How to turn the kettle grill into a kettle smoker - classic beer chicken

September 14, 2019 Gastautoren Joe & Markus
Rezepte | Produkte

A kettle barbecue is an extremely versatile and inexpensive barbecue appliance. There is hardly any discipline that cannot be mastered on it. Direct and indirect grilling are standard. But a fire plate can also be used on a kettle barbecue. The advantages are obvious. The whole world of BBQ is open to you with just one barbecue appliance. This saves space and money without compromising on versatility. With the purchase of a stainless steel insert, the kettle barbecue can even be expanded into a kettle smoker that works like a water smoker.

What is a water smoker?

In a water smoker, coals are made to glow at the bottom and a bowl of water is placed on top. The food is placed on the next level. As with the kettle grill, there are valves on the lid and base that can be used to control the temperature inside by regulating the air supply. The water ensures even heat release and distribution, as well as a high level of humidity inside the Watersmoker. Wood chips on the coals provide the necessary smoke.

A water smoker is able to maintain the temperature for a long period of time. This makes it ideal for "low & slow" BBQ, which is particularly popular in the USA. This means that the food is cooked at low temperatures over a long period of time.

The shape of the water smoker is reminiscent of an elongated kettle barbecue. It therefore makes sense to use the kettle grill for this type of BBQ. As the kettle barbecue lacks height, it is fitted with a water reservoir at the side and the smoking wood is also placed on the coals at this point. Smoke and water vapour are drawn sideways over the food and escape through the ventilation valve on the lid. This transforms the kettle barbecue into a kettle smoker.

What are the advantages of the kettle smoker?

The combination of water vapour and smoke means that the food absorbs the smoke particularly well. This ensures full and intense flavours in the grilled food.
Thanks to the steam, the food does not dry out
insert means that the water, coals and wood have a fixed place, which makes operation easier
.

Here we will show you what you need to turn your kettle barbecue into a kettle smoker and how to proceed in order to smoulder in this way. We will demonstrate each step by preparing a beer chicken.

What is a beer chicken?

In a beer chicken, a chicken is placed on a holder that allows the chicken to be cooked in an upright position. This allows the hot air to cook the chicken from all sides. In the past, beer cans were often used for this. The drink in the can heats up on the barbecue and the vapour flows through the chicken from the inside. Health-conscious barbecue enthusiasts have pointed out that the paint on the cans and the aluminium from which the cans are made can be problematic for your health. For this reason, it is better to use a special beer chicken holder.

In addition to the liquid, you can also place garlic and herbs in the container of the beer chicken holder to add flavour to the meat.

What do you need for this recipe?

Barbecue:

Kettle barbecue
Insert kettle smoker from Grillrost.com
Insert thermometer
1 bag of charcoal briquettes
Smoking chips

Food:

a whole chicken
vegetables of your choice (e.g. peppers, pimientos de padron, onions)
small potatoes
50 g garlic butter
two chorizos
one whole onion, peeled
two tablespoons of sunflower oil
a spice mix for roast chicken

Preparing the barbecue

The insert, which transforms the kettle barbecue into a kettle smoker, is inserted on one side and connected to a support on the grill.

Place the wood chips in a bowl of water before use. Good quality briquettes are made to glow in a large chimney starter. This takes about 45 minutes - enough time to prepare the chicken.

Preparation of the chicken

First rub the chicken thinly with oil and sprinkle with a poultry spice mix. Fill the keeper's storage container with beer and lemon juice. Add a few crushed garlic cloves.

The chicken can now be placed on the storage container. An onion is placed in the upper part of the chicken, i.e. where the head and neck used to be. The rest of the skin is tied with toothpicks. In this way, the beer vapour cannot escape immediately, is trapped and remains in the chicken for longer.

Commissioning

Half of the glowing briquettes are now tipped out of the chimney starter through the two openings in the insert. Spread the coals evenly using barbecue tongs to create space for the water tray.

Place the other half of the coals on the opposite side of the Kugelsmoker insert on the charcoal grate, insert the water tray and fill it, spread the watered wood chips over the briquettes and place the chicken on the grate.

Beer chicken farmers offer the option of placing side dishes around the poultry. These cook with the chicken and are flavoured by the leaking fat. The side dishes are particularly tasty if they are also basted with a little beer.

The lid of the kettle grill can now be fitted. The ventilation valves on the base and lid are only opened a little at first. The temperature in the barbecue is set so that the lid thermometer indicates a temperature of 110-120°C.

After a short time, the first smoke will appear, rising from the air valve on the lid. The beer chicken is now smoked for 45 to 60 minutes.

After this time, brush the skin of the chicken with garlic butter. Then sprinkle the chicken with salt. This draws water out of the skin and ensures that a crispy crust is created in the next step. The temperature is increased so that the lid thermometer reads 220-230°C. This also ensures that the skin becomes crispy.

The beer chicken now remains on the grill until it is fully cooked. To ensure this, prick the thickest part of the meat with a core temperature thermometer. If it reads 80°C, the chicken is ready. How long this takes depends on the size of the chicken. At the end of the cooking time, the skin is crispy and the meat is juicy and full of flavour.

Conclusion

Thanks to the mixture of smoke and steam, the food is given a pleasantly intense smoky flavour.
As always, Grillrost.com delivers the highest quality. The insert is very easy to install and quick to clean after the BBQ.
Thanks to the 2 mm thick stainless steel, rust doesn't stand a chance. The insert does not warp even at high temperatures.

Markus and Joe from Futterattacke.de wish you bon appétit and lots of fun with your fire plates from Grillrost.com.