Wire Stands for Beer Can Chicken

First things first. Brining the Hanchen
I am not sure how prevelant brining is in Germany but I have become such a believer in it
that I can't eliminate it here. Brining is different than marinating. While marinating adds a certain flavor to the meat, brining's cheif purpose is to hydrate the cells. I am not going to get into a scientific discussion about osmosis but you can read about brining here to understand how your chicken will be seasoned nicely and stay much more moist with brining.

Another advantage of brining is that even if you overcook the chicken a bit it will still be moist and tender.

I brine the chicken first .
Make the brine by bringing half a gallon of water to a boil then add the salt and sugar and dissolve. Add the remaining 2 quarts and let it cool. Put in a bowl and add the chicken. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and place in fridge for 24 hours. Even if you only have a few hours it is worth it to brine the chicken.
If you don't have fridge space you can put it in a small cooler with ice cubes.

Make your Brathanchengewurtz to your liking.
Brat = roast , Hahnchen = small chicken and Gewürtz = spice seasoning
You can find many different recipes for it on the web so I provided a basic recipe and you
can add what ever you want.
You can of course use any chicken rub you want or buy one that you like.
It is hard sometimes to sprinkle the seasoning on when it is standing upright on the beer can.

Here is a technique that will help.

Add the flour and oil and mix. The flour helps to give it body and adhear to the chicken.

Take the chicken from the brine and dry it well.
Brush this on the inside of the chicken with the spice mix.

Mount the chicken on the stand with the beer can filled with a tablespoon of the Brathanchen spice. Brush the outside of the chicken so it is well coated. I like placing the stand in a foil pan. You can also put a piece of foil on the grill so it stands evenly. It also will catch the drips.

Use the indirect method of cooking on the BBQ. Puy the coals on one side and the chicken on the other.

Slow roast the chicken to 160 degrees which will take 1-2 hours depending on the temperature of your bbq.
It is important to turn the pan about every half hour so the chicken cooks evenly on all sides.
the bird will continue to cook another 5 degrees after you take it off.

	If you are using a gas BBQ turn the burners on one side of the bbq and put the chicken on the other side so there is no direct heat underneath it. Otherwise it will burn the pan. A thermometer deep in the thigh area is a good place to check for doneness. 160 degrees F, the carry over cooking will bring it to 165.

When the chicken is done let it rest for a few minutes.

The paprika especially gives this chicken a great color as well as flavor.
Slice the chicken however you like.

The chicken breast will be nice and moist, even if overdone a bit because of the brining.

Any leftovers makes a nice German Chicken Salad