New Build: Chicken & Hog Cooker for a Brethren

[Big George's BBQ]

That looks like it will be real nice. Looking forward to following your progress

 

[kpq]

Thanks all!! it has been really nice talking to dwfish on building this!he knows his stuff!!can't wait to see it and put it to work:clap2:Thanks again to everybody for all the suggestions to put this together!!

 

[landarc]

Great looking grate! :becky:

You're gonna wish those were roller bearings on the axle. Cause bearing are cool.

 

[dwfisk]

Great looking grate! :becky:

You're gonna wish those were roller bearings on the axle. Cause bearing are cool.

Actually, if I got my metallurgy right, the DOM is a non-welded hot extruded product and is quite a bit harder than the cold rolled I used for the handles. The dimensions work out to 1/100 clearance so I'm thinking it will run smooth for, like ever. Especially with a little pig or chicken fat to keep it lubed up. That said, I agree bearings & pillow blocks ARE cool:becky:

 

[ShencoSmoke]

If it was up to bob it would also have a pirate ship wheel to flip the grate.:-D

 

[ebijack]

I agree bearings & pillow blocks ARE cool:becky:

And gear reduction can make rotating a lot of weight slow and smooth, even in court rooms with a Judge sitting in the exhibit wanting to go for a ride.

 

[THoey1963]

Looks like some quality design and work. My only thought / question / concern was when it was being rotated, would there be enough clearance to the fire? If there was enough clearance to the fire, would there be enough heat when cooking?

 

[dadsr4]

I like it!
except having to take those long bolt/wing nuts apart to get the done birds/hog out. Once greased up and HOT that is going to be a PIA in MHO. I would do that a bit different, but that's me.
Nice work..again :clap2:

I've bent a flat-bottomed wide V shape out of flat stock in the past and drilled and tapped a hole in the flat portion, sort of \_/ shape with wider ears. It is easier to spin with a finger tip wearing gloves once it is loosened.

 

[AlwaysSmokey]

I like it. :eusa_clap I also like everybody's input so far. I just have one other question/thought to raise. What about the lid / door ??? Does that have a plan already, or have I opened a can of worms?

 

[dwfisk]

Looks like some quality design and work. My only thought / question / concern was when it was being rotated, would there be enough clearance to the fire? If there was enough clearance to the fire, would there be enough heat when cooking?

It wil take a healthy coal bed, but confined in the concrete block pit most of the heat will be focused upwards to the grill. The rotating grates are 36 inches wide, so there will need to be +/- 20 inches clearance to the coals. A lot of folks maintain a roaring hot fire in a separate burn barrel with a large (i.e., 4" X 4") rebar grid, collect coals and embers to distribute in the pit with a shovel. That's probably necessary for long cooks where reloading coals will be needed (i.e., for a hog) but I'm thinking chicken will cook fine on a single coal bed, either from a wood fire or a healthy load of charcoal.

 

[AlwaysSmokey]

Uh-oh,... lol...

I was thinking of just going up a corse or two from the grate,.. but - no access to the handle/pin

Everything else I've thought of so far has been alot of fab.

Do tell ! because now I'm designing lids on napkins....

 

[dwfisk]

I like it. :eusa_clap I also like everybody's input so far. I just have one other question/thought to raise. What about the lid / door ??? Does that have a plan already, or have I opened a can of worms?

Usually on "temporary" concrete block pits where the blocks are stacked but not mortared in, folks just use some flat bar or angle iron to make a "bridge" and pull a couple concrete blocks out of one end. I've seen more permanent pits that actually had doors (like repurposed from a wood stove). I've cooked on several with no door at all and top loaded fuel, it works OK but a real PITA if you have a lot of frequent loading like when cooking a hog.

I've seen a few like this with lids, everything from a formed lid to just a sheet of tin.

 

[landarc]

In a block pit, it takes a lot less fire than one might think to cook most things. A hog being the exception. There is an efficiency of heat with a block pit that has to be experienced to be believed. Start one medium size fire and let it burn slowly to coals and you will have plenty of heat.

That being said, a nice pile of active coals in a separate burn barrel or kiln is a great thing to have. Just remember, never leave the shovel in the bed of coals, the handle will burn right off.

 

[AlwaysSmokey]

Yeah,.. I've built many temp ones.... I always come up another course or two and set tin over the top. but your handles would prevent such an arrangement. So this one is ment to not have a cover? (which I agree works,... I'm just curious)

 

[dwfisk]

Yeah,.. I've built many temp ones.... I always come up another course or two and set tin over the top. but your handles would prevent such an arrangement. So this one is ment to not have a cover? (which I agree works,... I'm just curious)

Yep, NOT intended to have a cover, but could always add if it is needed.

 

[ShencoSmoke]

As far as the lid, it is optional based on what is being cooked. On mine I will stack 4" wide blocks on the sides which will support a metal lid. I've even seen cardboard used as lids. Lids are not needed for chicken.

If you click on the thread link I started one of the posts I made (post 55) has a PDF that shows a cross section through that pit. It shows the lintel, lid, and clearance.

 

[ebijack]

Are there any updates?
How did it work out? Any changes?

 

[DWheat]

Hog and chicken cookers

We built our cookers out of old stainless steel milk tanks and built rotating racks similar to your design. Basic frame was angle iron with expanded metal and tied a piece of expanded metal with stainless steel wire that I got from phone company where I worked. Was wire used to strap aerial phone cables to aerial strand. Still using these pits today, we built the pits in the early 80’s. The picture is of the tank that we can cook 2 hogs at a time. We had 3 trays for shoveling coals into, one in between racks and one on either side. Had the top fabricated out of stainless steel as well, remember it cost me around $300 dollars and we bought the milk tanks from dairies that had discarded them for larger tanks, bought the tanks for $50 or less.

 

[Big Andy]

Yea, I've thought about this a bunch too, just knew the bolts and wing nuts would work at least in the short term (delivery Friday). I've thought of options like tractor pins or clevis pins or some kind of spring thingy, but just have not been able to find anything better. The 3/8 inch bolts you see here are 6 inches long and have a retainer nut that holds them firmly to the lower grate; once to take the tension of the wing nut it spins freely and fast. I'm also supplying some 3 inch bolts; when it is used to cook chickens that should be plenty and help a little.

I know this won't sound too fancy, especially after you built this great looking rig. We use bailing wire or thin electric fence wire doubled and tied in several places. You can twist it together wearing gloves, and use cutters to get it off.