"beer can chicken" is delicious! But!

[sear]

Is there a plastic liner in my beer can? What's this about Bisphenol-A (BPA)? Is BPA going to kill me? What about the paint on the outside? Is it true that Aluminum is linked to Alzheimer's Disease? Oh my gosh, is my Beer Can Chicken going to kill me?

Oh my gosh, is my Beer Can Chicken going to kill me?

- I am completely unqualified to answer this, but... I don't think so. For what it's worth, this is my logic: As long as beer is still inside the can, the temperature won't reach much more than 212 degrees F, the boiling point of water.

The boiling point of BPA is about 428 degrees F, so whatever BPA there might be inside the can liner, likely won't cook into the food. If it does, it will stay mostly inside the cavity of the bird and considering how unappetising chicken ribs are, no one is likely going to be eating them.

The paint on the outside follows the same rules as far as I'm concerned. Ensure there is enough liquid in the can and the paint probably won't bake off either.

http://www.papawow.com/blog/beer-can-chicken-and-your-health.html

That may not be the last word.

For now it seems to be the latest word.

I follow the recipe; but I simply omit the beer can. I swear I can not tell any difference in flavor, or in moistness.

[Ashotep]

I have heard you shouldn't buy tomato sauce in the lined cans.

[sear]

I have heard you shouldn't buy tomato sauce in the lined cans.

I'm guessing that was a long time ago.

The message may have gotten garbled in spreading the word.

Turns out canned tomato products can be unusually acidic.

That acid can attack metal in a can, spoiling the taste of the can contents, and possibly posing a health risk.

I believe it's the plastic lined cans which contain tomato products more safely.

[Bendy Demon]

Canned vegetables in general taste yucky and sometimes even a tad metallic.

If I can't but fresh then frozen is the next best thing.

Anyway, the recipe couldn't be found and I was thinking, is putting a can of beer inside a chicken really a safe thing to do?

I mean it sounds interesting when I eat chicken I even nibble the ribs so I think I will pass on the helping of aluminum, paint and such stuff.

[Hawken]

I've always wondered about anhydrous ammonia sprayed on fields by farmers to fertilize crops.

Does it get into the food and water table?

[Frank Merton]

Acidic foods should not be prepared hot in clay pots made in third-world countries where there is a risk they used lead. There are also some who worry about similar foods prepared in aluminum pots because of claims that aluminum and Alzheimer's disease are linked (the tangles found in such patients tend to contain a lot of aluminum). No demonstration of a link has ever been found, and it is generally thought that the aluminum deposits are a consequence and not a cause of the disease.

[Sakari]

That is why they have been making these for years.....

No idea why people did not have enough common sense to know using a can is not good......

I guess they have to read it on the internet first.

[sear]

Thanks for the excellent pic Sakari.

I'm not sure, but I suspect the one you've depicted in post number 7 is designed to hold a can of beer.

I got my stainless steel wire BCC rack from Home Depot. It's also designed to hold a half-empty can of beer.

I've never used a can of beer with it. I use the rack empty. It works fine.

Note on physics:

As long as the container is opened, if the beer can is ~1/2 full, the bottom of the can (the portion of the can closest to the fire) can't exceed ~212F.

That temperature is lower in Denver.

Still, if nothing else, it seems like a waste of beer to me. I'd rather just drink the beer.

[sear]

PS

"Acidic foods should not be prepared hot in clay pots made in third-world countries where there is a risk they used lead." FM

Indeed. Excellent point FM. It's a danger the user might not be aware of; just slowly accumulating detrimental affects; lowering IQ, heart problems, whatever.

Any ceramic tableware may be problematic.

I'm careful not to use plates from questionable origin.

There are test kits; probably best to test the underside, as the test may etch the surface a bit.

The color of various glazes can be imparted by doping the glaze with metal.

Orange glaze may contain Uranium Oxide.

http://digitalfire.com/4sight/hazards/ceramic_hazard_uranium_325.html

Be careful. Saving a few $dollars on tableware or cookware isn't worth it. And buying from an American store like Wal~Mart is no guarantee. They get many of their products from sources including China. China's manufacturing skils may be world-class. But it's poorly regulated; thus warnings of lead contaminated baby toys, etc.

[BiffSplitkins]

Is it true that Aluminum is linked to Alzheimer's Disease?

It won't give you Alzheimer's but I heard you can get Anheuser's from it.

[sear]

"It won't give you Alzheimer's but I heard you can get Anheuser's from it." Biff

That's potentially serious. I came down with a bad case of Mudweister once.

A perky blonde walked into a bar and ordered a draft.

The beertender asked: Anheuser-Busch?

The adorable blonde replied: "It's just fine! And how's your johnson?"

[Sakari]

I'm not sure, but I suspect the one you've depicted in post number 7 is designed to hold a can of beer.

No, it is designed to replace the can.

Pour in a beer, or something better such as :

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
  
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
  
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, crushed
  
• Juice of 1 lemon
  
• For Rub:
  
• 1 teaspoon paprika
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
  
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, ground
  
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
  

Preparation:

Combine all rub ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.

Remove giblets and the neck from chicken. Sprinkle all over with rub, including cavity. Fill ceramic container half way with water. Place, minced garlic, rosemary, thyme, lemon juice, and pepper flakes in it. Place chicken on top of holder.

Preheat grill for a medium heat. Place birds on grill. Grill over indirect medium heat for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until internal temperature of thigh is 180 degrees. Remove chicken when finished cooking and let sit for 10 minutes before carving.

[sear]

Thanks for the recipe sakari.

There are indeed some very complicated marinades. Some of them can be injected into the bird via over-sized hypodermic style appliacator.

I used to do that when I grilled beef. I'd leave it submerged in marinade for up to a week; and slather more of it on while cooking.

I'd start with zesty Italian dressing, and jazz it up from there.

W/ BCC I take the opposite approach.

I used to unpackage the bird, and rinse it thoroughly, to rid it of any pathogens; e. coli, or other.

I can't be bothered.

Now, my recipe is this simple:

Remove the bird from its sealed plastic bag.

Impale the bird on the vertical poultry roasting rack.

Invert the cauldron over it.

Let it cook for a few hours, never less than two.

Bon appétit!

[Sweetpumper]

Yummy.

[Kowalski]

That is why they have been making these for years.....

No idea why people did not have enough common sense to know using a can is not good......

I guess they have to read it on the internet first.

I have one of these except it's made from metal. I think it's easier to clean than the plastic ones.

No, it is designed to replace the can.

Pour in a beer, or something better such as :

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
  
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
  
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, crushed
  
• Juice of 1 lemon
  
• For Rub:
  
• 1 teaspoon paprika
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
  
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, ground
  
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
  

Preparation:

Combine all rub ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.

Remove giblets and the neck from chicken. Sprinkle all over with rub, including cavity. Fill ceramic container half way with water. Place, minced garlic, rosemary, thyme, lemon juice, and pepper flakes in it. Place chicken on top of holder.

Preheat grill for a medium heat. Place birds on grill. Grill over indirect medium heat for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until internal temperature of thigh is 180 degrees. Remove chicken when finished cooking and let sit for 10 minutes before carving.

I make mine very similar to this recipe...

[Simbi Laveau]

I just found an awesome recipe for this too.

It's aluminum ,I don't think bpas would be the issue.

I buy bottled ready made sauce,but use it as if its a can of plain .I make my recipe using the jarred sauce. Nothing with a lot of sugar tho .

It's the only way around using canned ,save fresh tomatoes .