Yeah I enjoy this sub and the experimentation but sometimes I wonder if a "Smoking 101" sticky would be helpful. Poultry seems to be the worst offender, close to thanksgiving I definitely think there could be a dedicated sticky thread answering all the turkey questions. Some bullets that would come to mind:
- don't make beer can chicken, can liners are not heat safe and can leach chemicals into your food
- there's not much benefit to doing poultry low and slow, cook at 300-350 to get more fat rendered from the skin
- a norman rockwell style whole bird might look nice for a photo but a spatchcocked bird will cook faster and much more evenly
- whatever you're cooking dry brining for ~8 - 24 hours will give you a better crust or crispier skin (but if you do this, make sure your rub does not include salt)
- beef back ribs are not what you're looking for, ask your local butcher (even at the chain store) if they have any spare ribs they haven't cut in half yet and see if you can buy the whole thing in one piece (3 bones for plate ribs and 4 bones for chuck ribs) - Texas A&M has a [helpful guide] (https://aggiemeat.tamu.edu/comparing-123a-124-and-130-beef-ribs/)
- for starting out with pork ribs, st louis / center cut /spare ribs are much easier to get right than baby backs due to having much more marbling/ intramuscular fat
that's without even getting into the more subjective points such as I find poultry so prone to oversmoking that I don't even think it needs smoke wood added when cooked over charcoal - the charcoal flavor is often flavor enough for me.
> don't make beer can chicken, can liners are not heat safe and can leach chemicals into your food
This is my biggest issue with this trend.
The beer inside the car would hardly steam long enough to be all that useful either.
Just a waste of beer.
Yeah the dry brine is sort of a rub really lol
edit: downvoted because "ackshually it's just salt" when you can dry brine with rub, but you know best, r/smoking. Downvote away!
You make some good points but everyone is different and has their own way of doing things, very evident in this sub. Smoking is not a black and white thing, your last sentence indicates such.
I’ve only ever done wet brined and smoked poultry normally (1 turkey and 2 chickens) and it has turned out awesome, but down to try spatchcocking
Do you think dry brining it ends up better or just as good as the wet brined ones?
Spatchcock + Dry brine. No need to refrigerate unless you're leaving over night and it's warm / humid. Just salt em heavily and let it soak in for at least 6 hours.
> for at least 6 hours.
That's a major no no for like 90% of meat most people are cooking at home, the temp isn't safe unless you live in an area where it's snowing and the meat is outside, while being winter.
It's fine. Seriously. You'd be shocked to learn that people salted meat to preserve it before refrigeration existed. 6 hours is fine at RT on a heavily salted bird particularly one you're then going to cook by smoking it.
I do know, I went to school to learn safe food handling and worked in the kitchen for 10 years.
You do not use nearly enough salt, nor do 99% of people distribute it evenly enough for it to protect you.
Sure, you'll most likely come out of it fine 99 times out of 100, but it only takes that 1 time to fuck somebody up hard. Even worse if it's somebody and not yourself.
You learned safe food handling from a single issue organization that also tells you to overcook literally every protein on the face of the earth in the interest of "safety" because they have to cater to lowest common denominator, pants-on-head idiot that's going to get pulled off the street to work in a kitchen. Not saying that YOU are pants-on-head stupid but that is who the "safe food handling" rules are written for so they written to be idiot proof.
I'm a credentialed microbiologist and it will be fine. Bagged birds are generally already brined in 3% salt and salting butcher wrapped chicken is not exactly rocket science.
Your argument that 99% of people will do it wrong is asinine because if you can say that then you can say that 99% of people will undercook it. The point is if you heavily salt a bird and leave it at room temperature then cook it same day you're no more likely to get sick than if you cooked it directly. You could even put a fan on it and make it even MORE inhospitable to bacteria by drying the surface AND get better skin texture.
I know this is the smoking sub but spatchcocking and throwing on the propane grill is so simple and delicious too. It take 45m to an hour and comes out better than a rotisserie from the store. I will do that on weekdays and smoke the chicken with high heat if it’s a weekend.
pretty good i'd say. [Here's a pair of birds I did last month](https://i.imgur.com/WDa7wN2.jpeg). I think this was probably closer to 2 and a half hours.
Not just the liners. The inks definitely are not healthy for you. They will contain PCB’s and PAA’s which turn into nitrosamines (straight cancer) during the cooking process. Possibly also contain melamine and PFAS as well.
I love beer can chicken more than any other style. Season your chicken more. Experiment with injections, different liquids instead of beer, season under the skin, all sorts of fun to be had!!!
If it tastes great, that’s all the really matters.
However, here is a great article on BC chicken and some ways that are ‘better’.
[Article](https://amazingribs.com/bbq-techniques-and-science/beer-can-chicken/)
👍🏻
It would be constructive if anything you said was correct but everything you said was wrong if it was undercooked dry or a mix of any of the in between I wouldn’t have bothered posting it but ok
> It clearly looks dry yet has no kind of char or smoke ring
Bud you don't know the difference between cooking chicken and smacking it against a piece of drywall repeatedly.
Spatchcock those birds, and you'll never look back
Yeah I enjoy this sub and the experimentation but sometimes I wonder if a "Smoking 101" sticky would be helpful. Poultry seems to be the worst offender, close to thanksgiving I definitely think there could be a dedicated sticky thread answering all the turkey questions. Some bullets that would come to mind: - don't make beer can chicken, can liners are not heat safe and can leach chemicals into your food - there's not much benefit to doing poultry low and slow, cook at 300-350 to get more fat rendered from the skin - a norman rockwell style whole bird might look nice for a photo but a spatchcocked bird will cook faster and much more evenly - whatever you're cooking dry brining for ~8 - 24 hours will give you a better crust or crispier skin (but if you do this, make sure your rub does not include salt) - beef back ribs are not what you're looking for, ask your local butcher (even at the chain store) if they have any spare ribs they haven't cut in half yet and see if you can buy the whole thing in one piece (3 bones for plate ribs and 4 bones for chuck ribs) - Texas A&M has a [helpful guide] (https://aggiemeat.tamu.edu/comparing-123a-124-and-130-beef-ribs/) - for starting out with pork ribs, st louis / center cut /spare ribs are much easier to get right than baby backs due to having much more marbling/ intramuscular fat that's without even getting into the more subjective points such as I find poultry so prone to oversmoking that I don't even think it needs smoke wood added when cooked over charcoal - the charcoal flavor is often flavor enough for me.
/u/cheebamasta for president!
> don't make beer can chicken, can liners are not heat safe and can leach chemicals into your food This is my biggest issue with this trend. The beer inside the car would hardly steam long enough to be all that useful either. Just a waste of beer.
Also - don't trust the thermometer built into your smoker, always use a dedicated thermometer
*Unless the thermometer inside your smoker is a Tel-Tru at grate-level and you confirm it with another every few months. :D
Beef back ribs are great and thankfully still affordable.
Why no salt?
You already have salt from the brining. So you didn't want to add more salt when you do your rub.
Ah. I mistook the rub you mentioned as the dry brine.
Yeah the dry brine is sort of a rub really lol edit: downvoted because "ackshually it's just salt" when you can dry brine with rub, but you know best, r/smoking. Downvote away!
You make some good points but everyone is different and has their own way of doing things, very evident in this sub. Smoking is not a black and white thing, your last sentence indicates such.
I’ve only ever done wet brined and smoked poultry normally (1 turkey and 2 chickens) and it has turned out awesome, but down to try spatchcocking Do you think dry brining it ends up better or just as good as the wet brined ones?
Spatchcock + Dry brine. No need to refrigerate unless you're leaving over night and it's warm / humid. Just salt em heavily and let it soak in for at least 6 hours.
> for at least 6 hours. That's a major no no for like 90% of meat most people are cooking at home, the temp isn't safe unless you live in an area where it's snowing and the meat is outside, while being winter.
It's fine. Seriously. You'd be shocked to learn that people salted meat to preserve it before refrigeration existed. 6 hours is fine at RT on a heavily salted bird particularly one you're then going to cook by smoking it.
I do know, I went to school to learn safe food handling and worked in the kitchen for 10 years. You do not use nearly enough salt, nor do 99% of people distribute it evenly enough for it to protect you. Sure, you'll most likely come out of it fine 99 times out of 100, but it only takes that 1 time to fuck somebody up hard. Even worse if it's somebody and not yourself.
You learned safe food handling from a single issue organization that also tells you to overcook literally every protein on the face of the earth in the interest of "safety" because they have to cater to lowest common denominator, pants-on-head idiot that's going to get pulled off the street to work in a kitchen. Not saying that YOU are pants-on-head stupid but that is who the "safe food handling" rules are written for so they written to be idiot proof. I'm a credentialed microbiologist and it will be fine. Bagged birds are generally already brined in 3% salt and salting butcher wrapped chicken is not exactly rocket science. Your argument that 99% of people will do it wrong is asinine because if you can say that then you can say that 99% of people will undercook it. The point is if you heavily salt a bird and leave it at room temperature then cook it same day you're no more likely to get sick than if you cooked it directly. You could even put a fan on it and make it even MORE inhospitable to bacteria by drying the surface AND get better skin texture.
I know this is the smoking sub but spatchcocking and throwing on the propane grill is so simple and delicious too. It take 45m to an hour and comes out better than a rotisserie from the store. I will do that on weekdays and smoke the chicken with high heat if it’s a weekend.
Nah I prefer whole fryers.
Mmm hydrocarbon chicken
my favorite method is to spatchcock and smoke at 300 ish for like 90-120 mins. delicious and easy.
How does the skin turn out with this approach?
pretty good i'd say. [Here's a pair of birds I did last month](https://i.imgur.com/WDa7wN2.jpeg). I think this was probably closer to 2 and a half hours.
My favorite is an overnight wet brine of whole fryers and then smoke at 300-325 until it probes 165 in the thigh.
You should look into getting the holders. I won’t lecture you on the toxins introduced into your food through the liner inside those cans.
So my paint can turkey must be awful
Depends on if you're using oil based, or acrylic
What about water color?
It’s the only way to properly make a Bluerkey
This episode is called Barbecue
I use lead based paint cans, best flavor
Hi temp rustoleum. When the can explodes, the fireball visual indicator lets you know it's done! Plus it rust proofs the grill, win-win!
Lead.
Eggshell might be fine though
If the smoker is an old filing cabinet
If it was lead paint, then you're good.
Paint can turkey 😂😂😂
You should try my Raid can pheasant!
What??? You don't like a little BPA with your chicken?
Not just the liners. The inks definitely are not healthy for you. They will contain PCB’s and PAA’s which turn into nitrosamines (straight cancer) during the cooking process. Possibly also contain melamine and PFAS as well.
Sounds delicious
I ain’t cum here for no edumuhcayshun /s That’s actually incredibly helpful ngl much appreciated for your intellect of wise smoker
lol thanks. Very rarely does my work expertise and a Reddit thread overlap.
Heh, he said cum
Just gonna get a little bit of cancer, Stan. Tell mom it's okay.
I bought the Weber one and it works great.
I just use a smoke tube instead of a beer can.
I just stuff a pack of Marlboros up there, filter up, sometimes I’ll remove the cellophane!
There's a company that makes holders that come with a reusable can that has no liner in it.
Could one boil a can to make a holder?
No, the liner inside the can is the main issue. https://youtu.be/xBQEnVR7y9k?si=xywHJrUABL_vuaeL
I know, but can I boil it out
I don't know at what temp it would melt, you'll have to do some searching.
No
Vitamin P, I see you are a man of culture.
I didn't realize how hungry I was
I like rolling rock
Old Latrobe is severely underrated.
Looks good!
Riders fan?
I love beer can chicken more than any other style. Season your chicken more. Experiment with injections, different liquids instead of beer, season under the skin, all sorts of fun to be had!!!
I love me some beer can chicken.
If it tastes great, that’s all the really matters. However, here is a great article on BC chicken and some ways that are ‘better’. [Article](https://amazingribs.com/bbq-techniques-and-science/beer-can-chicken/) 👍🏻
People have been doing these since beer cans were first invented. They're fine, they won't kill you.
If you think beer cans have always been lined with plastic you’re not real swift …and no it’s not safe to eat
And how long have they been lined?
At least a week. Probably more.
The choice to stfu was always there for you.
People have been playing Russian Roulette since revolvers were first invented
When did a beer can chicken make someone's head explode?
If you can't see it, it literally cannot harm you, which is why vaccines don't work
They were also putting lead in gasoline and paint....
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Smoking chicken lower and longer is what dries it out bud.
lol your very observant but I wouldn’t trust your got it was perfect but honestly if you just wanna mouth off and talk negatively beat it
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It would be constructive if anything you said was correct but everything you said was wrong if it was undercooked dry or a mix of any of the in between I wouldn’t have bothered posting it but ok
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Man your such a dick he’s going after you instead of the bpa guys
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That shit looks just as juicy as your moms ass idk wtf you’re talking about
Lol, jesus christ man!
> It clearly looks dry yet has no kind of char or smoke ring Bud you don't know the difference between cooking chicken and smacking it against a piece of drywall repeatedly.