Wings on a large?

jad · February 2016

Wanted to do some wings on a large and was wondering how to feed around 12 people ?
Do you do a batch at a time then keep some warm in the oven? I have a large egg and I can set up a (home made) two tier rack, but still not sure if I can cook enough to be able for everyone eat them hot off the grill.
And I guess I would only be able to cook all the wings naked then add different sauces after since if I try the two tier rack setup top sauce would run down to the bottom.
Am I over thinking this

Skiddymarker · February 2016

Hard to do a bunch of wings to feed twelve in the space of a LBGE. Assume you have them broken down into drummers and flappers, you can fit more on that way without the tips taking up grid space. I prefer raised direct and wings take between 30 and 45 minutes so it would be some time between batches.
If you do at slightly higher temp, indirect, you can get 70 or 80 pieces on (watch those on the edges outside the setter shadow) make sure to have a good drip pan raised on the setter. I do the regular seasoning on the upper tier, the spicy ones on the lower tier, sauce if needed when they come off.
I use my old gasser as the holding oven. Good luck.

DeltaNu1142 · February 2016

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5017260/uploads/editor/og/ym0ld4dybsnj.png

Done.

jad · February 2016

Nice job DeltaNu1142.....

Skiddymarker so you think I should be able to fit 70 -80 pieces on the large.
Did not think that many would fit.
I think indirect is my only option

Foghorn · February 2016

I've done a similar cook several times on a Char-Griller Kamado. It's main grid is 20" so it is a little larger than your large egg. The swing grate secondary grid is 15" so I'm not sure how that would compare to your homemade 2nd level. I can get about 60 wings on it if I cram it full. With a big group I do two batches. When I am cooking for a group that large I start the first batch when it gets about 275 but I let it slowly rise during the cook so it is up to 375-400 for the second batch to as to minimize the wait time between batches. At that temp you can keep the cook time under 40 minutes. If you have some sides and beverages it works out.

When you have that many wings on you have to be conscious that the wings in the periphery that are in the path of the rising heat around your heat blocker will cook faster than those in the interior. You should check them every 15 minutes or so and move wings from hot spots to cool spots and vice versa. It is a challenge to get them all done at the same time. It can be done but it requires some attention. A homemade aluminum foil drip pan that covers more area than your platesetter can be helpful in this regard. When you can cook fewer wings and put them all in the silhouette of the heat blocker you can forget about them for a while, but when you load the grate full it's definitely more work. Adult beverages can be your undoing on this cook. Or so I've heard.

Foghorn · February 2016

If you get an XL you can fit 72 on one grid.

Simcan · February 2016

I found recently that using the 375 to 400 degree raised indirect technique you do not need to have a single layer. Just do the usual cornstarch, rub, fridge dry routine, and then make a big pile on a raised grid (and raised is optional).

Toss the pile around a few times, so everybody gets a turn in different spots in the pile.

When they are ready for saucing you have a couple of options, I would say. Get your different sauces in different bowls, and toss to coat, and either do one or two kinds at a time on the egg (only takes about five minutes to set the sauce) or use your oven, or both. I actually think wings are better if they "rest" for fifteen minutes or so, so you should be fine.

SmokingPiney · February 2016

Foghorn said:

If you get an XL you can fit 72 on one grid.

Love it! that's a BUNCH of wings!

MangoMadness · February 2016

Foghorn said:

If you get an XL you can fit 72 on one grid.

@Foghorn looks amazing! I also have an XL. Would you mind sharing your recipe/technique? I'm new to the BGE and you'll need to talk specifics and with baby words.

bgebrent · February 2016

Do 2 levels raised direct and no need to oven hold brother.

http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1190579/20-of-wings-for-the-crowd-and-bourbon-bacon-apple-pie#latest

NPHuskerFL · February 2016

+1 @bgebrent 2 levels

Foghorn · February 2016

@MangoMadness, all of what I know about cooking wings, I learned from others on here. I coat them with corn starch (helps crisp the skin) and put them in a ziplock bag for a while (hour or more) in the fridge. I don't usually rub them with anything else but most do. Pick whatever you like on chicken. Cook them until they are crisp. I prefer indirect at 300-350. When they are crisp I put them in a bowl with sauce to get them soaked in it. Then I put them back on the grill for about 5 minutes. Be careful not to leave them on very long with the sauce because any sugar in the sauce will burn when it gets up to about 300 degrees.

Use whatever sauce you like. I have a special blend I like to use of 4 parts Minorcan Datil Pepper Sauce (I order it by the case - link below), 5 parts Kikkoman Teriyaki, and 6 parts Buffalo Pete's Wing Sauce. I stumbled on this mix when I was emptying open bottles of stuff out of the refrigerator door and it turned out better than any wings I had ever made.

Good luck. Take some pics and let us know how it goes.

http://www.minorcandatil.com/Minorcan-Datil-Barbecue-Sauce.html

Foghorn · February 2016

Foghorn · February 2016

Above are some pics of a couple of cooks that mostly show how you can burn some of them after they are sauced if you are not careful. The top pic is the finished pic from the cook where I had 72 wings on one grid after about half the wings had been removed.

YukonRon · February 2016

I love wings. I switched from wings to legs. I use the same prep mentioned by others in here, which they use on wings, for the legs. For feeding 12 it is easier, and typically you are able to get more meat, with less mess for everyone.
I have an XL, and I can easily fit 30-40 legs without adding a second tier.

Little Steven · February 2016

Pretty tough to do that many on a large without a rig. Think I would do one batch till nearly ready, put them in a low oven, do the second batch, keep warm in oven and finish the first batch. These are huge wings. Even if you could fit them all it's a lot of grease.

xiphoid007 · February 2016

I've done 48 wings on the large. That's packed full. I'd recommend raised direct if doing a mess of wings. All the grease will lay on the plate setter and catch fire.

Probably gonna need to do batches as already mentioned.

ScottNC · February 2016

Not to bust in on your post jad, but was wondering if YukonRon is coating those great looking drummies with cornstarch?

Wings on a large?

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