Outdoor grilling has become a national passion because the food tastes great and it is a cheap way to entertain friends and neighbors. As a result, an increasing number of do-it-yourself enthusiasts are asking “How Do I Build A Charcoal Grill?” The easy answer is “with a load of brick and a steel grate,” but that does a disservice to sincere people who are seeking information. As we all know, building a grill can be as simple as making a stone fire ring and then placing an old steel refrigerator shelf or piece of expanded metal on top of it.
That doesn’t seem to be what most people are looking for, though. When asking “How Do I Build A Charcoal Grill?” many people are actually saying, “I am proud of my craftsmanship and am seeking instructions for building a structure that will give me satisfaction on several levels for years to come.” Wow, that’s different, isn’t it? These people don’t just want to build a barbecue, they want to build a highly functional structure or device that they can take pride in when they grill, and enjoy superior results in their own cooking once they have mastered the skills.
So, lets try to answer the question: exactly How DO I Build A Charcoal Grill? There are many ways. To find out about them, let’s start at your local bookstore. Try to locate a copy of the “Home Book of Smoke Cooking” by Sleight and Hull. It contains hand drawn plans for building smokers and barbecues that range from dirt trenches and wooden boxes to the most elaborate of brick barbecue combos. If you can’t find it locally, try the Internet, since that’s the next place we’re going anyway.
Now that we’re on the Internet, type in a search by shortening “How Do I Build A Charcoal Grill” to simply “build a charcoal grill,” and you will be surprised at all the information that comes up on the search engine. One website is even hosted by a famous TV personality and features a video showing how it’s done! Homemade barbecues and smokers can be constructed using anything from steel barrels – but not ones that have contained petroleum – and old refrigerators to brick and masonry, and they will all produce good barbecue. Happy grilling!