Few Questions on Weber 26" Kettle

[kars85]

A couple weeks ago I did my first cook on my new 26" Weber Kettle (whole brisket) that replaced my simple 22" Kettle. Until I actually cooked on it, I didnn't really know what I might have to tweak.

Questions:

1) What is the half loop rod along the outside for? Hanging utensils, or hanging the lid?
2) I installed a lid hinge on it because it sounded like a good idea in theory, but am wondering if I made a mistake. I think I might take it off and reinstall the bolts with high temp gasket to plug the holes.
a) It limits aftermarket accessories like a rotisserie or pizza oven kit. Are these kits worth removing the hinge for? The only reason I got the hinge was to help retain heat when checking cooks rather than remove the dome lid completely.

[SoCalTim]

The half loop - is used to hold the lid, pull lid straight up, then slid it back in the loop. Take the hinge off and toss it. To retain heat (as much as possible) pull the lid up, and keep it low and over the top of your pit as much as possible - this will help to retain heat. As far as pizza & rotisserie, your gonna have to ask yourself, how much am I gonna actually do? I have this same exact pit, i suggest you invest in an SNS, it's a game changer. Tim

[JeffJ]

The lid is pretty heavy which makes the lid holder (that ring you mentioned) a nice feature. I agree with SoCalTim about the SnS. It's a must-have and the standard one designed for the 22.5" works perfectly well in the 26. I have the rotisserie ring and the kettle pizza accessories for my 22 and I really like and recommend both of them. Congrats on your acquisition of the 26. Mine will be a year-old next month and I can confidently tell you that you are going to really like cooking in this rig.

[Steve B]

Not sure what hing you have but I put one on my 22 and love it. The one I have has a pin you can pull out so you can lift the lid off completely. I'm not a fan of that loop for holding the lid cause I don't like the idea of sliding the lids edge up and down on the lower half. I could see scraping up the side over time. Just my thoughts. Anyway congrats on your new cooker.

[BradFlood]

Ditto to what SoCalTim & JeffJ have said. I LOVE my Weber 26". Best Wishes for some mighty fine cooks in the future!

[kars85]

Thanks everyone for your responses - I realized it does have a pin that lets me remove the lid completely. It is rather handy, but was willing to give it up if it limited my exposure to different types of cooks (pizzas, etc..). The extra surface of this thing is way bigger than I thought going up from a 22 would be.

I do have a SnS XL - really helps for the long cooks of brisket. That and the CyberQ almost feel like cheating. Work friends are begging me to bring leftovers in!

[JeffJ]

The extra surface of this thing is way bigger than I thought going up from a 22 would be.

It's one thing to just lift the lid and look at the size of the grate. It's quite another thing to actually put food on it and realize how much capacity this thing really has.

You're going to love cooking on it.