How to Make a Beer Keg Grill

Grilling is an efficient and easy way to cook meats and vegetables. Many grills, even simple ones, can be very expensive however. A popular conversion technique that is used to construct a home grill is by converting an old beer keg. This provides a relatively inexpensive way for you to do all of your home grilling, and an interesting conversation piece, as well.

Things You'll Need

• Empty beer keg
• Sand
• Power drill with thin and wide gauge metal drill bits
• Hammer
• Metal center-punch tool
• Level
• Chalk line tool
• Pro-grade pneumatic speed saw
• Protective eyewear
• Mask
• Metal file
• Metal grilling
• Charcoal

Instructions

1. Empty the keg and double check that it is not only empty of beer, but completely depressurized (do this by inserting a keg tap, as you would if you were opening a new keg, but instead of sealing off the opening, let it stay open releasing any leftover pressure). Turn the keg on its side. Have two of your strongest friends hold the keg in place as you proceed. With your hammer and punch-punch tool, make a 1/8 inch indentation in the side of the keg where you would like the opening to be. Six or seven inches from the top is usually best. Once the center punch indentation has been created, begin drilling a hole with the smallest metal drill bit you have. Once through, switch to a larger bit. Continue to do this until the hole is large enough to fit the blade of the saw through.

2. Push the keg upright. Using your chalk line tool, wrap the line around the keg, starting at the hole and going all the way around. Tweak the line to create a chalk line, and remove the tool. To ensure that the line you created is completely even and straight, use a level to test as you walk around the keg.

3. Put on your protective eyewear and mask to avoid shrapnel from getting in your eyes or mouth. Using the metal cutting blade on your saw, begin sawing along the chalk line. Move the saw across the line at a slow pace, so as not to overwhelm the saw. If the saw begins to slow down, take a short break, then return to sawing. Once finished, file down the rough edges of the metal.

4. Measure the opening that you have created in your keg. At your local hardware or sporting goods store, purchase a grill top that is slightly larger than the opening. Once home, use your saw to create small notches in the top of the keg for the grill top rest in, to keep it from slipping. File down these notches, as well.

5. Place your keg grill on a large mound of sand to avoid accidental flare up and to protect the ground beneath from the heat of the grill. Fill the inside of the keg two thirds of the way up with sand, as well. On top of the sand, place your charcoal briquettes and light them as you would a normal grill. Place the grill top into the secure notches on top of your keg grill and begin grilling.

Tips & Warnings

• Extinguish all grill fires before leaving your grill unattended. Have a full bucket of water within reach at all times.