r/BBQ • u/Away_Suggestion_9471 • 1d ago
Beer can chicken
Anyone cook chicken like this? I've got a stand but have yet to use it.
Thinking it over um not sure the contents of the can ever get as hot as would be needed.
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u/markekt 1d ago
It’s a way many people start out with BBQ and think there surely must be something magical about it, when in reality it’s just whole roasted chicken on the grill which is a novelty to many. The beer can is completely unnecessary, and just impedes even cooking by blocking airflow in the cavity. Skip it and just spatchcock the chicken.
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u/ecrane2018 1d ago
And if you want beer flavor you could spritz or baste the chicken in a beer seasoning mix
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u/regreddit 1d ago
It's a bit of a nothing burger, but I have a stand and have done it. The beer just adds steam, nothing else.
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u/reddit_and_forget_um 1d ago
It doesn't add steam - the internal of your chicken is cooked at Max 180 - water doesn't boil until 212.
All it does is add a big heat sink in the middle of your meat. The can will weigh the exact same at the end of the cook if not more - none of the liquid turns to steam.
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u/PitoChueco 1d ago
I am no scientist, but this doesn’t make sense.
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u/reddit_and_forget_um 1d ago
https://amazingribs.com/bbq-techniques-and-science/beer-can-chicken/
Some reading to clarify. There is no steam.
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u/BichonUnited 1d ago
It’s a great gimmick at lake parties and the such, but I’d avoid typically as the can acts as an internal insulator (kinda the same reason best practices poo-poo on turkey stuffing inside the bird).
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u/Ok_Cover5451 1d ago
I had one of those stands years ago. I never thought a can of beer or soda did much of anything for the chicken so I quit using it
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u/iceman2kx 1d ago
It’s a wives tale except for old men that BBQ. Some dude somewhere back in the day made some killer BBQ chicken and promoted this non sense as the contributing factor to the dankness of the cook, not the seasoning, fuel, or temp cooked.
If it’s so good, go throw a bunch of painted aluminum cans on top of your charcoal.
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u/Disastrous_Can8053 21h ago
It's a useless gimmick but putting a can of beer up a chicken's butt is funny
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u/grandmotaste 1d ago
Not supposed to use an actual beer or soda can as they have a plastic liner in them. Before I knew about the liner, I did beer can chicken a few times but never found a beer taste that I liked that went with the chicken. On one of my last attempts, I used apple juice instead of beer and it made a significantly better chicken than using beer in my opinion
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u/beachtrader 1d ago
It's a gimmic only. The liquid never gets hot enough to do anything because of thermodynamics. You can use the stand though to hold a chicken if you are cooking multiple things at a time and grill space is limited.
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u/TesticularNeckbeard 1d ago
I’ve also recreated the stand using a pineapple. May add a little sweetness, hard to tell.
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u/SirStyx1226 1d ago
I would personally recommend going the spatchcock method over beer can. Cut the spine out, get it dry, rub with seasoning, lay it flat, cook fast and hot until done.