If you’re into low and slow cooking, you probably know how hard it’s to arrange the fire every time before cooking. You might be using methods like the snake or the minion method to arrange the briquettes so that they self-ignite over time strategically. The best way to grill wings: With the BBQ Vortex BBQ Vortext Method Two: High Heat Indirect – The Ring of Wings This method is Volcano style, with the small opening on top. It creates a super high heat zone directly above the Vortex. When I first tested this method, the temps above the BBQ Vortex were only marginally higher than two full Weber baskets. I used a steel plate and an infrared thermometer to compare. Both the Vortex and the baskets brought the steel up into the 800 degree range using Coshell. This was very disappointing at first, but when I ran the test again using Kingsford, the results were very different. The sear zone over the vortex was once again crazy hot, right around 650-700 degrees, while the baskets barely hit 500. The BBQ Vortex DEFINITELY created a super hot sear spot. This method is the exact configuration as the previous. The difference is in the food placement. Radiant heat is channeled straight up. The area around the Vortex is shielded from much of the radiant heat, but still remains a high heat cooking zone via convection. The temp around the ring will hit 450-500 while using Coshell, slightly less with Kingsford.

Verdict: It creates a very high-temperature zone for searing, but the space is a bit limited. INFRARED – Radiant Heat

This method is for high heat searing and reverse-searing. You place the Vortex narrow side up on the bottom grate and add some charcoal to it–there’s no need to fill the Vortex entirely. Replace the top grate and put your steaks directly over the fire.

These methods are not 100% fail-safe and/or efficient. Besides, they require a lot of effort, time, and a steep learning curve to master. If you’re not that meticulous, you might be throwing the coals in haphazardly with varying degrees of results.Compare it, for example, to the snake or the minion method. Leaving effort aside, these methods don’t provide heat to every piece. Or compare it to set your fire off to one side of the kettle for 2-zone or indirect cooking. Again, pieces nearby the fire will burn off, and those far off may remain uncooked unless you rotate and flip them often.