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Q-talk *ON TOPIC ONLY* QUALITY ON TOPIC discussion of Backyard BBQ, grilling, equipment and outdoor cookin' . ** Other cooking techniques are welcomed for when your cookin' in the kitchen. Post your hints, tips, tricks & techniques, success, failures, but stay on topic and watch for that hijacking.


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Old 04-16-2011, 07:06 AM   #1
AndreasMergner
Found some matches.
 
Join Date: 04-11-11
Location: Albany, NY
Default Homemade Kamado / brick oven??

Ok, I am a newbie to this forum and to BBQ. My friend, TedW, told me all the wonderful things he is cooking on his BGE. I looked into it, and then was contemplating buying one or a BSK.

Being a handy guy and frugal ("I can make that!"), I start thinking why couldn't I make a Kamado style grill out of brick? It would be like a wood fired brick oven, but instead of a fire brick floor with the fire being on it, I'd lower the floor to make a fire box and use a grill/grate. For pizza or indirect cooking, I could use a pizza stone. Then use a door, have an air intake on the firebox and a controlled chimney. Am I crazy? I'm sure it's been done, right?

I appreciate any help or leading me in the right direction....and don't scold me too much if I really don't know what I'm talking about. Thanks!

Last edited by AndreasMergner; 04-16-2011 at 09:32 AM..
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Old 04-16-2011, 08:51 AM   #2
cba252
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Why not something like this?
http://www.ibiblio.org/lineback/bbq/wdh.htm
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Old 04-16-2011, 09:36 AM   #3
AndreasMergner
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Oops, sorry about mispelling kamado!

That's along the same lines as I was thinking... Does he regulate temperature based on how many coals are in it? The kamados use the air intake for that. Also, I was thinking of going lower mass and using insulation so that I would get faster heating times. He could cook pizza on his if he got the temp up high and put a pizza stone on top of the cooking grate, correct? I'm assuming there is nothing between the coals and the food.

This is a novice question: does he burn the wood to get coals so that the meat is not as smoky?
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Old 04-16-2011, 05:47 PM   #4
JS-TX
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Join Date: 02-17-10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AndreasMergner View Post
This is a novice question: does he burn the wood to get coals so that the meat is not as smoky?
You probably want to do this, you get a cleaner fire, but there is still smoke flavor, that's for sure.
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Old 04-16-2011, 06:26 PM   #5
Old Dave
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Default Flower Pot Cooker

Homemade ceramic cooker.



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Old 04-16-2011, 09:36 PM   #6
Oldyote
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The Wilber builds are very cool. Here is a link to another one that is similar but has more info about the build. http://home.dtccom.net/~rldel/hickorypits/

I've spent a fair amount of time looking at these designs and researching costs as well as designs. The first issue is cost. Unless you have a line on cheap brick and firebrick it will cost you as much or more than an egg just for materials. If you are handy with a welder you can make your own doors, but if you have to pay someone to do that for you then you could likely add another $500 to $1000 depending on where you live and how fancy you want them. Finally, if you are looking for something as versatile as a BGE, the Wilber is not really what you want. These builds are great for smoking but not for using as an oven. Once you get into those higher temps you start to run into problems with metal and brick expanding at different rates and cracking issues.
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Old 04-16-2011, 10:12 PM   #7
AndreasMergner
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I have a bunch of brick in my garage that came with my house that I have been looking to use in a project. I also have a welder and can use it fairly well. I also do not want it to be as big as the Wilbur design, so it should not be more than $200 for materials.

I was not looking at duplicating the Wilbur exactly since I'd like it to do a bit more. It does look like a very nice design though.

The way I'm thinking is basically a brick pizza oven, but taller. The bottom half for the lump charcoal or wood with an adjustable air intake to control temperature. The top with a door so I can bake or smoke for longer periods of time while being more fuel efficient and retain moisture. I would use a grate over the coals for direct cooking and a pizza stone for indirect.

I still can't tell if the Wilburs have a separation of a layer of brick where you put the coals and the food. I'll have to look at that last link a bit more closely.
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Old 04-16-2011, 10:25 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AndreasMergner View Post
I still can't tell if the Wilburs have a separation of a layer of brick where you put the coals and the food. I'll have to look at that last link a bit more closely.
There is no separation as they are primarily smokers. I sent an email to the fellow who built the brick smoker in the youtube link. I asked him about using the smoker as an oven. This was his response.

"If you want to build an oven you would essentially build a 5-sided box in a box and reinforce the doors. It would take a lot of fire brick in places. Solid brick can be used as you get on up but remember, things grow as you get them hot. You get a lot of cracks and at every lintel one end has to be stuffed w/fiberglass before you mud it down. With a smoker, you can kinda cheat but an oven, not so much."

Hope that helps. Good luck with whatever you do and pictures would be great. I'm still thinking about building this type of smoker, but I'm thinking it will end up being one of those take three summers to do it projects.
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Old 04-17-2011, 09:38 AM   #9
AndreasMergner
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Oldyote, thanks for answering my question. That last link you sent has a bunch more pics where I can see that there is no separation of the chambers. That was helpful.

Yes, I agree an oven, especially one for pizza at 700-1000 degrees F needs a bit more thought....except you can make a cheap, temporary one without even using mortar! Check out this link here: http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/ind...ic,8528.0.html

I'm not sure that one is sealed very well between bricks for efficiency, but wood fired pizza ovens can't be very efficient without a door anyway. Also, that one is probably bigger than I need. I will likely try this method of construction to make a taller oven (to grill and bake with a stone) that I can close off and adjust the fire. After testing and modifying, I'll go more permanent. Another option is by doing the ceiling as an arch of bricks. I have clay soil and can use that as a temporary mud to hold it all together. I have a feeling that would be sealed better for efficiency.

Arches like this:
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Old 04-17-2011, 10:42 AM   #10
JS-TX
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Honestly, as nice as those are, they seem to be a lot of work. It would have to be made very well inside and out to stand the test of time. My homemade pizzas that I make in my bubba keg are about 2x as good as when I make them in my oven. Just use some lump fuel and you get the same wood fired taste IMO.
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Old 04-17-2011, 03:11 PM   #11
AndreasMergner
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JS-TX: which ones? The Wilburs? Not the ones I posted in the last post, right? The arched one is $60 in materials. The rectangular one is $200 and built in less than 4 hours. It is a big oven. I can't find a Bubba Keg or BSK or kamado for less than $700 right now. Plus, this type of project is not work to me. I like to build things.

What oven are you refering to? A WFO or a conventional oven?
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Old 04-17-2011, 03:46 PM   #12
jestridge
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Cobb oven
small-scale.net/.../build-your-own-20-outdoor-cob-oven-for-great-bread-and -pizza/
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Old 04-17-2011, 03:53 PM   #13
AndreasMergner
Found some matches.
 
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jestridge: I have seen that Cobb oven article. It looks like a cheap way to do it. I have a outdoor fireplace "thing" that came with the house. I will have to post a pic of it, but it is in poor shape. I pulled 40 fire bricks out of it already and there are more left. I also have plenty of regular brick that came with the house along with stone and large, flat flagstone (not sure if I will use any of the stone or flagstone). I should be able to make a brick oven for very little except for making some doors and insulation.
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Old 04-18-2011, 10:46 AM   #14
AndreasMergner
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Join Date: 04-11-11
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This is very close to what I intend to do, so someone *has* done it. I guess technically what I want to do is a gueulard oven with a removable floor to grill. http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/208...nsplans-needed

Now I need to figure out how high (what range) over the coals I need to put my grate/grill.
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