After looking into adding a diffuser to my 26er I came across the Hunsaker Vortex basket for the WSM - I really liked to look of it but it's 12" tall so there is no way it will work in a kettle. But that did get me to thinking how much could you lower the charcoal grate for smoking?
I grabbed the charcoal grate from a 22 and set it inside the bottom of the kettle and it sits just above the one touch blades - and it ends up lowering the grate by a little more than 3". I took an old charcoal grate and an old cooking grate from a 22 and went to work - I think I will call this the SCB "Submarine Charcoal Basket".
Removed all of the center grate from the outer 22" grate
Cut out some 13 gauge 1/2" expanded steel
Welded it to the ring
I removed the center grates from the 17" charcoal ring, and welded the 17" cutout from the expanded metal to the ring. Then with a separate piece of expanded metal made the "basket"
It fit just like I had hoped
I bought just the vortex plate from Hunsaker which is 18" in diameter
I also have a 22" comal I'm planning on using as a diffuser as well, that should be coming in today.
We'll have to see how that fits, I'll probably have to make some risers to elevate it and keep the center section out of the charcoal basket.