How to Make a Pig Cooker
You can build your own pig cooker with a few basic materials. While you can approach this project in several different ways, the most common form is built using a metal drum. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 55-gallon metal drum
- Metal saw
- Steel hinges
- Drill
- Sheet of metal
- Metal handle
- Two metal rods
- 2-inch angle iron
- Two castors
- Pully system
- Rubber belt
- Small motor
Instructions
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Drum
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1
Cut the metal drum in half lengthwise with a metal saw, going from the top to the bottom in a vertical direction, and attach the steel hinges to the two halves so the drum now opens and closes horizontally.
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2
Drill 20 to 30 ventilation holes in the bottom of the drum, being sure to distribute them evenly along the full length of the bottom. Half-inch holes are optimal for good ventilation without letting too much heat out during the cooking process.
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3
Cut the sheet of metal so it will fit snugly into the bottom portion of the drum above the drilled holes. This is the cooking grate that you will place the pig on during roasting. If cut properly, you won't need to attach it to the drum in any way as it should fit tight enough to hold on its own.
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4
Attach any standard metal handle to the top portion of the drum that serves as the lid. While this is not a required step, it does make opening and closing the hot roaster a lot safer and easier.
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5
Cut a steel rod to a length that will allow the lid of the cooker to be propped open like a car hood and attach to the inside. This not only relieves stress on the hinges, but also prevents the need for someone to hold the lid up while cooking.
The Frame
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6
Weld 2-inch angle iron in the shape of a rectangle that is big enough for the metal drum to sit on. If your measurements are accurate, the drum should fit snugly into the frame. For a more permanent build, you can spot weld the drum to the frame, but this is not necessary if you plan to deconstruct the cooker later for easier storage.
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7
Cut and weld on to the frame four lengths of the iron to form the legs. The height of the frame will depend on your own preferences, but waist-high usually works the best for most people. To make the frame more sturdy, you can add reinforcement brackets between the legs on each end if you need to.
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8
Cut two additional lengths of angle iron to create a shelf on one end of the frame. Attach one piece to each of the two legs on the side you choose that are long enough to support the rotisserie motor you will be attaching to the cooker.
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9
Optionally, you can add small wheels to the bottom of each of the legs if you want to make the pig cooker more portable and easy to relocate. Any type of wheels will do as long as they are strong enough to withstand the weight of the full mechanism once it is completely assembled.
The Rotisserie
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10
Cut one of the steel rods to a length long enough to run through the inside of the drum. This will serve as the spit of the cooker and be what turns the pig while it cooks. Make sure the metal used for this portion is sturdy enough to hold the weight as well as withstand the heat.
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11
Using a caster mounted on each end of the drum, attach the steel rod into place. The casters aren't required but will prevent the spit from wearing out too quickly and take some of the stress off the motor as well.
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12
Attach the motor to the metal shelf you welded on earlier and use a pulley with a rubber belt to connect it to the spit inside the drum. Make sure you make the pulley removable, otherwise you won't be able to get the pig on and off for cooking and eating.
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References
- Photo Credit cochinillo image by Pablo Armelles from Fotolia.com
