GLWhiskeyKitchen

Grilling · · By Ashley

Oberon-Brined Smoked Chicken

Same Oberon brine as the roast chicken. This time the cheesecloth stays in the drawer so the smoke can get at the skin.

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Prep
4 hr 30 min
Cook
2 hr 30 min
Total
7 hr 15 min
Serves
4 to 6
Level
Medium
A smoked chicken with lacquered mahogany skin resting on a wire rack

Where the time goes

7 hr 15 min, mostly waiting

  • Hands-on
  • Hands-off
  1. 01Hands-onMake the brine and let it cool15 min
  2. 02Hands-offBrine4 to 12 hr
  3. 03Hands-offPat dry, then air-dry in the fridge · optional, for crispier skin1 to 2 hr
  4. 04Hands-offSmoke at 225 to 250°F2 to 3 hr
  5. 05Hands-onCrisp at 400°F · optional10 min
  6. 06Hands-offRest15 min

The story

The brine is two bottles of Bell's Oberon, fresh thyme, garlic and peppercorns. Oberon is a Kalamazoo wheat ale with a lot of orange in it, and that citrus and wheat carries straight into the meat.

From there it goes on the smoker at 225 to 250°F over fruitwood. Apple, cherry or pecan all suit the citrus in the beer. Nothing covers the bird, so the smoke can work into the meat and color the skin.

Low smoke can leave the skin soft. Ten minutes at 400°F at the end fixes that.

If you would rather use the oven, the roast version of this chicken uses the same brine with a butter-soaked cheesecloth.

Ingredients

Serves 4 to 6

Tap an ingredient to check it off.

The Oberon and thyme brine

The smoke

If you haven't got it

  • Bell's Oberon Ale — another wheat ale

Method

Tap a step number to mark it done.

Brine: 4 to 12 hours ahead

  1. Dissolve

    In a large pot over medium heat, stir 2 cups of the water with the salt and brown sugar until both have completely dissolved. Take it off the heat.

    Looking down into a steel pot at salt, black peppercorns, smashed garlic and bay leaves for the brine
    The brine going together in the pot.

  2. Mix and chill

    Pour in the remaining 2 cups of cold water, the Oberon, thyme, peppercorns and garlic. Let the brine cool all the way to room temperature.

    Never put raw chicken into warm brine.

  3. Submerge

    Put the chicken in a brining bag or a deep pot and pour the cooled brine over it. Make sure the bird is fully under.

    The chicken under the foamy Oberon brine, with thyme, parsley, bay leaves and peppercorns floating on top
    Fully under, herbs on top.

  4. Brine

    Refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 12.

  5. Dry

    Lift the chicken out and throw the brine away. Pat it completely dry with paper towels, inside and out.

    For the crispiest skin, leave it uncovered in the fridge for another 1 to 2 hours after drying.

Smoke

  1. Fire up the smoker

    Bring the smoker to 225 to 250°F / 107 to 121°C with your fruitwood.

  2. Bind and rub

    Rub a thin layer of olive oil or melted butter all over the dry chicken, then dust it lightly with the poultry rub.

  3. Set the chicken breast-side up directly on the grates, close the lid, and leave it alone.

  4. Watch the temperature, not the clock

    Smoke until the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F / 74°C. At 225°F that is roughly 30 to 45 minutes per pound, so 2 to 3 hours for a 4 to 5 lb bird.

  5. Crisp the skin (optional)

    For crisper skin, take the smoker up to 400°F / 204°C for the last 10 minutes, or finish it in a 400°F oven.

  6. Take it off the smoker and rest it for 15 minutes before carving.

Things worth knowing

  • Let the brine cool completely before the chicken goes in.
  • Use a low-sodium rub. The brine has already added plenty of salt.
  • Go by the thermometer. Smokers and birds both vary, so the 2 to 3 hours is a guide.

Swaps that work

  • No Oberon? Any wheat ale works. Add a few strips of orange peel to the brine to get closer to Oberon's citrus.
  • Pecan gives a slightly deeper smoke than apple or cherry.

Credits and sources

Ingredients · 7 hr 15 min · Serves 4 to 6

The Oberon and thyme brine

  • 2 (12 oz)Bell's Oberon Ale
  • 4 cupswater
  • ¼ cupkosher salt
  • ¼ cupbrown sugar
  • 6 to 8 sprigsfresh thyme
  • 1 tbspblack peppercorns
  • 3 clovesgarlic
  • 1 (4 to 5 lb)whole chicken

The smoke

  • 2 tbspolive oil or melted butter
  • 2 tbsppoultry rub
  • apple, cherry or pecan wood

Filed under

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