Homemade Outdoor Grill
An outdoor grill can be large or it can be made to suit your particular needs. If you are cooking for more than twenty people often than you need a large cooker. If you regularly cook for a smaller family than you may prefer to save on charcoal in the long run and opt to build a smaller cooker. Metal drums and beer or soda kegs are shaped well to be made into barbecues.
Tools and Materials:
- Metal Drum or Beer Keg
- Metal Hack Saw
- Hinges
- Paint (High Temperature)
- A Grate
- Bolt Cutters
- Metal Hacksaw
- Grinder
- Sketch the style, the design, and how big that you want your outdoor grill to be. This will help to guide you through the project
- Obtain a metal drum or a beer keg to match the size you want for your grill. A 50-gallon drum makes a large cooker that may be difficult to operate if you are cooking for less than ten people on a regular basis. If you use a drum instead of a beer keg, use a drum that was not used for biohazard or poisonous materials. These chemicals can leach into the metal making them unsafe for high heats and food production.
- Cut the metal drum or keg in half on the long side. There are three basic methods you can use, either use a cutting torch, a grinder, or a metal grade hacksaw to cut the metal. The heat of a torch can leave marks on the metal so attempt this if you are an experienced welder.
- File down any rough spots around the perimeter.
- Put the hinges on the barrels, and be sure the hinges are centered so the top and bottom halves of the grill are aligned then mark locations for the holes to drill.
- Drill holes on the marked areas and fasten the hinges. Use nuts and bolts with optional washers to attach the hinges. Place the handle on the top of the grill and attach it.
- Build a steady base for the grill using two slotted metal bar stocks on the bottom. Place them along the long side edge of the grill so they run perpendicular to each other. Fasten those using nuts and bolts. Secure the frame by installing X-shaped supports along the sides and back of the legs.
- Sever and shape the grilling grate or mesh using bolt cutters, to a size that will allow it to fit inside the bottom half of the grill. Leave two-thirds of the space in the bottom for the charcoal. Make another grate to hold up the charcoal under the larger cooking grate.
- Paint the grill as an option, using high temperature spray paint, and allow the paint to dry before use.
- Apply oil to the surface of the grate and heat thoroughly before cooking so food will not stick to the grill.