I made 3 lbs of party wings and 6 legs with corn starch last night and the were the worst kettle/vortex cook I have done by far. I don't think I will ever try them that was again, but if I did I would really try to knock off as much of the corn starch/seasoning mix as possible and the do that again to get even more off. I think the main issue was too much corn starch, but not sure. Maybe next time I do 3 pounds I time I will do like two wings that way to try it again.
I have had amazing success with getting then good and dry, applying seasoning and putting them on the kettle. I also like to spray with EVOO cooking spray, after seasoning, before they go on.
We were trying to get a more grill fried wing last night and failed.
I will probably try the baking powder.
As for charcoal and wood. This is a cook that I have had better outcomes when I use my better charcoal then my lesser stuff. I know you, me and so many of us are having a hard time finding it, but Weber Briquettes burn hotter then all other Briquettes I have used, and when I pull the vortex out my Weber had made a noticeable difference over other briquettes to me. The dome temp reads 100 higher, the, wings sizzle the whole cook and they come out perfectly crispy. I am actually thinking to buy a bag of lump specifically to try in the vortex. So from my experience if you have something that burns hotter I would go with that. As for wood, I alway just put a small piece on top of the vortex fire. That gives off a lot of smoke, but we like it. I like a little piece of pecan.
To reiterate what was shared above, remove the center, the heat could destroy that guy, and foil those sides around the vortex, chicken wings are the messiest thing I cook in the kettle.
As for time, so many people I read say 30 mins, I have always gone between 45 mins to max an hour. I am looking for the skin to crisp up and for when I take a flat for it to pull apart easily to know they are done.
Last, if you can't get some wings, the vortex is just an all around chicken cooking machine, get some bone in legs, or bone in thighs, or bone in thigh/leg quarters and do them up!
Good luck and enjoy, vortex cooks are some of the most fun cooks to me. I think it has something to do with the fact that my daughter and I eating a half dozen wings between the two of us throughout the cooking process, before the tray even hits the table.
