Since i got the performer this summer, last weekend was the first time that i wanted to cook direct heat for many people and we had a lot of meat to cook.

I read in the manual that for direct heat, use 50 briquettes total so that is what i did.

But after they were lit, i put them in performer and they only covered about half the grill's bottom.

I had to light 50 more briquettes (total of 100) in order to cover the charcoal grate of performer properly for direct cooking.

Not sure why manual says only 50?

50 is a great # for indirect cooking but for direct, it is not enough.

elmo

I use lump and don't really count so my opinion isn't that great. More than anything though just interested in what your cooking. If I was doing a direct heat cook I would fire up a chimney and cover about half, possibly three quarters max of the grill and leave the other side bare. That way I can get the meat off heat if needed quickly.....Possibly that is why they say 50, if that is only enough for half of the grill......

Clark

I would also use a full chimney and cover a little over half the charcoal grate, with a good portion of charcoal banked against one side. That gives me a nice big area for direct cooking and a cool zone next to it.

What I finally did was to line the charcoal grate of my 18.5" OTG with unlit charcoal. It came out to 60 or a little less than 3/4 of a Weber chimney. It gives me a nice even heat for things like burgers & dogs, no burnt food. For chicken and things that like to flare-up though, I think I'd agree with the others and leave myself a safe zone.

I use a HeatBeads Chimney (Weber Chimneys are not available in Australia. It hold about 55-60 briquettes which will give about a 1/3 doubled layer and 1/3 single layer which I find adequate for direct grilling. You do need a safe zone. I always grill with the lid down, maybe that makes a difference.
You definitely need that safe zone it enables you to do steaks using a reverse sear method.

Cheers

Forget the chimney...pour your briquestes at the center of the grill and light the igniter. This way you have a much better feel of how many coals. I then rake the coals and usually add some lump on top. You will get the feel for it after a few cooks. After you rake your coals and organize them, if you feel you need more, just throw some unlit on top and organize. They will not take long at all to catch up w/ the others. I remeber watching Jamie Purviance videos on Weber nation and he said one of the biggest rookie mistakes was not using enough coal. Worst case scenerio..you have to many going...leave the lid off and let them burn for 20 minutes or so. Just takes a little practice..cooking w/ coals actually takes a little work and skill as oposed to propane.

Even with 90 - 100 briquettes, it would be easy to make a little safe zone for indirect if needed.

But that day, we had many people coming over and a lot of stuff to cook. Variety of boneless chicken, beef liver, steaks, etc... and i wanted to maximize space of direct heat.

Next time, i will take your advice Gary and will just add some unlit ones on top if i needed more charcoal. In future, I will be using about 90 briquettes for direct cooking and will go from there.

elmo

...and don't bother using those charcoal baskets...

Kingford standard briquettes have gotten smaller in the last year or so. Bags were 5-10 & 20 lbs., not the 18 lbs they have now. ****, you can't find a QUART of mayonnaise, a PINT of cottage cheese or a HALF GALLON of ice cream no more!

Went to the THE MAIN for a good smoke meat this week on St. Lawrence Street, and was happy to learn they they use the same lump as me, ROYAL OAK.

Anthony

The last time I cooked for a lot of people, for me that is about twenty, I used the 18.5" for direct and the 22.5" for indirect.