[BDeRo82]

is it possible to use say a can of tomatoe juice in place of a can of beer or is there something about the carbonation of the beer that sets it apart.
or what about using a random tin can and filling it with water and some random aeromatics in it instead.

chew on that one for a bit

[CrazyTATT]

Any can with a liquid and aromatic will work. I've done it w/ tequillia(watered down), lime juice, lemon juice, onion, peppers, and a touch of liquid smoke. Came out well. I think the whole thing is the steaming from the inside, and dry heat on the outside to render things crispy, yet moist.

[BDeRo82]

nice call on the tequila
i will have to give that a shot
speaking of which i bet injecting just a bit of that would be nice also

[CrazyTATT]

I like to inject the bird and the cook!

[panini]

Our home family favorite is to stuff under the skin with oreg,tyme from garden Open a can diced tomatoes throw more herbs in there and put my version of bloomin onion on top of the can and the yardbird over.
For poker night, any bbq sauce thinned and put through a coffee filter into a spray bottle with your desired amount of JD. A good coating of coarse salt and pepper. in the can 3-4 scotch bonnets coca cola and JD. Once those puppies turn yellow start spraying them down with the spray. We all think they are great but I can't testify to that, my taste buds may be a little altered by munchie time

[CrazyTATT]

Originally Posted by panini

Our home family favorite is to stuff under the skin with oreg,tyme from garden Open a can diced tomatoes throw more herbs in there and put my version of bloomin onion on top of the can and the yardbird over.
For poker night, any bbq sauce thinned and put through a coffee filter into a spray bottle with your desired amount of JD. A good coating of coarse salt and pepper. in the can 3-4 scotch bonnets coca cola and JD. Once those puppies turn yellow start spraying them down with the spray. We all think they are great but I can't testify to that, my taste buds may be a little altered by munchie time

Now THAT, sounds like a winner! I just learned a new trick I think...good stuff.

[starlord]

I prepare a lot of beer can chicken, and I also experiment a lot, so trust me when I tell you that just about any liquid used in the beer can chicken set up will provide satisfactory results, and some are heavenly.
I have used sodas like root beer, 7-Up, colas. and orange juice(very tasty), Jumex brand mango juice. I always add some of my rub to the liquid, and the results have always been very good. I usually use a piece of apple to plug the neck hole, but potato also works nicely, too. I like the tequila suggestion, and have used wine on occasion, with a raspberry merlot being my favorite. I have a friend who says she is allergic to alcohol, so I once set up a non-alcohol chicken just for her. She ate the beer can chicken with no harmful effects, so showing that the cooking process boils off the more volatile alcohol. Bon appetit!

[bigwheel]

Well I aint a big fan of beer can chicken. Now dont get me wrong..I have ate some that tasted purty good but not as good as propaly cooked grand prize winning chicken. Yard bird of that genre is always split and cooked hot and fast. Long slow tortuous cooking sessions involving whole birds do not improve chickens in my book. Ideally a chicken should be cooked so quick its eyes still be blinking when they come off the fire. Just my tuppence and half quid of course.

bigwheel

Originally Posted by BDeRo82

is it possible to use say a can of tomatoe juice in place of a can of beer or is there something about the carbonation of the beer that sets it apart.
or what about using a random tin can and filling it with water and some random aeromatics in it instead.

chew on that one for a bit

[cliveb]

My brain, addled from two nights of partying, tells me that a little bit of GOOD scotch whisky, some dark brown sugar and a little spring water, heavily dosed with s & p, might just work the same.
Then you can make a whisky-cream sauce on the side to moisten the chicken.

[diane]

Brilliant Clive. What a great question and great answers everyone.

[JonK]

While I suspect most folks are thinking of the grill when they do beer can chicken, those of us in the north, where winters are all too long, like doing BCC in the oven. I purchased a lovely pottery chicken cooker that has a tube in the center for holding both the chicken and the liquid of choice (and we've tried quite a few--a dry white wine is one of our favorites) and a surround (with a convenient pour lip) to capture the drippings for skimming and using for a sauce.

We bought ours from a potter (Maggie Black Pottery in Boone, NC, bucky@skybest.com) at a craft show, but I expect there are lots of other sources. It works just great, especially when you're too busy with other things to tend a cooking chicken.