Smoking vs Roasting Chicken

[jp9724]

My chicken seems to turn out well, i dont brine as dont feel its needed. I smoke at 180f for an hour and turn up to 350f till its finished. Loads of flavor, juice, crispy skin and a nice smoke ring. Turkey ill brine just due to a longer smoke and roasting time its more likely to dry out.

 

[phatracer]

The video link is more than likely Meathead's Google presentation. He draws some information based on basic science and the way heat energy works. His points make sense, but so does the success of so many people using the beer can method. Hard to argue both sides...it's like fat up, or fat down which he also covers in that speech.
He discusses using a can of beer and covering it with a cold chicken, wjich only acts to insulate the beer from the heat (I personally think that the beer would be affected from heat from below, so insulation isn't a big factor). In his discussion he says the beer never gets hot enough to impart moisture in the bird, because the chicken will be cooked before that happens. If I was to do this method again, I would probably preheat the can of beer to the point of steaming
I don't know if he's right or wrong, don't really care. It is a method of cooking that has to have some realm of legitimacy because its been around for years.

RustyJake,

Thanks for the explanation. Makes sense to me. The other thing I was thinking about is the drip tray gets hot as hell, so perhaps preheating the beer as you said, and the heat from the drip tray on the bottom of the throne would allow it to steam?

 

[RemE]

I do think a covered gas grill might heat the beer can better than a pellet grill?

 

[Slimpicker]

I do think a covered gas grill might heat the beer can better than a pellet grill?

I do... but for a Traeger I say heat the beer first... actually I've used different liquids besides beer... water and pickling spices with a squirt of lemon juice, for this I boil first.

 

[RustyJake]

Convenience, the gas grill is probably easiest. If you are cooking at 350 in either a pellet or gas grill, isn't that still 350? Given that the Traeger has a convection design, it may be different. I just hadn't thought of one being better for cooking at a specific temperature. Maybe I am missing something on that?
I do think the liquid should be heated to effectively work in the concept the beer can method is designed for. The liquid would need to be close to boiling 212°F to start vaporizing and give off moisture to impart flavor and moisture to the bird. If you don't give that liquid a head start, the chicken is done well below that temperature.
Regardless of which grill is used, I think that heating the liquid would be necessary for this method to have a better effect on the cook.
Full disclosure, I haven't done one of these for years. Maybe I need to try again.

 

[RemE]

Convenience, the gas grill is probably easiest. If you are cooking at 350 in either a pellet or gas grill, isn't that still 350? Given that the Traeger has a convection design, it may be different. I just hadn't thought of one being better for cooking at a specific temperature. Maybe I am missing something on that?
I do think the liquid should be heated to effectively work in the concept the beer can method is designed for. The liquid would need to be close to boiling 212°F to start vaporizing and give off moisture to impart flavor and moisture to the bird. If you don't give that liquid a head start, the chicken is done well below that temperature.
Regardless of which grill is used, I think that heating the liquid would be necessary for this method to have a better effect on the cook.
Full disclosure, I haven't done one of these for years. Maybe I need to try again.

Sure a 350F gasser will cook the same as a 350F pellet, just not with wood fire, which IS the difference.

I recently tried the beer can method once, could not tell any difference. I'm back to my standard method, brine, and insert herb infused butter under the skin. They look and taste amazing that way.

 

[John S.]

I used a ‘Traeger Throne’ vs a beer can for my chicken, the level dropped perhaps due to the size of the base of the throne. But it came out great...