I have a chimney and yes I agree, chimneys are the basic method for anyone lighting charcoal. That being said my neighbor only uses lighter fluid. I would never use lighter fluid but the smell takes me back to my childhood.
I share the desire for a Weber Ranch but the price, wow!
I would love to have a good reverse flow and of course keep my 26.
My process for long smokes;
Based on my past cooks, when using the minion method you need to let the
Weber kettle come up to temperature at the beginning. My recommendation is to let
the kettle rise to at least 300 degrees before adjusting the vents. I would do this even when using the snake method. When adding coals during extra long smokes, let the coals warm up before closing
the kettle otherwise you get that bad thick charcoal smoke. A Smokenator allows you to have all the coals conccentrated in a smaller area on one side of the grill. Ash maintenance is paramount for proper air flow. Adding lit coals from a chimney during the smoke is not any quicker and actually takes an extra step in my opinion. I've done it both ways and they each work fine. I prefer my method but definitely use what's works best for each of you. When you're up at 3-4 in the morning tending a cook simple and quick is best. Again, each person should figure out their own preferred process but this is mine.
I grew up using
Weber kettles. My dad actually had 2 because of our family size. I thought about buying 2 kettles but I found an open box 26". This grill made it tons easier to cook for my family and to smoke offset. Check out the smokenator it makes smoking in kettles that much easier plus it extends the available room to add more meat.
