Thanks folks. I've been having a lot of fun with the new grill and 4 out 5 meals have been great - I let the coals get a little to cold for some burgers then I 'Chernobyled' (my dad's term for burnt) them when I added some more coal. Timing is the toughest thing to get a handle on right now. Smoked chicken wings were so darned good I didn't even want to use any sauce, and I love sauces.
Some simple metal scraps suffice for 90+% of anything you'd ever want to do with charcoal. No need for expensive accoutrements if you're a bit handy.
I had some old stainless steel mixing bowls that I fabricated into some charcoal holders for indirect cooking. They worked great. I need to find another and try to replicate the vortex concept.
