Building a Barbecue

I have decided that I'm going to build a barbecue tomorrow while Husband is away.

Suggestions and advice would be much appreciated - like does anyone know where I might get a rack this afternoon. I like the idea of bricks but red brick doesn't do it for me and yellow brick looks like newborn-baby poo. I want to construct it. I have no building experience to speak of, though I know how to mix cement and use a spirit level. I'm also a rather knacky grouter but don't expect those skills to be of much use.

I'm open to any ideas or suggestions but any shopping will have to be done fairly locally in regular building supply and hardware places (unless there's a really good idea and I can get my brother to purchase in town). Obviously you're all invited when it's up and running.

I bought one like a little green sputnik 3 years ago - not at all elaborate and quite cheap, and it cooks beautifully.
But I can hear that you are in the mood for some heavy construction work, so I'm sure you will wait for someone to come along with a more substantial solution. If its going to be a permanent structure, picking the right spot is very important, so it might be worth trying it out first just for a picnic before building.

Dig hole in ground; put charcoal in hole; take grill from cooker; put grill over hole.

Woman
Meat
Cave

If you're building skills are crap, there's no need to be ashamed Auditor. I won't think any less of you for not having more technical advice than the above...

...quite apart from the fact that if a woman is going to spend the afternoon on her knees, there are more interesting things she could be doing than leaning over a slightly more advanced version of the Fulacht Fiadh.

It's very elaborate lengths you're going to kate - bbq is experience of nature red in tooth and claw. Ideally you should bbq beside the sea so you can catch fish, bbq fish, eat fish.

In Oz in a hostel I was staying at when I was young a group of 20 of us did the fulacht fiadh thing with a makeshift grill which was originally a gate. It was very pagan and very international. Generally the Aussies have gas and electric barbies though ... (maybe because of anal retention on firehazards)

I'll give you this small bit of advice that I've just made up - you'll need a sheltered enough spot because the ashes could get blown everywhere - an advantage of the sputnik bbq is you can move it around. Otherwise you simply need to be able to suspend your grate over a place for coals which are ideally allowed some air from underneath. And if you can make it so that you can adjust the height of the grill somehow it might be useful as that's the only way you have of adjusting the heat. The sputnik bbqs you'll notice have two levels generally, plus the area of the grill is quite large so the heat is variable throughout the grill - very hot in the centre for example.

Red bricks are pretty though.

Thank you - the adjustable grill I hadn't thought of.

Our house is L shaped, with the sun along the length of the long part of L - facing more or less south. There's a narrow enough six or seven feet of gravel between the footpath and the lawn and the plan at the moment is to build the thing in concrete and with bricks perpendicular the top of the L - (ie, flush, more or less with the back wall of the house) so the cook will have his/her back to the west-ish. Not a problem for wind as a rule here I think.

But it's not sheltered at all - I could build it parallel with the length of the house - would that be a better idea? ie, south facing with the open side of the grill to the house (for the ashes to blow all over the dashing???)

It needs to be there or thereabouts anyway. We do all our living along that side of the house and kitchen doors open out onto it about halfway down.

How does that sound Audi?

My very handy brother says that I can get the parts in b&q - assuming I can make it there this evening. I'll need to dig out a foundation of some sort and have that ready for action tomorrow. It won't need to be very deep.

Assistance from any other mechanically minded people would be greatly appreciated.

Are you dead set on building one Kate ? I've built a few over the years but found the bought one I have now is much better.

It has a high shelf above the grill and a fold down lid. I find this really useful because I can effectively use it to roast bigger stuff like chicken legs and big spare ribs etc. So they get nicely cooked without getting burnt !

Kate P wrote:

Thank you - the adjustable grill I hadn't thought of.

Our house is L shaped, with the sun along the length of the long part of L - facing more or less south. There's a narrow enough six or seven feet of gravel between the footpath and the lawn and the plan at the moment is to build the thing in concrete and with bricks perpendicular the top of the L - (ie, flush, more or less with the back wall of the house) so the cook will have his/her back to the west-ish. Not a problem for wind as a rule here I think.

But it's not sheltered at all - I could build it parallel with the length of the house - would that be a better idea? ie, south facing with the open side of the grill to the house (for the ashes to blow all over the dashing???)

It needs to be there or thereabouts anyway. We do all our living along that side of the house and kitchen doors open out onto it about halfway down.

How does that sound Audi?

My very handy brother says that I can get the parts in b&q - assuming I can make it there this evening. I'll need to dig out a foundation of some sort and have that ready for action tomorrow. It won't need to be very deep.

Assistance from any other mechanically minded people would be greatly appreciated.

We're going to need detailed technical drawings, Kate.

I built one near the lake up yonder years ago (It could still be there, being used by the inbred yokels... I mean locals). I used a load of parts from an old cooker. The shelves from the oven were used as racks on either side and the grill pan thing for holding the ashes and the grilly girll but as the... grill.  
I used locally sources stones from the shore of the lake rather than bricks, but if you have a wander around your local bulilding providers (or salvage yard if you have one) might provide something suitable and to your taste.

Cookie does not agree with gas barbecues.

Cookie also does not agree with people having the radio on very loud in the cat with the window open.

What type of brick is on your house, Kate? It might be an idea to try to use a similar stone (for a natural stone house), or just use normal blocks and paint them the same colour as the house.

Obviously you can only paint the outside of the bbq because the heat inside will melt the paint and probably spoil the food, but if you use it regularly enough it will turn black inside anyway.

You could try to find some 8"x4" granite bricks either, but they can be expensive.
Another idea would be to go looking at patio style natural stone like indian sandstone or limestone, and see if the shop stocks bricks in the same stone, as a lot of patio stone comes in brick form as well so you can build matching borders for the patio.
Then you can build the frame of the bbq with bricks and use the patio slab for the base (where you're putting the charcoal stuff) and you can even try to build some kind of table or bench beside the bbq out of the same stone.

I know I saw the stuff for building a barbecue (bricks not included) in the Arogs catalogue a few months back, but I can't find it on their website. At least if you saw an image of it, you could see what type of thing people build, and what items/features you'll need.

I think my brother built one a few years ago, but he's currently ill, so I don't think I can ask for a barbecue related consult.

Google has given me the following:

Building a barbecue as a feature, complete with illustrative cartoons.
Build a backyard barbecue: (You'll have to search on the site, using the title given, after hitting this link, as the url wouldn't work in the code, for some reason) I assume you're not going for something this elaborate, but I like that site in general; it gives all sorts of useful info on how to re-use lots of stuff that'd otherwise be thrown out.
No images with this one, but looks useful.
I'm not sure how helpful with one is, but who am I to judge?
Images on this one, including how to use the bricks to support the grill and ash tray.

TheBear wrote:

I know I saw the stuff for building a barbecue (bricks not included) in the Arogs catalogue a few months back, but I can't find it on their website. At least if you saw an image of it, you could see what type of thing people build, and what items/features you'll need.

I think my brother built one a few years ago, but he's currently ill, so I don't think I can ask for a barbecue related consult.

You don't know the reatorative effect being needed to help build something can have on men.

cookiemonster wrote:

TheBear wrote:

I know I saw the stuff for building a barbecue (bricks not included) in the Arogs catalogue a few months back, but I can't find it on their website. At least if you saw an image of it, you could see what type of thing people build, and what items/features you'll need.

I think my brother built one a few years ago, but he's currently ill, so I don't think I can ask for a barbecue related consult.

You don't know the reatorative effect being needed to help build something can have on men.

He's quite sick, he'll need more than that to make him better.

TheBear wrote:

cookiemonster wrote:

TheBear wrote:

I know I saw the stuff for building a barbecue (bricks not included) in the Arogs catalogue a few months back, but I can't find it on their website. At least if you saw an image of it, you could see what type of thing people build, and what items/features you'll need.

I think my brother built one a few years ago, but he's currently ill, so I don't think I can ask for a barbecue related consult.

You don't know the reatorative effect being needed to help build something can have on men.

He's quite sick, he'll need more than that to make him better.

Oh dear.I'm sorry to hear that, being sick sucks. 

Do you think we could convice Kate to build a kit car too?

cookiemonster wrote:

TheBear wrote:

cookiemonster wrote:

You don't know the reatorative effect being needed to help build something can have on men.

He's quite sick, he'll need more than that to make him better.

Oh dear.I'm sorry to hear that, being sick sucks.

Do you think we could convice Kate to build a kit car too?

That'd be so cool! (Anyone see that episode of Top Gear, where the Stig drove a ready-made kit car from London to Edinburgh, and the rest of the guys had the length of time that took to build one of the cars? Great fun!)

Thanks TheBear - I had googled and saw a few pictures and the diy you mentioned. I'm sorry your brother isn't well - hope he gets better soon.

Our house has old-fashioned white dashing, it's sort of modern farmhousey looking. Which is why I'm not keen on red bricks.

But as I was wandering around the country this afternoon (and sitting in a hot car for far too bloody long outside Abbeyleix - the sooner that bypass is finished, the better. I arrived at my salubrious destination late and feeling slightly menopausal) I thought to myself that having a wander around the farmyard might unearth something salvageable that might inspire something more homely than the immovable brick thing. Though I still have an urge to make something.

A kit car could be fun ...

Having done some rooting around, I came up with this stuff - the rim of a big wheel and an old cast iron fireplace that was once in the thatched cottage where Husband's grandmother lived. I spent some time cleaning them both this evening and will prop (well, somebody more muscular than I am will do that) the rim up on some blocks for a while and front the lot with fireplace. And I'll paint the lot black with heat resistant enamel paint - and then figure out if it's worth making it a permanent structure and how to tidy up the corners. Husband is sceptical, it must be said. I'm feeling rather confident.

Kate P wrote:

Why... that's a... lovely looking kit car. Well done.

*pats Kate on the head*

You're kinda getting the hang of it now Kate - it's mobile anyway. So what did you do in the end? I went to see Indiana Jones on your recommendation, thanks, I didn't feel arsed at first but went in instead of reading Collapse.

It was worth every penny.

Auditor #9 wrote:

You're kinda getting the hang of it now Kate - it's mobile anyway. So what did you do in the end? I went to see Indiana Jones on your recommendation, thanks, I didn't feel arsed at first but went in instead of reading Collapse.

It was worth every penny.

I drank a beer, read a book and secured coins to my hair using bulldog clips.

Is that in fashion now where you are? Money in the hair? Did you lift your mouse to vote for a book in our book club at all yet?

Glad you enjoyed the film - I hated the last three or four minutes of it though. Did it bring you back to your swashbuckling days?

I think we need more heroes like indy.

What I did in the end was root around in places that time has forgotten. I also found an old, chipped Belfast sink but unless I can work some good magic with that old wheelbarrow, it won't be moving. But I think the fireplace is a nice idea... (am I mad?)

I also went for a walk, had a Chinese meal in my friend's car while we lamented about her lovelife and had a look out for that feckin' rocket that I missed.
The plan now is to get up early, sort out the blocks, set up the structure as far as possible, paint what I can, find a round grate the appropriate size and throw on some nicely marinated pork steaks as soon as I can.

Kate P wrote:

Glad you enjoyed the film - I hated the last three or four minutes of it though. Did it bring you back to your swashbuckling days?

I think we need more heroes like indy.

I saw it the day after it premiered in Vue Liffey Valley. It was on the biggest screen so there was fantastic visual and sound quality.

I have to say, it was a good film, but not the best of the Indy franchise. I think the odd-numbered Indys are better than the evens. Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade are excellent films which were given a deserved re-showing on RTÉ and the BBC in recent weeks.

Indiana Jones is brilliant.

Auditor #9 wrote:

Is that in fashion now where you are? Money in the hair? Did you lift your mouse to vote for a book in our book club at all yet?

Fashion, no. Not yet anyway.

I'm not doing the book club.