Ultimate Beer Butt Chicken Beer Can - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 tablespoon dried bay leaf, crushed
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed tight
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
2 tablespoons black pepper
4 tablespoons paprika
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
4 tablespoons ketchup
3 teaspoons Frank's red hot sauce
4 tablespoons Bud Light beer
4 tablespoons white vinegar
1 (12 ounce) can Bud Light beer
1 (3 1/2-4 lb) whole chickens

Preparation

Rinse chicken well inside an out.
Pat bird completely dry with paper towels.
To make the rub: mix 4 tbsp paprika, 2 tsp salt, 2 tbsp black pepper, 2 tsp cayenne pepper, and 1/4 cup brown sugar in a small bowl and set it aside.
To make glaze: mix together 1/4 cup brown sugar, 4 tbsp ketchup, 3 tsp frank's red hot sauce, 4 tbsp white vinegar, 4 tbsp beer (save remainder in can and set it aside), and 2 tbsp of the spice rub you just made in a separate bowl; set aside.
Pour beer can out (or drink it down) until it is just a bit over half way full and then add crushed bay leaves and 1 tsp of rub to the half full can.
Loosen the skin on the breasts, legs and thighs of your chicken.
Massage the rub into the meat under the skin and then all over the outside of the bird's skin as well as inside the cavity.
Place beer can in the \"butt\" of the bird making the bird stand upright.
Preheat grill with all burners on high until grill is heated and ready to cook.
You must cook indirectly; so if you have 2 burners on your grill, turn one off (for 3 burners turn 1 off, for 4 burners turn 2 off, etc.).
Place the standing bird on the cooler or \"off\" burner side of the grill with the breasts facing the hot or \"on side of it (you grill should remain at about 375 degrees during the entire cooking process).
Close lid and cook for 30 minutes, then rotate bird so that the opposite side (the back) is not facing the heated side of the grill and then continue cooking with the lid closed for 30 more minutes.
Rotate bird back to original position with breasts facing the heat and glaze the entire bird thoroughly with the pre-made glaze; continue cooking 30 more minutes until cooked, brown and slightly crisped.
Transfer chicken carefully off of beer can and onto cutting board.
Let rest 5-10 minutes and then carve and enjoy!