Brining Beer Can Chicken?

[Alix]

OK, I am about to try the beer can chicken thing tonight. I have a few questions for you experienced folks.

1. Does it have a really "beery" flavour?

2. Do you brine your chicken first?

3. What herbs do you put in the beer?

[bjcotton]

Alix, I did my first Beer B*tt Chicken [that's the name of the recipe] the other day. It was quite tasty, but didn't have a beer taste to it. I used a dark Porter...I first had to put the chicken on one of those tower thingies, because it wouldn't stand up over a can. Maybe that was the reason it didn't have a beer taste. It was still a tasty chicken. Next time, I'm going to brine my chicken first, it was a little dry.

[Alix]

Hmmm...I don't have a tower thingy. AND...this is one BIG chicken. Its a 9 pounder. Perhaps I had better investigate this a bit.

Chicken is currently brining in the salt/sugar mixture. I have another 5 hours before it needs to hit the oven/BBQ.

[bjcotton]

One of my friends said she would find me one of those "other" thingies that is made for the beer can in the center and supports for the chicken around it. Someone mentioned using an angelfood cake pan, but I don't think you could get the beer can in there with the chicky.

[Alix]

Nope I don't think that would work. I wonder if I could juryrig my roasting rack to hold things together?

[bjcotton]

How about some metal skewers you could make a tripod out of? The recipe I have calls for it to be on a baking sheet, but I have a small aluminum skillet without a handle that I use...that would work wouldn't it? Between the chicky legs, chicky butt, beer can, and the skewers?

[Alix]

DING DING DING!!! WOOHOO! Yep, that will work nicely. Thanks much!

OK, now for my question about what you put in the beer, any thoughts?

[bjcotton]

Hmmmmmmmmm, let me see.......the recipe I had didn't seem too impressive as far as I was concerned, it said "butter, garlic salt, paprika, salt and pepper." I would think rosemary at the least [rosemary and chicken were made for each other], maybe some crushed garlic cloves and some hot pepper oil.

[Alix]

Yum, sounds good. No hot pepper oil as several diners would dislike that intensely. Garlic for sure, rosemary, maybe some basil and a couple chunks of lemon and onion? Think that would work? Maybe I could stuff some lemon and onion in the cavity and THEN shove the flavoured beer can in?

[Gretchen]

Alix, I don't think I have EVER seen a 9lb. chicken--or one that I would trust to roasting. That would be a stewing chicken in our neck of the woods--old and tough. I will be interested to hear how it is.
I think the beer is just a steam thing. I have not been impressed enough with them to do it again personally.