I'm thinking about adding the compact chimney starter, on top of my full-size Rapidfire, for grilling/searing. I've been doing forward-sear (sear and move, whatever you want to call it) steaks and burgers, etc., for 7-9 people lately. I've also been grilling asparagus and corn on the same cooks.
The one regular chimney still only contains enough coal/briquette as would go on a 22. One layer of coal spread out over 1/2 or 2/3 of the grill doesn't seem to do the trick, especially on a 26, and the char baskets are still a small footprint (and I prefer the couple of rows of charcoal/briquettes for the heat), and banking the coals for sear (without char baskets) on a 26 just seems to make the searing area heat very uneven.
So, the only conclusion I can come up with is to add a little more fully lit charcoal at the beginning for these quick hot cooks.
If anyone has other ideas, I'd love to know.
E.ks I do very similar arrangements for grilling and smoking to what you describe. I’ll play with the bottom vent to achieve mid 300 range when needed. I’ll also bank all the coal to one side for hot and fast indirect.
The 26 settles in at a lower temp with all vents open as opposed to the 22 so it’s important to keep that in mind. I frequently will cook with the lid cracked in the 26 to increase airflow and temp when needed.
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