Meathead's dream

I have built a hog pit (click here to see my design) but when I lay awake at night I dream of building one of these:

Something big enough to handle a big party and a 200 pound hog, but adjustable so I could cook a few burgers, too. So I'd design a large concrete block or brick rectangle about 8' long, 4' deep, and 3' high. There would be two removable partitions so it can be divided into three separate cooking zones. In one zone I could cook small quantities efficiently, another could be used as a warming oven, an the third could be used to burn logs down to coals or it could also be used as a bread and pizza oven.

Each partition needs a separate lid so it can be closed for roasting, smoke roasting, or baking. Each partition would need its own damper for letting in air, and a vent for letting out smoke.

The food grates for each partition would need to have adjustable height so steaks could be lowered near the coals for searing or raised for low and slow direct or indirect cooking.

The three ash grates should be above ground so air can flow beneath the coals and for easy ash removal.

There needs to be a large work surface nearby and storage for tools.

There should be tables and seating nearby.

The whole shootin' match needs to be under a roof for all weather use. That roof would need a chimney so smoke and carbon monoxide would not collect under it.

It needs a solid slab so it doesn't sink.

While I'm at it, why not enclose the whole thing with screen to keep out mosquitos and flies.

Anybody out there want to draw up some plans?

Solar ovens

In the past few years several solar oven manufacturers and designs for home made units have appeared. They are perfect for the poor, for disaster relief, and for wilderness cooking. Some links:

Solar Cooking

Solar Oven Society

Building Your Own Grill Or Smoker

Handy with tools? Too cheap to buy a cooker? Can't stand wasting money on the garbage sold in the stores? Build your own. The internet has a number of designs and ideas for the do-it-yourselfer, whether you want to build a grill, hog cooker, or smoker.

Grills & Smokers

7 tips on building a brick grill. This article helps keep you away from the, ahem, pitfalls.

From HGTV. Home & Garden TV has step by step instructions.

Old Fashioned Backyard Brick BBQ Pit With Wood Storage Rack. That's it in the picture at the top of the page. Tis page has detailed instructions, day by day guidance, and a complete parts list. The design appears to be from the 1950s.

Bob Villa rebuilds a clunker. A video of how Vila's mason makes an old clunker into a nice grill. He discusses the correct cement mix.

Lexington Collection's Wide World of Pits. A gallery of home made grills and smokers from Dave Lineback.

A simple open brick grill. With wood storage.

A concrete block design. Uses a fireplace insert.

An open grill with a car jack The jack raises and lowers the food.

A large open air pit. Comes close to my dream machine. This link is to a pdf.

Barbacoasluna.com Videos. This company has videos of their designs on YouTube. There are some great ideas here.

Buy the plans for this beautiful brick grill.

Barbecue Building Book a Sunset gardening & outdoor building books

Wilber. A great brick smoker with photos and detailed plans.

Slideshow. Here's a slideshow of an nice brick smoker being built.

Combination Grill and Smoker Plans by Tom Henry. You can buy the plans for this very nice looking design.

Ugly Drum Smokers (UDS)

ugly drum smoker The UDS is a 55 gallon steel drum converted into a grill and smoker. This is an easy way to build a high quality cooker cheap. If you are building a drum smoker and need help finding a food safe drum, click here and scroll down.

It a popular topic on barbecue message boards. Many have special sections devoted to their design and construction with photos. Some pretty clever engineering and cutting and welding can be seen there.

Click here for a plan for a nice homemade smoker like the one shown here.

The BBQ-Brethren.com has several pages devoted to the topic. They aptly label this as "the mother of all UDS threads. All information you will need to build a UDS is in this thread. use this, and a search of the forum for UDS and you will find a wealth of information."

TheSmokeRing.com has another thread on UDS. Here's another good thread.

Here's some photos of how one guy built an Ugly Drum Smoker.

And another UDS plan with a parts list.

Click here for an inexpensive kit for making an UDS.

...more to come (to be notified when new recipes and other articles come online, be sure to subscribe to my free, spam free, email newsletter).

Please please please read this before posting a comment or question:

1) Please use the table of contents or the search box at the top of every page before you ask for help.
2) Please click the "Follow Conversation" button or the "Email" button below your comment so you will be alerted when we reply.
3) Please don't ask any questions that involve temperature unless you tell us that you are using a digital thermometer! Dial thermometers are often off by as much as 50°F! If you are not using a good digital you have no idea what the temp really is so we can't help you. Please read this article about thermometers, then buy one of our recommendations, and then, if the problem persists (chances are it won't), hit us with your questions.
4) Please tell us everything we need to know to answer your question like the type of cooker you are using.

5) If you are shopping for a grill or smoker and need help, tell us your budget!

About this website

AmazingRibs.com is all about the science of barbecue, grilling, and outdoor cooking, with great BBQ recipes and tips on technique. Learn how to set up your grills and smokers properly, the thermodynamics of what happens when heat hits meat, as well as hundreds of excellent tested recipes including all the classics: Baby back ribs, spareribs, pulled pork, beef brisket, burgers, chicken, smoked turkey, lamb, steaks, barbecue sauces, rubs, and side dishes, with the world's best buying guide to barbecue smokers, grills, and accessories, all edited by Meathead.

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