Tried the Texas Hug on the lid. No luck. The large binder clips I bought don't like the kettle. They just fly off.
Tomorrow I'll try a new approach. Will gently caress that darn lid and try to sweet talk it. Problem is I lost my touch 20 or 30 years ago.
1. Acquire a 2"x4" approx. 18" in length.
2. Round off all the corners - so as to make it "capsule shaped"
3.Paint it blue.
4.Threaten the lid ...and tell it it had better "straighten up"
I know....sometimes my humor is a "bitter pill"....And sometimes even a "big pill to swallow".....
OK you've got one of THOSE lids. The ones with edges so steep the clips won't stick. My most expensive kettle, a Crimson Red perfomer, is the same way unfortunately.
You may ultimately have to get a gasket, but let's try a simpler approach.
Place the lid on the kettle when the fire is warming up with all the lit and unlit coals in the SnS. ROTATE it a little back and forth until your leaks are as tame as they can be. Once fire passes 175 F close the bottom vent until it's just cracked a bit. From then on start cranking down on the top lid vent until you're stable at 225 F. Rotate the lid back and forth again (20 degrees or less should be fine you want to keep the vent over the indirect side) until the lid leaks are reduced as much as you can. Tighten the vent a little more and now walk away for 15 minutes.
I bet your leaks will disapper. If they don't, you might need the gasket.