The Best Material Needed to Build a Pig Roaster

PIg roasters can be made from new or salvaged materials.

Building a pig roaster requires knowledge of how the cooking process works as well as the appropriate building materials. Before starting the project, decide how large your roasting pig will be to ensure your enclosure is big enough to accommodate it. If you are using an electric rotisserie to turn the pig, be sure the prongs are strong enough to hold it in place and the motor has ample power to keep the meat turning for 7 or 8 hours.

Tank Roasters

Pigs range in size from 50 to 300 lbs. live weight. Those tipping the scales at heavier weights require a roaster made from a huge tank or similarly shaped enclosure. Buy a new or used 300-gallon stainless steel or heavy-gauge aluminum gas tank and cut it in half horizontally. Install pipe hinges on one side to create a lid that can be easily manipulated during roasting. For the rotisserie bar, use a steel shaft from discarded farm or lawn maintenance equipment with a length that exceeds that of the pig by at least 18 inches to provide plenty of room on either end to secure the bar to the motor. Power the rotisserie by creating a pulley system powered by an old motor from a wringer washing machine or similar appliance that uses rotation to operate. Belts, pulleys and gearbox shafts from shop machines or lawnmowers can be rigged to work with the motor to keep the meat rotating on its own.

Drum Style

You can roast smaller pigs with cookers made from 55-gallon oil drums, beer kegs or gas cylinders. Cut the container in half lengthwise and mount the bottom half into a steel frame made from conduit or rebar. You can hinge the top or hood to the bottom section or leave it separate, as it is not as unmanageable as the top of a 300-gallon tank. Since the drum is small, the best option for a rotisserie is one purchased premade at a restaurant or barbecue supply store, which is normally sold with a motor and sometimes a timer. If you have to build your own rotisserie, follow the tank rotisserie construction guidelines and scale them down to fit the 55-gallon drum.

Parts Procurement

Depending on the region in which you live, finding parts to build a pig roaster may be difficult. Scour online and hard copy want ads for adaptable salvaged parts and be prepared to be creative in crafting and adjusting parts to fit non-standard angles and applications.

Tips and Hints

Build your pig roaster well in advance of the pig roasting event and test the mechanics of it several times to iron out the kinks in the system ahead of time. Watch online videos to learn roasting tips and techniques from experienced pig roasters. Have plenty of helpers on hand to assist in moving the pig and skewering it on the rotisserie shaft, as it will be slick and hard to manipulate.

References

• Mother Earth News; Have a Pig Roast in Your Backyard; How to Build a Hog Roaster; Carole Watkins; May/June 1981
• King of Pork: How is a Homemade Pig Cooker Different From a Professionally Engineered One?