I installed a fan and probe port in my 26"

[Attjack]

I finally got these installed. I look forward to the next cook on this kettle. It's been a long time.


The port.



The fan.



I installed it between the ash sweeper and the charcoal grate.



Here's my pizza pan drip pan installed.


I placed the probe port so the probes are just above the cooking grate.

[Polarbear777]

Will work great. Nice when it starts being windy or rains and your pit temperature barely budges.

[Attjack]

I also added a second handle to the lid. This makes it operate as if the lid were hinged and its now much more easily opened and closed with one hand.

[Richard Chrz]

Not sure if I ever asked, is that a handle off of a 22 kettle lid? I am installing one of those for sure this spring.

[Attjack]

I ordered a replacement handle. I don't recall if it was for the 22 or 26. It came with a heat deflector that I did not use. Richard Chrz

[Mr. Bones]

Very Cool. lookin forward to yer further developments, Brother!

[fzxdoc]

That second lid handle is a great idea. Enjoy your cook.

Kathryn

[HouseHomey]

What??? Can you come do mine?? I’m just not a tinkerer. Awesome!!!

[Attjack]

She drilled out real easy. A pilot hole and then a step drill from harbor freight for the ports. The hardest part was commiting to the first hole.

[klflowers]

Nice. Hopefully this weekend I can do the mods on my kettle. Got the parts, just need the time.

[Steve R.]

Good call. I drilled the holes in my 26" as part of the assembly process right out of the box. I love how there is a lot of room between the ash sweepers and the charcoal grate, so you can put the adapter just about anywhere you want without interference. And I'm probably going to steal that second lid handle idea. Even a small amount of gunk build-up makes it hard to lift the lid straight up like you have to do with only the handle on top.

[tstalafuse]

That first hole is definitely the hardest. I had put in a blower and added hinges (don't really like the hinges). Where did you get the grommet thingies for where your probes enter the kettle? I have drilled the holes for probes, but it is just a hole.

[Attjack]

The grommet is nice. It's a Weber Smokey Mountain replacement part. You can get it in several places such as here: https://www.ereplacementparts.com/gr...saAu8SEALw_wcB

[klflowers]

I got a couple of grommets from them too.

[Attjack]

This morning I fashioned a DigiQ mount from a binder clip.

[barelfly]

I’m not familiar with the Digi Q set up, is that piece of metal on the back side included with the DigiQ or did you attach that some how and then to the clip?

[Attjack]

barelfly yeah I think it's standard with the DigiQ. But I got mine second hand so I'm not positive. The digiQ has posts on the back that slide into that sheet metal bracket/stand. So I just needed a way to attach the sheet metal bracket to the Weber.

[barelfly]

Genius holder with the clip! I’m off to the garage to see what I can come up with for my Chef Alarm....

[Attjack]

Genius holder with the clip! I’m off to the garage to see what I can come up with for my Chef Alarm....

What's nice is that the clip also clips onto my Primo XL table. The Primo is the other cooker I will use the DigiQ with so it's nice that it clips to both. It would probably clip to a lot of cookers.

[BluesDaddy]

I also added a second handle to the lid. This makes it operate as if the lid were hinged and its now much more easily opened and closed with one hand.

Yep. I did that when I first got my 26" a few years back. One of the cheapest, easiest, and most worthwhile mods to the 26.

BTW, I've done just about the same thing as you with a fan. I bought the BBQube around last Christmas not really realizing the "kettle adapter" was not designed to be used with a "one touch" system. I hunted down a short, stainless, pipe fitting that the hose would attach to and drilled a hole for it. Works great. The only thing it doesn't have is the "hood" to keep ash from falling down into it. I've got to think about how to jury rig something like that. I've done three cooks (all my family are grown and out of the house so I don't do "large" cooks very often these days) with it and rock solid temps within 5 degrees.

[Attjack]

I'm not surprised I'm not the only one to add a handle. It's a great upgrade.

I would like to see a pic of your fan port mod. For the ash hood what about the bottom of an aluminum can? Probably one of the mini cans would be best.

[barelfly]

Attjack - not the clip style, but now I know why my dad said never throw nuts, bolts and doohickeys away went digging for something to attach the Chef Alarm to the Kettle and found this thing, no idea why I have it, I think its something that goes with a garage door opener, but it worked like a charm with the cotter pin and of course the magnet on the Chef Alarm!

Thanks for the idea to find something to make it work!

[Attjack]

Very nice! When I was rigging mine I went to rustle up some nuts an bolts and there was an old strike plate for a door in my collection of odds and ends. It was perfect. The plan was washers but the repurposed strike plate was much better.

[Skip]

Nice! I save all the thing a ma jigs I can too!

[Alabama Smoke]

Since I have been drooling over a 26" for a while now and having trouble deciding between it and a 22", I have found this to be a great thread! Thanks to all who participated in it.