Field Report -- Beer Can Chicken: Inaugural Cook

[Eapples]

  OK, first things first.  Thank you, EVERYONE, for your help and encouragement.

First up on the list - what I learned.  I learned that I should follow my instinct and to ignore the temp reading from the food probe (ET-732).  I was getting a reading of 165, and my other digital thermometer (Taylor, 9840N) was giving me a reading of 120.  Maybe I had the probe too close to the bone, or perhaps just in the wrong spot?  Anyway, I learned further that I should pay more attention to the grill temp, and to check the food temp after an hour, or whatever the minimum time is for the recipe, e.g. if the recipe says 1 to1 1/2 hours, check the food temp after an hour, and proceed accordingly.  Second, I consider this a success, i.e. the chicken came out juicy, but not as juicy as when I did it on the gas grill.  BUT, as my wife pointed out, we used a different recipe for the gas grill.  I've got to do the same recipe on the charcoal grill, and then compare. 

The rub from this was not good, in my opinion.  And, as my wife pointed out (again, she's right more often than I care to admit), the rub really, really, really sucked.  And it's what turns her off to rubs in general, e.g. too smoky.

We tasted the rub.  We couldn't taste the chicken.  We couldn't tell what effect, if any, the use of apple wood had on the recipe.

I used KB to start, and I used lump (Cowboy) to replenish the fire.  The replenishment never got up to the cooking temp; but, by that time I didn't care.  This is what led me to believe that I should follow my instinct.

The skin was crisp. The flavor was way too smoky.  The meat was juicy, with the exception as noted above.

We decided to throw out the rub that we didn't use.  We're saving the chicken we didn't eat for sandwiches (chicken salad).

My goal it to recapture what I remember as that charcoal flavor, what I remember (or what I THINK I remember) as that charcoal aroma, from all the cookouts from my earlier years.

I'm not giving up.  As Don Quixote sang, "This is my quest, to follow that star, no matter how hopeless, nor matter how far..."





  Notice all the holy candles in the background.  It wasn't an accident.



  I thought it tasted ok, albeit a bit on the smoky side.  My wife didn't like it at all.

[Weber MD]

I've screwed up more cooks than I care to admit, but I'm learning with each mistake.  More important, I'm having fun with it.  You've got the right perspective.

[Johnpv]

This is what it's all about, cooking, making mistakes, and learning.  The more you do it, the better you'll get and the easier all the different aspects of it will come to you. 

Chicken you have up there looks tasty, I say do it with no rub at all next time.

[smokeyjoeuk-ray]

that chicken looks nice, pity about the rub.

your next one will be better.

[jcnaz]

This is what it's all about, cooking, making mistakes, and learning.  The more you do it, the better you'll get and the easier all the different aspects of it will come to you. 

Chicken you have up there looks tasty, I say do it with no rub at all next time.

I second that motion.

[Chasing_smoke]

Great looking cook! My wife is sensitive to the smoke taste as well. Chicken or any poultry will suck smoke up like a sponge. So next round cut the amount if wood in half. I would say a half hour under smoke is plenty for a small bird. What about the rub was it you didn't like? Too salty, sweet, savory or just plain a bad combo if spices?

Maybe try the replenish charcoal already going, or if you did that add more to the chimney. I try to add unlit to the grates or baskets before I add the lit coals in the beginning. Seems to extend the cook time for me. By the time the lit coals are dying off the unlit are reaching their peak temp. Or that's what I tell myself anyway.

Great job again!

[Eapples]

Great looking cook! My wife is sensitive to the smoke taste as well. Chicken or any poultry will suck smoke up like a sponge. So next round cut the amount if wood in half. I would say a half hour under smoke is plenty for a small bird. What about the rub was it you didn't like? Too salty, sweet, savory or just plain a bad combo if spices?

Maybe try the replenish charcoal already going, or if you did that add more to the chimney. I try to add unlit to the grates or baskets before I add the lit coals in the beginning. Seems to extend the cook time for me. By the time the lit coals are dying off the unlit are reaching their peak temp. Or that's what I tell myself anyway.

Great job again!

The rub included smoked paprika.  We started re-writing the recipe for the rub, cutting down the amount of paprika, cumin and so on.  We decided that the rub was the problem.  We like Mixon's rub recipe, and the one used by Jamie Purviance; so, we'll stick with those.

When I replenished the fire, the temp got up as high as 310, give or take, but never got up to the recommended temp of 350.  I was watching the grill temp and the food temp.  The food temp hit 165 after about 45 minutes.  But when I checked it with another digital thermometer, it read a lot lower, as I noted in my post.  I'm not giving up on the digital, though, because it's possible that I didn't have the probe positioned correctly.  After the full 90 minutes, the food probe gave a reading of 190, while the other digital gave a reading between in the range of 165-175, depending on where I stuck the chicken.

Regarding the smoke, a friend gave me wood from his yard, pieces of apple, oak, maple and so on, pieces of tree limbs.  That's what I'm using right now.  I used a small piece at the very beginning.  It gave off a lot of smoke which eventually dissipated after about an hour.

I think I'm going to try your suggestion about placing lit coals on unlit coals.  I saw that being used on America's Test Kitchen when they were doing a turkey on the charcoal grill.

Thanks again for your input.

[Eapples]

that chicken looks nice, pity about the rub.

your next one will be better.

Every time I'm on the internet I find recipes, print them out and save them.  My wife reminded me that we should stick with the recipes we've already used on the gas grill, and see how they work on the charcoal grill.  I thought about doing the chicken with just salt and pepper, or maybe brining it before we cook it.  But like you said, the next one will be better.

[1buckie]

  Just an observation.....and I realize this is off-base if you're going to go by the gasser recipes that already work  ( yes, the wife is most likely right in more ways than one !! )

The recipe FOR RUB that was posted, from Neely's, with a tweek or two, would make a terriffic BRINE........

In your shoes, I would drop the paprika, halve the cayenne & the cumin & the pepper.......use that combination in a BRINE......then loosen the skin & slather softened butter carefully under it, perhaps with a minor amount of that same dry concoction mixed in the butter...........

Here's my reasoning:
Pepper's great, but with a bunch of other stuff it can tend to crowd out flavor............

Paprika is OK, but usually used more for color......SMOKED paprika, or Hungarian stuff can really blast something more delacate like fish or poultry......

Cumin is a great all-around spice, but once again, a little too much will crowd other elements & around here, where there's some kind of Mexican 'raunt on every corner, it gets the prize for the most over-used spice, by FAR !!!!  Caveat: I may be turned off by that previous fact, so take it with a grain of smoked sea salt.......


And finally, the brine itself will be more likely to drive the flavor INTO the item, whereas the rub sits on the surface (mostly) & just gets more intense as it cooks.........a diffuse flavoring CAN be a good thing in some cases........

One, no two more notes:

These are only observations, based on what & how my taste buds run ( & sometimes they run strangely rampant !!!) so don't take it as either some gospel or a criticism of methods & trials & experiments to find out what you & your's like.......

Second, in the interest of finding out what you & your's like, ask that question AS you're putting the stuff together, or reading up on things first........
Example: If I'm tired of too much cumin being over-used in dishes served around, I'm less likely to load up on it in a rub concoction.......

Aiming to assist....
............Buck's

[MacEggs]

The wood you used may not have been seasoned ... I dunno? How many chunks did you use? 1 or 2 small pieces should be enough.
Chasing_smoke is spot on regarding chicken being a sponge for smoke. And some / alot of people are sensitive, or don't like smoked meat.
Maybe ease up on that if you are cooking for a crowd.

Keep note on your intake vents and their position during the cook.
No matter what the Maverick is reading, open them wide for the last 20-30 minutes to get some crispy skin.

Your next one will be better. Keep trying and experimenting with what you like.

One thing I find. Smoked chicken is even better cold the next day piled high for a sandwich. Mayo, lettuce, S & P .. delicious! 

[Eapples]

  Just an observation.....and I realize this is off-base if you're going to go by the gasser recipes that already work  ( yes, the wife is most likely right in more ways than one !! )

The recipe FOR RUB that was posted, from Neely's, with a tweek or two, would make a terriffic BRINE........

In your shoes, I would drop the paprika, halve the cayenne & the cumin & the pepper.......use that combination in a BRINE......then loosen the skin & slather softened butter carefully under it, perhaps with a minor amount of that same dry concoction mixed in the butter...........

Here's my reasoning:
Pepper's great, but with a bunch of other stuff it can tend to crowd out flavor............

Paprika is OK, but usually used more for color......SMOKED paprika, or Hungarian stuff can really blast something more delacate like fish or poultry......

Cumin is a great all-around spice, but once again, a little too much will crowd other elements & around here, where there's some kind of Mexican 'raunt on every corner, it gets the prize for the most over-used spice, by FAR !!!!  Caveat: I may be turned off by that previous fact, so take it with a grain of smoked sea salt.......


And finally, the brine itself will be more likely to drive the flavor INTO the item, whereas the rub sits on the surface (mostly) & just gets more intense as it cooks.........a diffuse flavoring CAN be a good thing in some cases........

One, no two more notes:

These are only observations, based on what & how my taste buds run ( & sometimes they run strangely rampant !!!) so don't take it as either some gospel or a criticism of methods & trials & experiments to find out what you & your's like.......

Second, in the interest of finding out what you & your's like, ask that question AS you're putting the stuff together, or reading up on things first........
Example: If I'm tired of too much cumin being over-used in dishes served around, I'm less likely to load up on it in a rub concoction.......

Aiming to assist....
............Buck's

This is another gem that I can add to my arsenal.  Thank you for your input.

[Eapples]

The wood you used may not have been seasoned ... I dunno? How many chunks did you use? 1 or 2 small pieces should be enough.
Chasing_smoke is spot on regarding chicken being a sponge for smoke. And some / alot of people are sensitive, or don't like smoked meat.
Maybe ease up on that if you are cooking for a crowd.

Keep note on your intake vents and their position during the cook.
No matter what the Maverick is reading, open them wide for the last 20-30 minutes to get some crispy skin.

Your next one will be better. Keep trying and experimenting with what you like.

One thing I find. Smoked chicken is even better cold the next day piled high for a sandwich. Mayo, lettuce, S & P .. delicious! 

My friend told me that he went around his yard picking up pieces of wood lying around the ground.  He tied them together and placed them in a box.  He did that with apple, cherry, maple, and oak.  (He has an expansive piece of property in upstate New York).  He shipped the wood to me here in Florida.  I took one piece, about the length of my hand, and placed it on the coals.  It immediately started to smoke and flame.  The smoke lasted for just about an hour.

The lid vent (fully opened) is positioned opposite the coals where I placed the wood.  I manipulated the bottom vents to try to maintain the recommended temp of (medium-high) which I figured to be 350-375 or thereabouts.

We're on the same page about the chicken sandwiches.

[1buckie]

E-App......first, you're welcome & second, I think what Mac is talking about is do you know how long ago the wood was collected?
MacEggs & I both come from Smoke Ring & curing wood is a big deal over there......lot of people know what they're doing in that reguard.............not more knowledgeable than folks here, just a heckuva lot more questions & answers about stuff...............

Just scooping up the fallen stuff is plenty OK, but if the ground is wet, the wood itself may be damp.....

The basic rule of thumb is.......for freshly cut wood, allow approx. 6 months to 'cure' & lose enough moisture to be a good working moisture content for "smoking"........
Smaller 'twig' type pieces will be different than large log, split wood will go a bit faster than unsplit, etc.

Older wood can be used, but sometimes it's so dried out it's not worth the effort to keep adding it on, or after having added a bunch things end up over-blown......
EX: I have, still, some black walnut that's 13~14 years after cut that still works good for flavor, but the oak I use is much newer & probably wouldn't be any good after that length of time.......

If ordering wood, there's some real good places that keep real tight control on their freshness & moisture level ( using moisture meters & other means)...............

Like above, 6 months is kind of a general rule, however, some of the stronger flavors might need to go longer......something about being somewhat drier reduces the intensity of the smoke........less steam from the water burning off?

All that being said, people like Myron Mixon go out & cut fresh peach wood containing as much sap as can be had & use it immediately.......he has a cooker designed to work like that, has been doing it for decades & really knows what the hell he's doing.......don't try this at home !!!!!


Still semi-damp, or 'un-seasoned' wood will have an effect on your food, sometimes to the point of seeming bitter or 'over-smoked'...............................

[Eapples]

E-App......first, you're welcome & second, I think what Mac is talking about is do you know how long ago the wood was collected?
MacEggs & I both come from Smoke Ring & curing wood is a big deal over there......lot of people know what they're doing in that reguard.............not more knowledgeable than folks here, just a heckuva lot more questions & answers about stuff...............

Just scooping up the fallen stuff is plenty OK, but if the ground is wet, the wood itself may be damp.....

The basic rule of thumb is.......for freshly cut wood, allow approx. 6 months to 'cure' & lose enough moisture to be a good working moisture content for "smoking"........
Smaller 'twig' type pieces will be different than large log, split wood will go a bit faster than unsplit, etc.

Older wood can be used, but sometimes it's so dried out it's not worth the effort to keep adding it on, or after having added a bunch things end up over-blown......
EX: I have, still, some black walnut that's 13~14 years after cut that still works good for flavor, but the oak I use is much newer & probably wouldn't be any good after that length of time.......

If ordering wood, there's some real good places that keep real tight control on their freshness & moisture level ( using moisture meters & other means)...............

Like above, 6 months is kind of a general rule, however, some of the stronger flavors might need to go longer......something about being somewhat drier reduces the intensity of the smoke........less steam from the water burning off?

All that being said, people like Myron Mixon go out & cut fresh peach wood containing as much sap as can be had & use it immediately.......he has a cooker designed to work like that, has been doing it for decades & really knows what the hell he's doing.......don't try this at home !!!!!


Still semi-damp, or 'un-seasoned' wood will have an effect on your food, sometimes to the point of seeming bitter or 'over-smoked'...............................

The pieces of wood seem to be pieces of tree branches or tree limbs that were cut or that broke off.  He told me that he routinely uses them when he cooks.  He also said that he cooks exclusively using lump and never uses briquettes.

I often see the bags of wood chunks in Lowes, Home Depot, ACE Hardware, and so on.  I'm considering getting one or two of those to use, just to see if there's any difference when compared to what my friend gave me.

[1buckie]

OK, that's good.......he's most likely drying / seasoning the stuff for ample time , if he's already using it for cooking.......try out some maple.....I've only had small amounts here & there but really like it.....

You can kind of tell if wood is on the dry side by clacking (<<< technical term ) it together.....if it's a sharper 'clack' noise, drier......if more of a dull thud type noise, more likely damper.....