Charcoal grate on a 26

[1buckie]

thanks troy,

I am going to seek any possible alternatives.

Bolt expanded metal to your old one......

I don't have one, that is the issue. 

Ahhh......maybe expanded with U-bolts to rebar?  Make one up, in other words.......


Or, this......

http://hardwareonlinestore.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&view=productdetails&virtuemart_product_id=78349&virtuemart_category_id=86802&gclid=CjwKEAjwp_uqBRClvrrXmsbPog4SJACK4gIP-YEmDpVXwvAy9CXMlpezZwoj4vuFcMd590ERUzD5rxoCi_7w_wcB

Except I can't find replacement parts for the thing......

[LightningBoldtz]

charbroil makes a 26 kettle too

[Troy]

I was about to go measure an 18" cooking grate too...

how does it fit if its upside down?

I would still reinforce with some expanded metal. Cooking grates don't hold up to high heat as well as charcoal grates.
I used to use a 22" cooking grate as a charcoal grate in my 26, it turned into a bowl shape after 5 or 6 cooks.

[LightningBoldtz]

that information helps a lot.  as a result, I am still going to use my 18 in grate but I am going to flip it, use 2 sheets of 12 x 24 expanded steel, bolt it and to make a decent circle. 

the areas exposed most to the heat will be the thicker outside and inside bars

[LightningBoldtz]

another options would be to get a 22 charcoal grate and do the same thing.........

[LightningBoldtz]

after looking at how the 22 charcoal grate fits (not on the tabs, it will be a good base to secure the expanded steel to.  this will be the perfect solution to having no grate.

[pbe gummi bear]

What's the Charcoal Grate dimension on a 22.5" WSM? Measures 18 3/8" Per amazon link so it's too small.

[pbe gummi bear]

http://www.amazon.com/Weber-Charcoal-Grate-One-Touch/dp/B00BG9XW9K

21.75  that is almost the size of  a  22 kettle grate.

The new 26.75" charcoal grate might be the same grate as the cooking grate on the 22.5" 2nd level?

[addicted-to-smoke]

i can measure for you after I get some coffee in me.

it's bigger than the old one though, and it doesn't fit perfectly on the straps if in an older grill.

The new 26 grates (both cooking and charcoal) sit higher up in the bowl.

Any idea what year they changed these?

When they switched from flat top to the current, more domed lid, everything raised up. 2000 or so?

[1buckie]

I think that may be right, A-t-S.....seems to make sense, as the changes happened slower, later & in groups with the 26"............

[addicted-to-smoke]

old charcoal grate is 19.5"
new one is 21.75"

So this is a long shot but someone said a Char-Griller Akorn Kamado Kooker has a cast iron cooking grate that's 19.5". It's mentioned here in the 2nd sentence: http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/products/char-griller-16619-kamado-kooker-charcoal-barbecue-grill-and-smoker-black/reviews/4679

I can't find anything about the Char-Griller 16619 on their site. There's a new model, 16620 and Char-Griller has parts for the "6620" ... The replacement cook grates for their Akorn Kamado Kookers are (I think) this: https://www.chargriller.com/parts/kamado-grills-parts/outer-grate-282-detail.html and this: https://www.chargriller.com/parts/kamado-grills-parts/inner-grate-2822015-04-30-20-33-45_-detail.html

Might be worth a phone call to verify size in order to get cast iron. The porcelain or whatever would get burned off but so what? It would take a lot longer to use up one of those than a nickel-plated thin steel cook grate from a Weber 18.

[addicted-to-smoke]

I think that may be right, A-t-S.....seems to make sense, as the changes happened slower, later & in groups with the 26"............

Maybe I've overlooked the info here but always assumed the reason the flat top 26er had lower grates compared to modern was so that a big turkey or whatever wouldn't hit the flat top's lid?

At any rate, Weber not supporting the 26ers made that way for so long is disturbing.

[Troy]

I think that may be right, A-t-S.....seems to make sense, as the changes happened slower, later & in groups with the 26"............

Maybe I've overlooked the info here but always assumed the reason the flat top 26er had lower grates compared to modern was so that a big turkey or whatever wouldn't hit the flat top's lid?

At any rate, Weber not supporting the 26ers made that way for so long is disturbing.

The earlier 26 was a domed lid,  still had lower/smaller grates

[1911Ron]

How would a 22" kettles charcoal grate fit? Ooops saw that this has been brought up (see what happens when you don't read thru all of the posts!)

[Bob BQ]

@LightningBoldtz , i've got a pretty roached charcoal grate for a flat top 26 that is yours for shipping cost if you want it. I don't think it'll hold up too well on it's own, but might be a good base to put the other grate on top of. Let me know if you want it.