Duke, to confirm, you had an even layer of coals on the whole of the bottom then?
After I made my Elevated Half Grill I wanted to try grilling direct all the way without moving it to indirect like they do on a Santa Maria style grill. My results were good for a first try. I still need some practice, but it came out very moist and I still had lots of extra room. Using the lid really helped in keeping the temps steady and held the flare ups down, but will also work nicely without the lid. I am going to master this "Full Direct" style and hope to use it on my 26'r with a full bed of coals on the bottom this summer.Please share your thoughts and direct techniques.