Strange product - beer can holder for Beer Beer Can Chicken

[Michael in FtW]

As someone once said, "A FOOL AND HIS MONEY ARE SOON PARTED."

Yep, they can tip over - if you don't spend about 5-10 seconds to make sure they are sitting level - and at the beginning of the cooking the liquid will not be boiling hot.

This is one of those gizmos that gets a thumbs up for marketing - a thumbs down for necessity.

[GB]

Here is something similar from Chefs catalog. The benefit of this one is if you are nervous of using a can with paint or dye or whatever they use on it, this is a good alternative.

[HanArt]

Originally Posted by Michael in FtW

As someone once said, "A FOOL AND HIS MONEY ARE SOON PARTED."

Yep, they can tip over - if you don't spend about 5-10 seconds to make sure they are sitting level - and at the beginning of the cooking the liquid will not be boiling hot.

This is one of those gizmos that gets a thumbs up for marketing - a thumbs down for necessity.

It's not the beginning of the cooking period you need to worry about, Michael.

I think $3 is a great insurance policy. Nothing foolish about playing it safe! But like I said, the whole idea is really just a novelty. You can grill or roast an equally good chick without the silliness.

[kitchenelf]

HanArt - I will have to say by far that a chicken grilled the beer can way is waaaaay better than a grilled whole chicken or chicken cooked/grilled any other way. The steam produced keeps the breast meat perfectly moist and if you don't take it off too soon the chicken will literally fall into the correct pieces. It is wonderful!

[Spice1133]

Originally Posted by luvs_food

you can just stick the chicken on a half-can of beer. betcha game hens would be good like that but they're too little to fit!

Luvs could you drink a couple of small v8's and then put beer in them? They might fit into the game hens.

[HanArt]

kitchenelf, ok, but I didn't find it any better or moister. Maybe that's because I use the high heat method.

BTW, you reminded me of a little side-by-side test that someone on the GW Cooking forum did last year. AnnT's her name and the results are about halfway down this page: http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load...922363994.html

[MJ]

Originally Posted by kitchenelf

HanArt - I will have to say by far that a chicken grilled the beer can way is waaaaay better than a grilled whole chicken or chicken cooked/grilled any other way.

I agree Kitchenelf. Beer can chicken is awesome, however, I will NOT cook with aluminum - thats just me. This reminds me of a post by Storm2k.

Originally Posted by storm2k

I have noticed a few things/recipes/ideas in here for beer can chicken. I am real wary of this and can validate my worries. I do not believe this is safe at all and just on principles would warn everyone against it unless you do it in a safe manner. The melting point of aluminum (pure) is 660.37 °C or 1220.666 °F. Most "beer" cans are not "pure" aluminum and contain various other elements, including the paint on the can. I figure that you're cooking this painted can to at least 1/3 of its melting point for whatever meat, steaks or chicken, some ppl do fajitas this way. So, you're definately smoking and infusing all the paint fumes at the least and who knows what else into a raw chicken. I suspect the melt point on a beer can is alot lower than that stated for pure aluminum, probably like 900-1000F, heck maybe lower than what your cooking it at. To see what I mean do this, take a styrofoam cup, fill it with water. Put a bic lighter or a torch on a low flame to the outside of the cup. As long as you do not "pressure burst" with the flame you can hold the flame there a long time, it will only burn the cup down to the level of the liquid, even on the outer layers, all the way to the bottom of the cup, it will still hold water, so you could pour the beer in a styrofoam cup as long as the grill was cool and flat as you set it down (I think), and cook the chicken over that. I suspect this is the same with the aluminum can, the liquid is preventing the final breakdown. An easy test would be to set your gril at the specified temp, weigh a totally empty beer can, put the can in a cast iron skillet and let it sit in the grill for like 4 hours. See what happens. I am not going to do this as I am not that bored and would not cook anything like this anyway, but I just wanted people to realize this may be very dangerous, and/or have implications to your health as yet unknown. I smoke so I don't care, counting on the big C or a MI to take me out lol. There are all kinds of info sites regarding links between Alzheimers and Aluminum, just google it. I just think smoking, eating metal isn't real healthy, have a marlboro and take a geritol iron pill if you need both. For the "beer can chicken" , take a oven safe (to like 600f) stoneware mug, knock the handle off of it and put the chicken over that after you pour a beer into it and proceed as recipe states. The can is not a fundamental part of this recipe (or if it is and ppl say it tastes different with a can than with a stone or iron, then guess what, they like the taste of aluminum, it should not taste much different, but makes you think about all the things of whether beer taste better in a bottle or a can, should be same right?), you can cut the chicken up and do it in a dutch oven, or don't cut it, the beer and the steaming process is the main thing. Just a warning, like I said, I do not know and no proof exists but a thin piece of metal on hi temp seems that metal is going to melt and go somewhere, and you may eat it.

[Constance]

We grill ours at 375 for about an hour. It's THE BEST grilled chicken I've ever had!

[Andy M.]

storm2K's quoted post if full of speculation and half thought out technical facts. Check to see how often he says, "I believe", or, "I suspect"... Not positive statements but rather words used by people who cannot prove what they are saying.

It's interesting to me that people will always remember the original SCARE that hits the news "Aluminium causes Alzheimers Disease", but no one ever remembers the later information, with scientific evidence, that the original claim was completely unfounded and just plain wrong.

The beer can, since it is still holding liquid, never gets significantly above 212 F. In my experience, the paint isn't even burned.

He is correct that any fireproof container that will hold liquid and not burn, will work in place of a beer can. Oh, BTW, I wouldn't use a styrofoam cup if I were you.

[luvs]

Originally Posted by Spice1133

Luvs could you drink a couple of small v8's and then put beer in them? They might fit into the game hens.

hey, that's a really good idea! thanks, spice!