How To Build A BBQ Pit
Before you decide to build your BBQ pit, determine if it would be worth the time and effort. You must first understand what a BBQ pit is used for to do this.
What Are the Materials Needed to Build a BBQ Pit?
There are several tips on how to build a BBQ pit you should consider. For instance, it is best to use cedar when building out of wood. It has natural anti-rotting properties that will keep your BBQ pit lasting many years if done properly. For steel, you will need sheet metal and angle iron for support beams. If using bricks, be sure they are made from clay to stand up well against heat and not crack or break apart. You can also choose other types of stones. However, only a firebrick should be used inside the smoke chamber because it does not burn away like a regular stone can.
The following are steps on how to build a BBQ pit.
Dig Out an Area for Bricks or Cinderblocks
The first step in building a BBQ pit is to dig out an area to place your bricks or cinderblocks. The stack should be square, and even to inspect it properly, you should measure both diagonals. They should be equal to each other if the structure is square. Then take a brick and lay it flat across any side. This becomes your reference point, so you can build off of it later on when stacking the blocks up again. Once the ground where you plan to put your brick structure is leveled off, it is time to stack them.
Lay Down Your Bricks in a Square or Rectangle
Starting at the bottom, you should lay down four bricks in a square or rectangle shape to act as your base. You can build up from here with whatever height you want. However, keep in mind that the higher you go, the longer it will take to heat up since there is more mass. While stacking on top of each other, aim for evenness and avoid leaving gaps between blocks. This can cause poor airflow and create a fire hazard.
Wire Up the Aluminum Vent Fan Charcoal Starter and Other Accessories
After cleaning all debris and washing off all residue with water, it is time to start wiring up your aluminum vent fan charcoal starter or other accessories. Ensure all pit parts are wired together properly with either a metal conduit or an extension cord. Whichever works best for your design. Everything should turn on at once when you flick the switch if done properly. If not, check the wiring diagrams again and ensure everything is connected properly.
Start a Fire in the Pit
Now that all components are wired together using safety/ tie wire, hook up some fireproof cover that can fit over the top of both chambers like bricks or stone. This insulates heat inside. Trapping it around your food helps speed up the cooking process. The final step of how to build a BBQ pit is starting a small fire inside your new BBQ pit. Please keep it going until you have a good bed of coals before turning off any gas flow and closing up both chambers with whatever cover you used before. This way, heat will stay trapped inside as coals burn off, leaving you with some great-tasting food.
You can build many different BBQ pits, each providing unique flavors to the meat. For example, some BBQ pits are made from bricks for faster heating, while others use wood. Some people prefer to use metal because it heats up quickly and evenly across the entire pit. You can even find some modern options that will allow you to control the heat at the push of a button.