• Sit butter out to soften. You want butter just soft enough to mix, but not too soft. Place softened butter into a bowl, and add seasoning. Mix together to form a seasoned butter.
  3 sticks butter, 3 tablespoons garlic powder, 3 tablespoons lemon-pepper seasoning, 3 tablespoons blackened seasoning
• Using 3 kitchen towels, lay them on the counter. This will help keep chickens from slipping, and you can throw them in the wash afterward.  Remove gizzards, liver, and anything else inside chickens, and reserve for chicken stock, or toss. Rinse each chicken out with cold water until the water runs clear.
  3 whole chickens
• Place the chicken breast side down on the towels. Pat dry. Turn over. Work your hands up under the skin, being careful not to tear. You are making room for the butter and lemons. Turn chickens over and do the same on the other side.
• Take some of the herbed butter and lemon and work it under the skin, using the chicken skin to push it back further to the back. If using lemons, slide a few slices under the skin with the herbed butter. Repeat this process on all chickens, and then turn over and do the same on the other side of the chicken. Rub the remaining herbed butter over the skin on the breast side of the chickens. Be sure to wash your hands using soap between each step.
  2 lemons
• Place chickens in pans. We use one large pan for 2 of the chickens and one smaller pan. Generously crack fresh pepper over tops of chickens. Cover to seal with plastic wrap. Place in fridge for at least 3 hours, and can be done overnight.

Instructions for preparing smoker and beer cans:

• Prepare your charcoal in your smoker.

  While the coals are getting to the right temp, get your beer cans ready.
• Place a rimmed sheet pan on the counter. Place 3

  beer can chicken holders on the sheet pan.
• Open the beer and pour it into a large pyrex handled bowl. Add apple juice. Cut off the tops of the beer cans using kitchen sheers. Rinse out the beer cans to make sure there are no metal shards inside or out. Place the cans inside beer can chicken holders.
  3 16 ounce cans of beer, 12 ounce apple juice
• Add 2 of the smashed garlic cloves to each of the beer cans. Cut any old fruit you have, like apples, limes, lemons, or oranges into quarters and place inside the beer cans. Pour some of the beer apple juice mixture into each can.  Fill to the top. This may take a few times as you wait for foam to settle.
  6 cloves garlic, 3 pieces of fruit
• Put your wood over the hot coals. Put your plate setter over the coals, and put the foil pan on the plate setter. Fill it with the rest of the beer, apple juice mixture. Put grill grate over that. Place chickens on the grill and close grill. You want to keep the temperature at 325 F.

Instructions for smoking the chickens

• Bring chickens out of the fridge. Unwrap chickens and place them over each beer can, so they are standing up.
• At the 45-50 minute mark, skin will be brown. At this point cover each chicken with foil, and rotate chickens. Rotate chickens 1 more time at 45-50 minute mark. After rotating 2 times, and smoking chickens for a total of 2 hour and 15 minutes to 2 hours and 30 minutes check for an internal temperature on the thighs of 170. Once this is reached, remove chickens from grill onto a rimmed sheet pan and bring into house and set on stove.
• Cover all 3 chickens with large piece of foil. Chickens will continue to finish cooking. Allow chickens to rest for at least 20 minutes before slicing.
• We break down all the chickens for serving that night, and to store in fridge for the rest of the week. We remove the skin and the bones and keep the breasts and tenders intact. The smoked chicken can be kept for a week in the refrigerator. If not using the meat that week, place in freezer bags and seal. Will keep in freezer for 3 months.