Looking for plans to build a brick bbq pit...any suggestions?

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I have been searching the net for a book or other material on building a brick barbeque. Nothing fancy, just something to cook food and heat kettles to boil water outside during the warmer months.

Anything out there, books, websites or plans, for a do-it-yourself project at home?

-- Tim (pixmo@pixelquest.com), November 17, 1998

Answers

We're wanting to build something similar...also close enough to the house to hook up natural gas, if there is any...try a web search on "brick barbeques"...in the meantime I'll look in my handyperson's books.

-- Donna Barthuley (moment@pacbell.net), November 17, 1998.

I've seen books at Home Depot with brick barbeque plans in them.

-- Buddy (DC) (buddy@bellatlantic.net), November 17, 1998.

Try the home handyperson section of your local library. It should have any number of books with barbeque plans in them.

-- JDClark (yankeejdc@aol.com), November 17, 1998.

You might also try back issues of Sunset magazine.

-- adam (encelia@mailexcite.com), November 17, 1998.

This is not quite what you asked for, but you might also consider solar cooking at The Solar Cooking Archive

-- Elbow Grease (Elbow_Grease@AutoShop.com), November 17, 1998.


Sunset books has plans for brick, adobe and cement barbecues. Check with used bookstores, I believe the name of book is called "Backyard Patios and Barbecues.". I have seen them from time-to-time at thrift stores and used bookstores. When we go camping, we just pile rocks in a ring, and then we find flat rocks to put our cast iron griddles on. My choice of barbecues is a Weber because you can use it for baking, smoking, and barbecuing.

-- bardou (bardou@baleony.com), November 17, 1998.

Donna--

"handyperson's books"?

egad-- so this is what the American language has come to? come and get me, Millennium Bug... I'm ready to leave now.

-- Max Dixon (Ogden, Utah USA) (Max.Dixon@gte.net), November 18, 1998.


Thanks for the info, everyone :-)

I've examined most of these avenues. I have an idea of what I would like to build, but haven't found blueprints or schematics that resemble what I have in mind.

I'll probably build something customized based on modications of existing plans.

-- Tim (pixmo@pixelquest.com), November 18, 1998.


Hey Tim; If you have any state parks in your area go to the main recreation area. They should have shelter huts w/BBQ pits there. Just reduce the size to fit your needs. Also go and use "fire bricks" they can with stand the heat from fires better . They are the same one's used in fireplaces... Sure hope this will help, Good luck !

-- Furie (furieart@gte.net), November 19, 1998.

We have a supply of red brick taken up from patio areas we converted to garden. This was done before y2k awareness but it seems we have inadvertantly devised a helpful hint. We have been simply stacking the bricks in rather conventional configurations to allow air from underneath and to hold grills, make work surfaces, etc. We didn't use morter to lock them in place and so the design is changable as needed. Our BBQ/fire pit is low to the ground and very usable for changing needs such as burning cord wood, doing marshmellows with the kids, or for burning charcoal and cooking hotdogs and such on a wire grill. We just move the bricks around to suit.

Now we have an additional benefit. After we use the pit, we can bring the hot bricks into the house for further use of their heat. For bed warming or raising the temp inside an insulated fridge you are using to keep things from freezing. A lot of possibilities. You might even want to make a fire just to heat *more* bricks. :-)

-- Floyd Baker (fbaker@wzrd.com), November 19, 1998.



Given past experience I'd say it's easier to use unmortared bricks/blocks to 'build to suit' the occasion. We've done everything from cooking whole pigs (well, split down the middle anyway) on down in this fashion- you'll need expanded metal or some similar surface for a grill or 'cooktop,' and can build the sides/back as high as needed for the temperature you want. We usually build five cinderblocks high for slow cooking pork shoulders/hams or a butterflied pig, for example.

We also 'burn down' hickory logs for coals and shovel the coals under whatever is cooking as needed rather than cooking directly over a fire. Lay two large logs parallel on the ground and lay smaller logs across them to start the fire so you can shovel coals out from between the larger logs as the smaller ones burn down. Start the fire a good while before you need to start cooking so you'll have a good bed of coals in place.

Never gave this one a lot of thought before- it's been done that way for generations in my family.

Good luck,

nemo...

-- nemo (nemo@ddepsix.com), November 19, 1998.


Wow...I overlooked the obvious here! The recent posts will probably saved me alot of grief in terms of labor and materials alone...THANKS!

I'm glad I found this board :-)

-- Tim (pixmo@pixelquest.com), November 19, 1998.


Ah, Max, my friend,..quit busting my chops,...I should have posted LOL after the word "handyperson" to show my tongue in my cheek. Besides...handyperson is a pretty apt word I think....

Be a willow Max...flexibility as well as a good sense of humor is valuable along with being just the lovable Max that you are!

-- Donna Barthuley (moment@pacbell.net), November 19, 1998.


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