Vortex and the E6 Kamado — need some help


 
Grant Cunningham

Grant Cunningham

TVWBB Pro
I've had a Vortex for a while now, but never actually used it. Today I did some chicken thighs, and while the meat was cooked nicely the skin was blacker than the inside of a bag of charcoal (and tasted like it, too!)

Used a chimney of Cowboy briquettes, and put the Vortex on the grate in the bottom position. The thighs were arranged on the very outside of the cooking grate. Bottom air was in the grill position, and the top was wide open (i.e., flipped up.) Dome thermometer read 650+ deg.

Thighs were dry rubbed only, no sauce. Cooking time to 165 degF was about 10 minutes.

What should I do differently to get a nice, crispy, edible skin? Should I have the charcoal grate in the upper position, with the Vortex poking through the center hole? Hold temps down to, say, 600 deg by adjusting the air control? Both? Neither?
 
Nope. At 650° You’re literally burning the skin. For crispiest skin, 450° for 10 minutes on thighs alone, then step down to 350° to finish the cook, internal temp of 165° Total cook time will be 30-35 minutes from my experience.
 
Brett-EDH said:
Nope. At 650° You’re literally burning the skin. For crispiest skin, 450° for 10 minutes on thighs alone, then step down to 350° to finish the cook, internal temp of 165° Total cook time will be 30-35 minutes from my experience.
Click to expand...
Thanks. At those temps, does the Vortex really do anything that I couldn't achieve with char-baskets (or even just a two-zone fire)?
 
As suggested, you can do the baskets in the middle, but I put a charcoal basket on the TOP charcoal level to one side. SnS style layout. Load it up with lump (I find it burns hotter than briquettes) and bring the grill it up to 450. Place your chicken on the opposite side of the grill. Beautiful crispy skin every time...about 30 min cooking time.
 
Brett-EDH said:
IMO, no. The E6 does chicken, thighs, wings, drums well in a ring with cbs in the center and chicken indirectly around the cbs. I have a vortex too and it gets very little use from what I’ve done and do on the E6.
Click to expand...
Do you usually put the charcoal on the upper or lower charcoal grate for grilling?
 
I’ve used the vortex in the WSCG several times running wide open and never had that, just fantastic results. I usual just run fully open on the top, not flipped up. Did your rub have a ton of sugar?

I usually do wings, but have done legs and thighs too.
 

Attachments

  • 1CBD54E8-BB95-4AA7-8C95-432F19497336.jpeg
    1CBD54E8-BB95-4AA7-8C95-432F19497336.jpeg
    272.1 KB · Views: 30
I use a charcoal grate from a Kettle22.. I think it's a 7441. It fits in the WSC in a middle position and puts the top of the large Vortex a few inches below the cooking grate. Vents are full open. It's the radiant heat from the Vortex that makes for great chicken, more so than anything else.
 
I’ll chime in. About 90% of my fast cooks are done with the assistance of the vortex. I usually run at about 400 F, indirect. Would you be able to do the same with your char baskets? Yes and no. The baskets have holes around the sides and channel heat in all directions. Your vortex pushes heat straight up and it flows throughout the dome.

Does it make a vast difference based on which one you use? Maybe. But I do find my that my Kamado heats up much faster with the vortex (6-7 mins vs 15.)

26A27F97-6164-41AA-BD2E-D682B1519592.jpegE1411FF4-E9FC-4B6B-8DE2-001D6433B1C7.jpeg86319714-2C09-42D9-8076-B3A6E488FEAC.jpegD19B1116-4179-4AFD-B5E3-2F130B61DAD1.jpeg
 
I use the Vortex in the low position and use it to conserve charcoal. I have never had any control issues to cook at 400* I have the bottom vent just less than smoke setting and top vent at a bout 1/4 open. Cooking in a circle is just a modified 2 zone cook. The E6 is a champion at heat control and fuel use.
 
Okay, so I tried it again. This time, I ignored all of the previous advice to "run it wide open" and used the (superb) temp control of the E6 to keep dome temps at 400-425 degF.

Result: perfectly cooked thighs. In fact, the best thighs I think I've ever done — crispy skin, tender juicy meat. I guess there is something to this Vortex thingy after all!

Now I can resume my quest to make the "perfect" chicken rub. I'm getting close, but the exact flavor profile is proving to be elusive. I'll update when I'm successful.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top