Either get a medium vortex, or put your charcoal baskets in the center with a full chimney of fully lit coals, plus as many more coals as you can pile on. Let all of the coals get going really well, then put wings around the outside. I've done brined, not brined, tossed in flour, naked...it really doesn't matter. What matters is getting the high heat so the wings basically fry themselves. Did some vortex wings on Saturday and at one point I could actually see the oils in the skin boiling underneath the skin.