiant heat is emitted through the transfer of actual heat through air.

Hi cousin Q. First, I have no idea what the heck Electromagneticly is. You been watching Startrek TNG?

I'll give you my best understanding. If you cook in the Bradley or in your oven, you're cooking with hot air. We've seen some of that around here ;) Your grill cooks with direct heat from under.

The BE uses radiant heat - IR for marketing purposes. Air isn't involved, at least not much. Consider this. Do you have a fireplace or stove? It must be cold up there. If you move your face closer to it, does your face get hot? I hope so. That's due to radiant energy rather than hot air. The hot air is going up to your ceiling and the radiant energy is hitting your face.

From your original question:
Are these really Infrared or are they more like Radiant heat.

It's IR. Radiant heat requires air - heat the air and cook the food or heat the human. Air isn't required in the BE.

HTH

La Quinta · November 17, 2009, 07:51:17 PM

Why are people scared of stuffing a turkey? (Forgetting the BE)...I'm 47 years old and have eaten a stuffed turkey all of my life at Thanksgiving...I'll let you know if I make it to my 48th birthday in early December..there is nothing better then the stuffing inside the turkey!! :)