Beer Butt Chook

[morgue]

I am not having people on about this, I have read some stuff on the www about this, so here goes....

I have been told that sticking a 1/2 full open can of beer, into a fresh cooking chooks' cavity and standing it upright in the camp oven creates a pretty spectacular cooked chook.
So to all those budding camping master chiefs out in camper trailer land, who have you cooked a chook like this?
What's it like?, Could you give us the heads up on this way of of cooking a chook?

[POD]

Have heard the same. HOWEVER, I have also heard that the aluminium from said can may well make the alleged chicken toxic and then not so good for you, regardless of the taste.

There is an implement you can buy that achieves the same result but you pour the beer into the implement and has a proper stand and all. Imagine you could come up with something not aluminium or toxic to do the job.

Cheers big ears!

[D4D]

Yup use the beer instead of seasoning, keeps the chook moist.
http://www.lifestylefood.com.au/recipes/10742/beer-can-chicken

[KM4]

Have heard the same. HOWEVER, I have also heard that the aluminium from said can may well make the alleged chicken toxic and then not so good for you, regardless of the taste.

There is an implement you can buy that achieves the same result but you pour the beer into the implement and has a proper stand and all. Imagine you could come up with something not aluminium or toxic to do the job.

Cheers big ears!

I've been using aluminium saucepans for over 40 years without ill effect, so I doubt if a beer can would cause any problems (unless perhaps it's lined internally with  something that could burn off). 

I have seen variations of this recipe on the web and in cook books although I haven't tried it myself.

[kranky al]

i was of the understanding that its a reaction between the can and the paint that is the culprit - not the ally by itself?

[morgue]

Thank you all and sundry, so the bloke telling me this was'nt guilding the lilly?

I will give the recipe a go and see what it tastes like..

[POD]

I've been using aluminium saucepans for over 40 years without ill effect,

Really? Maybe you just don't realise the effect it IS having...

[Symon]

Thank you all and sundry, so the bloke telling me this was'nt guilding the lilly?

I will give the recipe a go and see what it tastes like..

I notice in BBQ and camping shops they actually have commercially made stands available to make it easier to do, so no, he wasn't having you on.

[SteveandViv]

Really? Maybe you just don't realise the effect it IS having...

Actually wasn't the issue with memory loss .. Maybe that's why I'm loosing it. My Mum made Jam and all sorts in the big Alloy pot - Yum Yum

[Kangaron]

Oh yes, love it

[GS]

Here's the Beer Bird

http://www.bcf.com.au/online-store/products/Beerbird-Ultimate-Chicken-Cooker.aspx?pid=166340#Description




Have not used one but am intrigued. Would be better with XXXX!

Grant

[D4D]

Bugger the beer, I'm thinking Wild Turkey chook

[Raym]

Here is one done in the woodfired pizza oven I built.

I used a steel can & added beer & a piece of ginger. The flavour infuses through the chook

[D4D]

Cool, woodfired oven. The missus has been at me for ages to build one for her. Got anymore pics?

[Raym]

I have some photos just need to locate them.

This is the design mine is based on.

http://www.traditionaloven.com/pizza_wood_oven/pizza_oven_3.html

[D4D]

Wow that's a good looking oven! Thanks for the link 

[Raym]

Your welcome.

I had only laid bricks once before about 20 years ago so its not that hard.

The hardest thing was getting solid bricks for the oven (about 300 from memory) The fire bricks were to expensive so I found some seconds from a place where they were making wood fired bricks.

There are kits that you put together but are not cheap.

[D4D]

I have about 380 of these bricks, I was going to use them to finish the step but I might keep them for the oven. Do they look suitable?

[Raym]

They look fine so long as they are solid.  I think there is some info on the website about selecting bricks.

Here is another photo of the build, having trouble locating more.

Have I just participated in my first thread hijack?

[ripas]

hmm interested in the hijack !!  The kits do seem expensive - is the main cost the bricks ?

[Raym]

With that design the costs are the bricks, blocks & concrete. I got the reo at the tip shop so that was cheap.

The base slab has to be reasonably thick about as it has a fair bit of weight on it & the suspended slab is about 150 mm thick, then the brick dome has about 100mm on top of it. Basically building a big heat bank.

Ideally the bricks in the dome should be fire bricks as they will last longer if you use the oven a lot, but this very expensive. I used solids & they are working well.

I know people who have built simple cob ovens & they work well. There is an Earth Garden publication.

http://judyoz.com/ccp0-prodshow/back-yard-ovens-earth-garden-new-book.html

If you google earth garden cob oven you will get a heap of info.

[Bird]

so anyone tried this recently?

[speewa158]

Cook it in  a Cobb                     

[Nomad]

I cook a chook like this probably once a week.

I have stopped using the beer bird and gone to one of the bbq mate ones you can buy from bunnings for about $10.

The reason is if you put all your veges in the pan under the chook the beer bird stops the juice from mixing through. Baked potatoes in chook juice equal yum..........then theres the gravy.........

Best way to cook a chook IMO. Its just a shame that it doesn't quite fit in the webber properly.

Cheers

[chester ver2.0]

Yep had beer chook last week the secret i find is you want a pretty strong beer and i have found VB with its bitter taste the best for my likeing

If the can worries you you can flip the chicken so it is headfirst and just pour some beer in its bum every 10 mins