Timothy Lewis and Martin B: thanx so much and yes, I certainly understand your comments and they are very helpful. I’m on a competition barbecue team, last year, we started to experience some success. Within the structure of the team, I do ribs and chicken right now. I want to be able to work the chicken on the second rack without accessing that area of the smoker through the lid. The opening would have to accommodate the use of 2 x Half-Pans.
I know there are other options, including adding a third rack. However there is other complications: Additional modifications included making the unit as portable as possible and less labor intensive on site, and, the easy removal of the Firebox immediately after the turn in, so we can break camp by the time the awards ceremony, approximately 1 1/2 hours later.
So, my 22 inch Weber has a lid latch, also I have 4 x butterfly latches that secure the midsection to the bottom. I purchased a stainless steel, round, fire box, (designed for a drum smoker), which is easily removed and the hot coals transported to the charcoal pit at competitions. The unit also has 4” casters, and a drop handle. I can effortlessly roll the smoker around on blacktop, gravel or grass without any issues.
So, By widening that opening and adding a LavaLock quick latch door from BBQSmokermods, along with these other modifications, created a very efficient smoker especially considering the combination of ribs and chicken at competitions.
Generally, a lot of folks have said I should have bought a drum smoker. But there is two things, I am a dedicated Weberhead. (Last year at one particular comp., I had a great deal of satisfaction sitting up to next to an ******* who had an $8000 smoker and I came in 10th in ribs and he came and 12th. And, I didn’t want to buy a drum smoker, and I like the challenge of what I am trying to accomplish.
Hope that makes sense, perhaps there is other options before I start cutting away sheet metal.. But our first comp is in late April, and I plan to be able to easily use that second rack for chicken.