Cooking a pig
- Thread starter Zigga
- Start date
202typical
Long Time Member
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- 3,123
Mobile or stationary?
?Justice consists not in being neutral between right and wrong, but in finding out the right and upholding it, wherever found, against the wrong.?
---Theodore Roosevelt,
?Justice consists not in being neutral between right and wrong, but in finding out the right and upholding it, wherever found, against the wrong.?
---Theodore Roosevelt,
BeanMan
Long Time Member
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- 6,971
Zigga,
Here are some pictures of mine. I made a concrete foundation 6 feet by 5 feet using forms and some rebar. Take care to make it level. Next I laid brick two feet tall on top of the foundation. I didn't use firebrick to save on money. I wish now I had but the bricks have not cracked. If you look around some you may be able to find some used fire brick. I capped the brick with 4" angle iron to give it strength, provide something to mount hinges for the lid on, and to cover my brick laying mistakes. (first time laying brick) I had a piece of 12 guage steel rolled into a half dome shape at a local metal works place. I cut out two half moons for the sides and welded them on. You could cut down on size and cost by making the half moon/dome shorter than I did. Also the outside dimensions of 6' by 5' could be cut down by a feet each side. There are two circular cutouts on each half moon for smoke control. I had planned on cutting circular air vents down low in a few places on the brick but I never got around to it and have found I didn't need them. They still would be cool to have though. I would use a 2" hole saw and insert a piece of pipe that you could put air flow covers on if I were to do it. The lid got too heavy so I put a post behind it for a pulley and hand cranked boat winch to raise and lower it. Originally I had thought of putting together a electric spit to rotate the pig. I found a piece of surplus shaker screen (used for sizing gravel) at a metal salvage yard. I like shaker screen because the metal is woven and round and does not seem to stick to meat as much as expanded metal does. It is reinforced with 2" angle iron around it and across in two places. I attached four chains in each corner that I can raise or lower the screen on. I have never moved the screen at all except when loading it full of weeds to burn (it makes a sensational weed burner) and doing this after a pig roast will help to burn off the fat smell of pig drippings. I have yet to figure out how to incorporate a pan to catch the grease that bakes off, that would be a good thing. The pig itself is split in half down the back bone and cooked ribs down, I don't turn it. Remove tenderloins first! I use fruit wood to make a bed of coals and add fruit wood that has been soaked 24 hours to make more smoke. Cherry and apple wood seem to be the best. It doesn't take much wood and is easy to put too much in. It will cook a
200 pound hog in about 7 hours, you don't have to sit up with it all night. There is a door on one end to load more wod into and to change air flow. Hope you have a big yard to put it on.
There are plenty of ways to make one but I am quite happy with mine. Let me know if you would like more info etc.
beanman
Here are some pictures of mine. I made a concrete foundation 6 feet by 5 feet using forms and some rebar. Take care to make it level. Next I laid brick two feet tall on top of the foundation. I didn't use firebrick to save on money. I wish now I had but the bricks have not cracked. If you look around some you may be able to find some used fire brick. I capped the brick with 4" angle iron to give it strength, provide something to mount hinges for the lid on, and to cover my brick laying mistakes. (first time laying brick) I had a piece of 12 guage steel rolled into a half dome shape at a local metal works place. I cut out two half moons for the sides and welded them on. You could cut down on size and cost by making the half moon/dome shorter than I did. Also the outside dimensions of 6' by 5' could be cut down by a feet each side. There are two circular cutouts on each half moon for smoke control. I had planned on cutting circular air vents down low in a few places on the brick but I never got around to it and have found I didn't need them. They still would be cool to have though. I would use a 2" hole saw and insert a piece of pipe that you could put air flow covers on if I were to do it. The lid got too heavy so I put a post behind it for a pulley and hand cranked boat winch to raise and lower it. Originally I had thought of putting together a electric spit to rotate the pig. I found a piece of surplus shaker screen (used for sizing gravel) at a metal salvage yard. I like shaker screen because the metal is woven and round and does not seem to stick to meat as much as expanded metal does. It is reinforced with 2" angle iron around it and across in two places. I attached four chains in each corner that I can raise or lower the screen on. I have never moved the screen at all except when loading it full of weeds to burn (it makes a sensational weed burner) and doing this after a pig roast will help to burn off the fat smell of pig drippings. I have yet to figure out how to incorporate a pan to catch the grease that bakes off, that would be a good thing. The pig itself is split in half down the back bone and cooked ribs down, I don't turn it. Remove tenderloins first! I use fruit wood to make a bed of coals and add fruit wood that has been soaked 24 hours to make more smoke. Cherry and apple wood seem to be the best. It doesn't take much wood and is easy to put too much in. It will cook a
200 pound hog in about 7 hours, you don't have to sit up with it all night. There is a door on one end to load more wod into and to change air flow. Hope you have a big yard to put it on.
There are plenty of ways to make one but I am quite happy with mine. Let me know if you would like more info etc.
beanman
G
gilamonster8
Guest
Omg its got to be in Texas
I would like it to be stationary.
I saw your set up earlier Beanman and loved it. We've got a couple acres on the water next to open space so this sounds perfect. As long as you have all the kinks worked out then I might try it. We will probably use it a couple times a year, maybe more. Thanks for the info and keep the ideas coming.
I saw your set up earlier Beanman and loved it. We've got a couple acres on the water next to open space so this sounds perfect. As long as you have all the kinks worked out then I might try it. We will probably use it a couple times a year, maybe more. Thanks for the info and keep the ideas coming.
