Ultimate Burn Barrel

txdon · Nov 7, 2004

The wifes grandpa use a cement culvert cut in half as a burn barrel for as long as I can remember. So I took that idea and made it better. I inserted a washing machine stainless steel tub in it. The tub has a 2" hole in the bottom (agitator or drain hole) which adds air to the fire and the hole also makes getting the ash out easy and water does not accumulate. I have had this setup now for eight years and it works great. Just thought I pass the Idea on.

txdon · Nov 7, 2004

Oh, .... and also you can BBQ on it. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

PineRidge · Nov 7, 2004

Friends and a BBQ with liquid refreshment, it doesn't get much better than that.

I like your burn pit too BTW. innovative!

thcri · Nov 7, 2004

( Oh, .... and also you can BBQ on it. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif )

I think we should have a party next week-end at TxDon's place. Don could provide the fire, the beer and the brats. We could just all come hungry!!!.

Great Idea Don.

murph

turnkey4099 · Nov 7, 2004

It approaches the ultimate but isn't quite there. Mine is.

Concrete block 8x16 U shape for 2 courses, 6x16 up to top, room inside for 50 gal drum.

The set back from the 8" to 6" block forms a ledge for iron bars to lay on. 4 of them are about right and I use old sections of pipe, angle, whatever. Those support the barrel.

Cut out both ends of the barrel. Fill barrel with trash, light underneath and stand back. Will smoke heavy until it gets lit off then will go like a blowtorch. Ashes fall through the grate to be easily shovel out. May have to stire the contents if burning magazines, etc a few times but usually no stirring is needed.

My first attempt was to stack the block dry. They lasted about 10 years but burnt out. My current one I laid em in mortar and filled the voids with cement and mortar.

Now I have a cadillac burn barrel and can only use it stealthily as the state is on a serious crackdown on burn barrels.

Harry K

markct · Nov 7, 2004

where does the air get into it, our burn barrels always had air holes around the bottom but your concrete pipe looks to be solid on the bottom

txdon · Nov 7, 2004

Markct, the air comes in around the top lip and then up the hole in the center, but mostly just from the top. I had a air hole under the other side but the gophers kept filling it up.

txdon · Nov 7, 2004

Turnkey409, OK I'm easy, I concede. If I could change the title of this post it would be "THE ULTIMATE BURN BARREL/BBQ GRILL". Can you BBQ on yours without ( "...go like a blowtorch..." ) cremating your food? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

DannyD · Nov 7, 2004

See here is the problem.

There are lots of people out there making their living off of those that have 1000.00 stainless steel, dual burner, with side burners and warmers, gas gauges, high priced utensils, on nice carts............and you go and improve on it with a culvert, old wash tub, and a concrete..............

Good job. My wife and I being ones that like old fashioned charcoal and grill, find it amazing that cooking out is now simply OUTSIDE, on a portable stove that costs more than the one they have inside..

mikim · Nov 7, 2004

old fashioned charcoal 
Charcoal?? old fashioned? dun't ya hafta BUY that stuff? ... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif In that barrel was a fire of oak burned down to coals just right for cookin. And I think Don said it was oak that had fallen - not been cut - down. ultimate recycle. beer, burgers, a good tractor day, in some of the prettiest (ms?) land in the country.

SPIKER · Nov 7, 2004

yep that looks nice:

I got a few blocks stacked dry with a couple turned the wrong way as air holes & fire startign spots. stacked a few feet high and the fire goes pretyt quick, I have also got a nice sized grill topper I made up with SS side and dual offset expanded metal inserts for food to go on. I cook dirrectly ON the expanded metal and after it is done I re-coat it with cooking oil to keep it ready for next time. I remove after the cooking cleaning & cooling & coating is done and slip it down into a BIG contractors type trash back to keep it clean and store it inside. I can toss in a bout 4 or 5 arm full loads of hard wood (lots of cherry usually) and grill on that. I also have a semi wheel/rim that I cook on for smaller lunches and only need about 1 arm full of wood and a good 30 min burn down time. which means you get to warm up by the fire with the fav liquid refreshments /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

MarkM

turnkey4099 · Nov 8, 2004

( Turnkey409, OK I'm easy, I concede. If I could change the title of this post it would be "THE ULTIMATE BURN BARREL/BBQ GRILL". Can you BBQ on yours without ( "...go like a blowtorch..." ) cremating your food? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif )

The food! I can't even feed it without cemating my arms!

Harry K

Gatorboy · Nov 8, 2004

It approaches the ultimate but isn't quite there. Mine is. 

Let's see some pictures of this baby!

Chuck52 · Nov 8, 2004

You sure do have to buy charcoal. I was in a hurry yesterday at the store, and paid $4.00 for 10 lbs of store-brand charcoal. That's just about enough for two decent fires, so I hate to waste it on anything less than steaks. I like the flavor I get with charcoal, as compared to gas, but charcoal is getting so darn expensive I may have to try making my own! Now before anyone slams me for complaining about a measly $4.00, let me explain that I'm talking relative value here. I find it irritating if it costs me $2.00 just to cook an $8.00 steak

Chuck

turnkey4099 · Nov 11, 2004

( It approaches the ultimate but isn't quite there. Mine is. 

Let's see some pictures of this baby! )

I tried to answer that yesterday but screwed up somehow.

Sorry about the pictures. I don't have a digital but will take one with a 35 mm and post it if I can figure out how.

Harry K

txdon · Nov 11, 2004

turnkey4099, If you cannot produce a picture I will un-concede and reclaim my ultimate status. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

(One more thing, I can back into mine and it doesn't budge. And that is good, I think, because it at least it doesn't get stuck under the truck. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif)

Freds · Nov 12, 2004

I tuned into this post again hoping to see a pic of turnkeys inferno. I need to build another cardboard burner and while the description was good, well, we know what's worth a 1000 words...

Frodo · Nov 12, 2004

Harry - See if your local public library has a scanner and can scan in your 35mm pic for you. I need to build a burner (for mine, I just cut about 7 foot of fence and wired it into a tube - after four years, it's starting to rust) and would like to build "the ultimate."

TXDon - How easy is cleanout?

turnkey4099 · Nov 12, 2004

( Harry - See if your local public library has a scanner and can scan in your 35mm pic for you. I need to build a burner (for mine, I just cut about 7 foot of fence and wired it into a tube - after four years, it's starting to rust) and would like to build "the ultimate."

TXDon - How easy is cleanout?
)

I'm with you on the rusting/burnout thing. My 50 gal liner was only good for about 2 years when I was using it weekly in burning season. After two years it would be tisue thin with the rims burnt off.

Still waiting for a decent day to take the pics, been foggy and dreary every day since the original post.

Harry K

turnkey4099 · Nov 12, 2004

( Harry - See if your local public library has a scanner and can scan in your 35mm pic for you. I need to build a burner (for mine, I just cut about 7 foot of fence and wired it into a tube - after four years, it's starting to rust) and would like to build "the ultimate."

TXDon - How easy is cleanout?
)

Well I seem to have done it again, my post doesn't seem to have shown so here it is again:

I'm with you on the rust/burn-out. My 50 gal liner was only good for about 2 seasons when used weekly. By then both rims would be burnt/rusted out and the remainder tissue thin.

Still waiting for a decent day to take pics. Been foggy, dreary every day since my OP.

Harry K