My coal forge went from sluggish to roaring after one grate change

I fired my old rivet forge for three summers and always fought with poor airflow. Clinkers would build up and the coal would just smolder, no real heat. Last month I finally pulled the cast iron grate and found it was warped maybe an eighth of an inch. I swapped in a cheap steel replacement with wider bars, around $35 from the local supplier. The difference was night and day, the fire hit welding heat in about half the time. I also started adding a handful of wood ash to the fire bed before each session, it seems to keep the clinkers loose. Has anyone else tried that trick or found a better grate material for anthracite coal?

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