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Help Me Build an Old School BBQ Pit!

im sure you could make it not so high. 48 inches(6 bricks high) might take longer to heat than 32 inches high(4 bricks high)

EDIT..

looks like im a we bit late reading your post boshizzle. sorry. didnt see the one where you posted what you wanted. anyway. this is still a fun pit to look at..
 
How about a shovel, a section of chain link fence, and some big rocks to hold the fence on the edges around the hole...
 
BO...this is so awesome.

This thread is gonna be a classic when it's done.


I've also always had a dream of building a permanent masonry pit at my place. I never thought of doing a direct, coal fired pit like the ones you mention. I really like the idea of having a versatile pit that can also be indirect.

So, for the firebox, are you thinking out of steel? Couldn't you make a firebox out of masonry as well or is that what you're thinking? I wonder how "airtight" the big top doors should need to be if used as an offset, strictly for draw I mean?

You gots masonry skillz? I agree that the foundation is UBER important to any masonry structure. The weight of any masonry structure is heavy. And frost/heave is the arch enemy of any structure, but especially masonry ones since any movement at all will cause cracking. So either you need to get below your local frost line or you need to make the base/foundation sturdy enough to move as one big piece in the case of frost/heavy and not "flex".




This is gonna be good. Watching intently.....

:pop2:
 
As I work through the details, what should I be thinking about as far as drains are concerned? This thing will be a permanent fixture in my backyard. I don't want it to be a place where water pools in the bottom from rain and snow.
 
Put Sand bed a couple of inches deep in the bottom change it out once or twice a year. If your cooking direct there shouldn't be much to worry about.
 
Don't over think this one. From where you are take a weekend trip down the east coast of NC. Small towns, Mom and Pop places and recommendations from the guy at the gas station. Look for a smoke house out back with a roof and screened sides. If you want a true down east pit it will be brick or block, no solid floor, no chimney, and chain link fence gates and rebar. Over the meat will be burlap bags and old metal roofing. Also look for a picnic table outside and a big stack of split oak. Most of these folks are more than glad to show you around.
 
Anyone know what happens to the grease in the Texas style ones? Is that concrete under there like where they sit or sand like Bludawg is talking about?
 
old school bbq

did anybody ever get around to building one of these pits?If so would like to here how they made out. I would like to build one in my back yard!
 
I'd like to see some pics of those old backyard pits that were popular in the 50's and 60's. Remember those brick pits with heavy grate on top and the tall chimney in back? I always thought those were cool as hell.
 
J-Rod said:
I'd like to see some pics of those old backyard pits that were popular in the 50's and 60's. Remember those brick pits with heavy grate on top and the tall chimney in back? I always thought those were cool as hell.
Click to expand...

Well, somebody could start a thread asking for pictures/designs of brick and mortar pits like the fabulous shots we get to see of backyard BBQ areas, etc.
 
I wonder where boshizzle has been? Havent seen him here in a while. Guess he hasn't completed this project
 
I wasn't around on this forum when this thread was going around. Oh my gosh this is awesome. Stirring in me some thoughts to do something similar......:)
 
here you go! i want one of these in my back yard!
ttp://www.bing.com/images/search?q=salt+lick+bbq+pit&FORM=HDRSC2#view=detail&id=78656F8F60CE64DA9F2873CD252460191CFC7F09&selectedIndex=0
 
This thread has a perfect description of a simple small pit:

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=137372

Interestingly, this pit is only 3 cinder blocks high. In another thread, stepandfetch responded to a question from me about grate height this way:

"creekwalker- Originally the coals were 3 cinder blocks (24 inches) from the grate. [with a 4-block high pit] I discovered very quickly that it took far too many shoveled coals to bring the temps at the grate level to 200 F. My stack of split hickory wood dwindled far too quickly. I removed one level of blocks, so now there is only a distance of 16 inches from the bed of coals to the grate. This has worked perfectly for me- I only have to shovel coals every 45 minutes or so to keep temps up. I keep my temps at around 200 F. At this level, it takes about 9 hours to finish a 7 lbs butt... more time over the coals, more smoke in the meat."
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=166514
 
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