I put together a one-page reference that helps you pick the right cut (ribeye vs strip vs picanha) and run a clean two-zone fire — hot side around 500F, cool side near 275F — for 1.5-inch steaks, pulling at 125F before a 5-minute rest. If you want the template or have tweaks for tri-tip timing on a kettle, I’m all ears.
@OP For tri-tip on a kettle, I ride the cool side at about 275F until 118–120F, then sear over your 500F side; carryover lands me about 128–130F and keeps the skinny tip from drying out. Vent trick that saves me: park the lid vent over the meat on the cool side and keep the fat cap facing that direction, otherwise flare-ups make the hot zone jumpy — . I cribbed the timing from this write-up and it’s been spot on: https://www.seriouseats.com/grilled-tri-tip-recipe.