Wings direct on the blue

[JEBIV]

I also like the direct, although my last few wing cooks were indirect with the Vortex. The direct method and monitoring and flipping make me feel good and I like to sip when I flip as well. Grate cook @HoosierKettle . I will agree with @captjoe06 on the price of wings that is why I cooked thighs last night.

[addicted-to-smoke]

Well I'm still afraid of flareups but will try it anyway. I realize the lid takes care of the flareups, but that's a lot of little flippers to flip while the flames are flaming, no?

I just realized my earlier response to this didn’t answer your question at all. Not sure what I was thinking.

I kind of run the tongs through the middle and grab as many as I can at once and I do a pretty quick shuffle, paying specific attention to flippers that need shuffled in and out of the hottest spots.

You usually will have a couple minutes before the coals start to flare up. Last night, it was just starting to flare up a little by the time I finished turning.

On a side note, I swear 3 wheelers do a little bit better job cooking just about everything if you have the patience which I normally do not.

No really, truly, you did answer and I appreciate the further dialogue. You have to understand I sometimes fall into laziness regarding wanting to know exactly what I'm in for before I dive in, even if "the consequences" aren't major. And so the questions and suppositions become detailed, whereas a sane person would just shut up and try it and see for themselves.

I also realized later that spreading out the coals across the bottom presents less heat to the direct food than what I'm used to, which is "charcoal baskets for everything." << May main cooker is an older red Performer, so I tend to be protective about its bowl.

[Big Dawg]

How do they, and the cooking process, compare to the Vortex, @HoosierKettle?

I stopped buying wings as they're priced almost as high as ribeyes on sale around here.  It's crazy.
Thighs are half the price.
Looks like a great cook.

They're high down here, too.  In fact, they are often the most expensive "part" of the chicken in small packs at the local grocer.  But they're not quite to ribeye level, even on sale.  I usually get the family pack at Sam's.  Twenty-one full wings for just under $2.50 lb.  But I have seen them as high as $4.50 lb. at, believe it or not, Wally World (same company as Sam's) ! ! !





BD

[HoosierKettle]

How do they, and the cooking process, compare to the Vortex, @HoosierKettle?

I stopped buying wings as they're priced almost as high as ribeyes on sale around here.  It's crazy.
Thighs are half the price.
Looks like a great cook.

They're high down here, too.  In fact, they are often the most expensive "part" of the chicken in small packs at the local grocer.  But they're not quite to ribeye level, even on sale.  I usually get the family pack at Sam's.  Twenty-one full wings for just under $2.50 lb.  But I have seen them as high as $4.50 lb. at, believe it or not, Wally World (same company as Sam's) ! ! !





BD

The vortex is easy. Place the wings around and maybe flip or maybe not and in 45- 1 hour you have great wings. My one complaint about vortex style cooking is it will make the top of the wings crispy and perfect in half hour. I will flip and cook another half hour but the bottom never gets as crispy as the top. I assume the peak heat at the beginning is the reason then with lid on it settles in. Not sure though. Also the vortex lacks the drippings on the coal flavor.

I’ll do direct the whole time or utilize 2 zones and cook over the coals the second half. Both taste the same. I think cooking direct yields a better meat texture and skin texture and moisture in the wing. The difference is subtle but noticeable.  I will still use the vortex when I’m busy.

Vortex or direct. Both great. The main thing is everyone should be cooking and enjoying wings on the kettle because they are always awesome.


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[addicted-to-smoke]

... I assume the peak heat at the beginning is the reason then with lid on it settles in. ...

Sounds right. Consider that when deep fried, they get hit with high heat immediately, all over, no let up. Grilled, while one part is getting high heat the other side of the meat may not.

So by the time you flip or whatever, that lower-heat skin is already cooked enough that "more heat" isn't gonna render the same crispness as the immediate attack did to the other part.

I submit that's the reason why it's hard to get chicken skin crispy any "normally grilled" way, especially if not battered, even if you try to "reverse sear" them.

[Big Dawg]

I submit that's the reason why it's hard to get chicken skin crispy any "normally grilled" way, especially if not battered, even if you try to "reverse sear" them.

That makes sense. although I believe there is also some "radiation" coming up from the bottom due to the metal cone.  But I could easily be wrong about that.





BD

[MacEggs]

Thanks for posting this, @HoosierKettle !  I have been curious lately about trying this very method for wings.

Just 2 weeks ago, I used a similar method on a 18" kettle to cook-up two packages of bacon, and it worked great.
I cooked each package separately.  It seemed like there were hot spots, but regular attention to flipping and cycling around the grate was required.

I cook almost exclusively indirect on a kettle, so this was a nice change of pace.  Thanks for sharing. 

[HoosierKettle]

Thanks for posting this, @HoosierKettle !  I have been curious lately about trying this very method for wings.

Just 2 weeks ago, I used a similar method on a 18" kettle to cook-up two packages of bacon, and it worked great.
I cooked each package separately.  It seemed like there were hot spots, but regular attention to flipping and cycling around the grate was required.

I cook almost exclusively indirect on a kettle, so this was a nice change of pace.  Thanks for sharing. 

Your welcome, I need to give bacon a try. I’ll bet yours was great cooked over the coals. [emoji106]


Sent from my iPhone using Weber Kettle Club mobile app