Building A Hog Pit From Concrete Blocks

Above are some of the old school concrete block pits at Jackie Hite's Bar-B-Q in Batesburg-Leesville, SC. Below are plans for building your own pit suitable for a butterflied 75 pound hog, enough to feed about 35 people. If you cut the head and remove the trotters at the knees and elbows, you can fit a 100 pounder or more on this rig. But don't throw away the head and trotters. Just place them on the stretcher next to the torso. If you plan on cooking larger hogs, you can scale this plan up. You must cook with indirect heat. Click here for instructions on how to prep and cook the hog.

Materials

• 54 concrete blocks 16" x 8" x 8" (actually 15.75 x 7.75 x 7.75"). This will get your hog 24" above the embers, plus a course to hold the lid. Cost about $54.
• 4 x 8' sheet of 1/4" plywood, cut down to about 44 x 60" for the lid. Note that Hite uses sheets of cardboard for his lids as seen in the photo above, but I strongly advise against this. He is a master of fire control, and if yours burn, they could ruin the hog. And then you have no lid. Cost about $10.
• 4 x 8' sheet of 1/4" plywood cut down to 30 x 48" for the heat shield. Cost about $10.
• 2 rolls heavy duty aluminum foil. Cost about $30.
• 4 lengths of 48" each of 3/8" rebar. You can use a sheet of expanded metal rather than rebar if you wish. Cost about $5 per 10' bar, 3 bars needed.
• Non-climbable uncoated fence wire or rabbit wire at least 14 gauge, 46 x 72". Do not use galvanized metal because it can give off noxious gases. Cost about $30 for a 50' roll.
• 2 boards 1" x 2" x 6' each. Cost about $2.
• 100 bare wire loop ties, 6" each. Cost about $2.50.
• 2 pieces lightweight sheet metal for dampers, about 20" x 10" each or you can use sheet pans. Cost about $15.

Optional

• More rebar to pound from the top down into the ground to prevent the blocks from shifting. Cost about $15.
• Mortar to lock the blocks permanently into place. Cost about $10.
• Lightweight sheet metal for the lid, about 44 x 60". Cost about $30.
• Lightweight sheet metal for the heat shield, about 30 x 48". Cost about $30.

Tools

• Fire extinguisher
• Wire cutter
• Level
• Hack saw
• Hammer
• Chisel
• Utility stapler and plenty of staples
• Wheel barrow, steel drum, or charcoal grill to start coals
• Shovel
• Garden hose or buckets of water or fire extinguisher
• Good digital oven thermometer

The pit

Keep the pit at least 10' from buildings and overhanging trees in case there is a grease fire. Keep a fire extinguisher rated for grease on hand. Fire extinguishers rated ABC can handle most everything except combustible metals. Beware, they contain a yellow powder that can damage electrical devices.

Start by clearing a base that is 4' x 5' by removing grass and prepare an all dirt or sand base at least 2" thick. You will need to discard some of it when you are done because fat and meat drippings may get in the dirt. The dogs will roll in it and it will attract insects, mice, you name it. If needed, you can buy sand at a hardware store. I recommend lining the pit with aluminum foil.

Make sure the ground is level. Stack the concrete blocks 4 rows high, 3 full lengths and then turn one block on each course, staggering the blocks so they overlap as in the illustration.

Make notches in the blocks with a hammer and chisel deep enough to hold the rebar so the next course of blocks will lie flat on the course below. Put the rebar on top of the fourth course of blocks. Don't put the top course of blocks on yet.

The heat shield

I specified a sheet of plywood cut down to 30 x 48" for a heat shield. This goes on top of the rebar and beneath the stretcher to shield the hog from direct heat if needed during the cook. You may not need it, but have it on hand just in case. This size leaves space between the shield and the inside of the pit so hot air can rise alongside the shield and bounce off the lid. You will remove it late in the cook when it is time to crisp the skin. Wrap it in aluminum foil and staple down the foil. Don't worry, it won't burn unless you have a grease fire because the pigsitter fell asleep or spent too much time in the toilet. If the pit is to be a permanent structure, make your heat shield from sheet metal, preferably aluminum because it won't rust.

The cover

Cover the bottom of the plywood lid with foil. If you wish, you can use a sheet metal top instead of plywood.

The stretcher

To carry the hog and hold it in place on the pit, you should to build a stretcher, with two poles for the stretcher bearers, and a wire mesh sling in between for the hog. Some folks just use wire without the handles for smaller hogs. You can do this, but you will need gloves to keep the wire from gouging your hands and burning them when it is hot. I recommend building the handles. You don't want this baby to slip and hit the dirt.

Non-climbable fence wire is heavier gauge and sturdier than chicken wire. You can use chicken wire for but it would be a good idea to use two layers. Make sure the wire is not coated with plastic.

Make a sling of the wire wide enough to hang over the edges of the pit by at least 1' on either side. Attach two 6' lengths of 1" x 2" boards for handles with staples and reinforce them with the wire loop ties. These are 6" lengths of precut wire that are easy to wrap around the handles

This page was revised 1/24/2013