Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
I was referring to Grey Goose Vodka.
Andy, scratch that ash can marking suggestion I made earlier. That was for the One Touch Gold kettle. I think you have the One Touch Silver kettle where you can actually see the bottom vent opening.
I suppose you're banking your coals up against one side of the kettle in a tight mound (better) rather than spreading them in a shallow pile on one side of the kettle? That could make a difference, I think.
Although they're not really necessary you can use a couple of common red bricks to hold them back. Common bricks are fired at high temps so they're safe to use, no need to get real firebricks.I have the silver with three vent slots controlled at once. I tried to bank the coals up against one wall but don't have a coal dam to hold them in place.