How to Build a Brick Barbeque Pit

Nothing tastes quite as good as homemade food prepared on a sizzling barbeque. The tastiest dishes are slow cooked for tenderness, moistness and flavor. One way to enjoy delicious barbeques in your own back yard is to build a brick barbeque pit. With a few simple supplies and tools, and an afternoon's worth of effort, you can host your own family barbeques and entertain in style.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Bricks
• Mortar mix
• Trowel
• Shovel
• Stone dust
• Wire or metal rack
• Spray paint
• Level

1. Measure the area where you'll create your brick barbeque pit, and relay said measurements to a clerk at your local hardware or home and garden store. He will be able to tell you how many bricks you need to purchase.

2. Mark off the measured area with spray paint. Start digging on and inside of these lines using a shovel. Dig about a foot into the soil. Use your level to see that the ground is fairly even once you've finished digging.

3. 
    
   Your brick barbeque pit needn't be fancy to afford delicious results!

   Pour stone dust over the bottom of the barbeque pit, smoothing it out with the back of your shovel. Using the level once again, test for fairly level ground.

4. Mix the mortar according to package directions. Pour a thin layer of mortar into the base of the barbeque pit, and smooth with the trowel. Align the bricks in the bottom of the pit and press firmly into the mortar.

5. Build upward from the base, layering bricks and mortar as you go. Scrape away the excess mortar with your trowel. Stack the bricks high enough to keep the direct wind from interrupting the fire in the pit; at least two feet high. The stack can go higher if you wish.
   Allow the mortar a full 24 hours to dry. Wedge the rack inside the walls, start your fire, and be prepared for some delicious barbeque.

Resources

• Do It Yourself.com