Homemade Rotisserie Grill
A homemade rotisserie grill is an easy and inexpensive way to barbecue meats and vegetables in your backyard. With only basic tools, you can make your own rotisserie grill by recycling an old stainless steel beer keg, or a similar keg used for soft drinks. The round, enclosed shape of the keg will keep the heat inside, while allowing the food on the rotisserie to turn freely. The project should take about an hour to complete. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Beer keg
- Metal square
- Fine tipped marker
- Power grinder
- Cutting tool
- Metal shears
- 2-inch strip of sheet metal
- 2-by-4 lumber
- Electric drill
- Screwdriver
- Screws
- Metal handle
- 2 hinges
Instructions
-
-
1
Prepare to cut a lid out of the side of the keg by drawing a line down the side, using a fine tipped marker and a straight edge. Begin the line about an inch from the bottom, to about an inch below the top of the keg below the handle. Then draw a parallel line, about a third of the way around the side of the keg from the first line. Connect the bottom and top of each line with the marker to make a rectangle-shaped lid.
-
2
Put on a pair of work gloves. Then cut the lid from the keg along the lines using a hand grinder equipped with a cutting tool.
-
-
3
Cut the tube from inside the keg using your cutting tool. Grind down the sharp edges using the grinder.
-
4
Select a drill bit that corresponds to the diameter of your rotisserie rod. Then drill a hole in the middle of the keg's bottom with your power drill.
-
5
Measure the hole in the top of the keg, then use a jigsaw to cut a piece of scrap wood to plug the hole. Drill a hole in the wood for the rotisserie rod.
-
6
Cut a piece of metal flashing or sheet metal to the same length as the keg lid and 2-inch wide using metal shears. This will be the lip for the lid of the grill.
-
7
Bend the metal along its length to about a 90-degrees angle. This can be done by clamping it between two pieces of 2-by-4 lumber, or other long pieces of wood, with an inch of metal protruding, then tapping it down with a long piece of wood and a hammer.
-
8
Clamp the bent lip to the edge of the rotisserie lid. Drill a series of pilot holes through both pieces of metal, about two inches apart, then screw them together using short 1/8-inch screws.
-
9
Place a metal handle on the top of the lid, centered, about six inches above the lip. Mark the locations of the screw holes using a fine tipped marker. Then drill pilot holes in the lid and screw the handle to the lid.
-
10
Place two hinges on the opposite edge of the lid, each about three inches from the ends, and mark the locations for the screws. Drill pilot holes through these marks. Then screw the hinges to the lid. Place the lid on the keg and then repeat these steps to screw the hinges to the keg.
-
11
Dig a hollow in the ground, the same length as the keg, about 3 inches deep and 6 inches wide. Place the grill in that hollow. Open the lid and place a two-inch layer of charcoal in the keg. Let it burn for several hours before using the rotisserie for food the first time.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
To avoid stooping over your grill, you can try making a wooden platform from two sawhorses.
References
- Photo Credit kegs of beer image by AGITA LEIMANE from Fotolia.com
