outdoor kitchen

Discussion in 'General Survival and Preparedness' started by larryinalabama, Dec 5, 2011.


  1. larryinalabama

    larryinalabama Monkey++

    Im considering building a outdoor kitchen, (no not like the rich and famous). just looking for ideas as I dont have much money but live in the woods and wood is easy to come by.

    Im thinking of putting a raised "slab" and some brick for sides, a couple sacks of quickqurete. I haved some bircks. Any Ideas or links would be greatly apprecated.
     
  2. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Line it with firebrick, it'll last longer. Might be able to find some around if you can find a demolition contractor willing to get rid of some.
     
  3. larryinalabama

    larryinalabama Monkey++

    I got a lot of red brick, Im think more of using it post SHTF, just looking to do something real simple, Ive never baked bread in a wood stove.
     
  4. carly28043

    carly28043 Monkey+

    larryinalabama likes this.
  5. larryinalabama

    larryinalabama Monkey++

    Thanks carly nice site also
     
  6. Tikka

    Tikka Monkey+++

  7. larryinalabama

    larryinalabama Monkey++

    Great info thatks Tikka
     
  8. beast

    beast backwoodsman

    if ya got clay and sand, use cob construction
    save the bricks for something that needs bricks
    the cob should work just fine and its free
     
  9. larryinalabama

    larryinalabama Monkey++

    What is "cob" ?
     
  10. beast

    beast backwoodsman

    a mix of sand clay sawdust or grass and lime
    mix with just enuff water to make it like playdough
    compress it into a form and let it dry
    then cover the outsides with sandplaster
    or concrete
     
    larryinalabama likes this.
  11. larryinalabama

    larryinalabama Monkey++

    thanks beast
     
  12. tacmotusn

    tacmotusn RIP 1/13/21

    I am thinking maybe 12 feet by 16 feet. Concrete floor gently sloped to floor drain. Screened all the way around. A few ocillating wall fans. A gas stove for cooking and canning. I beam for suspending deer or hog for butchering. A freezer or two. Stainless steel sink and some counter space. A washdown hose and a garbage can. Aught to do it.
    .
    Smoker like this nearby.
    .
    Subject: smokehouse construction

    For those of you who want to make dried or smoke cured meats, you must learn how to build a
    smokehouse.

    Build a smokehouse by converting an old refrigerator, then construct a separate, underground (or lower)
    fire pit.

    The finished smoke house is quite versatile and will enable you to smoke hams and bacon as well as
    drying meats.

    They require far less wood than outdoor drying racks, and thus take less of your time and energy to use.

    While a small refrigerator would seem too small to dry much meat at one time, it can be operated 24
    hours a day and thus can dry meat in about 1/3 rd the time required for outdoor drying.

    While the use of a smokehouse inhibits sun drying, only slightly warmed, dry air from a very slow
    hardwood (fruit wood is best) fire will effectively dry the meat properly.

    And a smokehouse can be used in the winter when outdoor drying racks are not feasible. It is easy to
    build up too much heat and ruin jerky.

    But it is possible to generate enough heat to cook hams and bear meat, should that be desired during the
    traditional fall and winter season for that activity.

    To prepare an old refrigerator for drying, all of the rubber gaskets, plastic molding inside, and the motor
    and compressor must be removed.

    Do not advertise your removal of the compressor, or a pony tailed, sandal wearing EPA inspector will
    be your constant companion for years.

    Older models had steel walls, but the modern types have a lot of plastic to remove.

    If the inside walls must be removed (and the inside of the door), then sheet metal must replace it.

    The bottom and side near the top of the refer must be cut to accept the intake and exhaust pipes, respectively.

    Three or four inch copper or masonry pipe can be used for the exhaust, but the entrance should be a
    brick or masonry pipe of 4 to 6 inch diameter.

    As the door will not seal properly with the rubber gasket removed, the restricted exhaust will build up a
    positive interior pressure, and force smoke and heat out the door edges.

    Once the refrigerator is ready, it should be anchored in place with the door facing south, if at all
    possible.

    The racks should be spaced on the inside by using bricks for support, and the bricks can be easily moved
    to regulate the spacing of the racks.

    The bricks then retain heat at night, and you could let the fire die out and get some needed sleep.

    A meat thermometer should be inserted through a hole drilled in the door and anchored in place with
    furnace cement, to give you a clue as to the internal operating temperature.

    Furnace cement can also be used to seal the intake and exhaust pipes.

    The firebox should be constructed of firebrick or concrete, with a small (2") intake vent and the
    masonry pipe to the frig carefully sealed in place.

    The firebox should be constructed in a trench several feet underground, and at least three feet away
    from the smokehouse/frig, with the connecting pipe angled upward slightly for natural convection.

    The exhaust pipe from the firebox to the smokehouse can be installed near the top of the back side of
    the fire box, so it can be cleaned with a brush from via access through the door to the firebox.

    And the firebox can be small, only a foot and a half square, as you only need a small fire.

    If a small hill is not available for this configuration, the firebox can be constructed at ground level and
    the frig elevated several feet.

    It is best to build the firebox to the side or back of the smokehouse or refer in order to allow unfettered
    access to the smokehouse door.

    When completed, the smokehouse and connecting pipe should be packed carefully with sand and dirt
    mixed with cement, leaving only a small entrance exposed for the door for adding more wood.

    The earth will then act as a heat sink, cooling the smoke and making your life much easier in
    controlling the coolness of the smoke.

    By using cement in the dirt mixture covering the firebox and exhaust pipe, and having the pipes
    exiting the side of the firebox and smokehouse, moisture infiltration from rain is kept to a minimum.

    The intake vent for the firebox should have some method of draft control, however primitive.

    One easy solution is to use a section of two inch galvanized pipe threaded on the end, with a
    standard screw on cap to fit the threads.

    The pipe should have four quarter inch slots cut the depth of the threads with a hacksaw
    (cut in quarter sections), and the threads then cleaned up. Raising or lowering (twisting in or out)
    the cap regulates the amount of air passing through the slots, and thus controls the quantity of air
    reaching the firebox and the heat produced.

    This pipe intake vent need not be connected to the door: in fact, it is easier to cement it into the
    firebox separately.

    Then a door can be made of fairly heavy gauge steel and can be fitted to close tightly.

    To use a smokehouse for making jerky, the door is opened during the day to allow the sun to reach
    the meat (hence the southern exposure), and closed at night to retain heat and exclude moisture.

    A small fire is a must! A throttled down larger fire puts out too much creosote, so use a small fire
    (occasionally) a little hotter to control that problem, and the heat sink effect will provide residual
    heat when the fire dies out.

    If used for smoking meats (and thus cooking them), the door to the refer/smokehouse is closed,
    the temperature held to around 130 F, and of course the hams or sections of meat should be
    deboned and packed with salt (or sugar) prior to smoke curing.

    Excess salt (or sugar) is removed prior to final storage, and the end result is properly salt or sugar
    cured hams, bacon, whatever, that can be stored for later use without the need for electricity.










     
  13. beast

    beast backwoodsman

    buildin a wooden smokehouse is a lot less hassle
    no EPA to deal with, no waste
    and it works the same as your fridge
    without any plastic smell residue
     
  14. RealitySurvival

    RealitySurvival Monkey+

    Larry,
    Great Idea! Personally if it were me (and it is what I have been thinking of as well), I would start small like you were originally talking about. I have been thinking about just making a small outdoor fire pit using those pre-manufactured castle rocks. You can put several of them together to form a nice tight circle. Then add two or three layers of castle rock and top it off with a layer of the capstones. Be sure to use masonry glue to hold it all in place. Then few sacks of quickcrete in the bottom to make cleaning up ash easy. I was planning to line mine with fire brick as well. These should be available from your local contractor warehouse (not Lowes and Home Depot, but the place where the construction guys go). Be sure to leave fairly significant air gaps in a few places in the side walls as well so that the fire can breathe, should you decide to use the fire pit as an oven. To use it as an oven just get a piece of diamond plate sheet metal large enough to cover most or all of the top. You could also drill down through the castle rock on each side and add an adjustable rotisserie using a couple of pieces of black pipe and some couplings, etc. Then add piece of expandable grate that is reinforced along the sides with some angle iron (so it wont sag when it gets hot) and your good to go. Now for probably under $200.00 you will have a fire pit to drink beer around (cuz lets face it, that's where it will get the most use!) and an outdoor oven, a rotisserie, and wood burning grill! Plus if you live in an area where the neighbors will pitch a bitch about "unauthorized modifications", this fire pit shouldn't attract too much attention and should blend in well enough to look like a flower planter or landscaping bed from the road.

    When I get around to building mine this spring I will make a video and post it on my YouTube channel (RealitySurvival) or on my blog by the same name all one word.

    Good luck and have fun with whatever you decide to build!

    Cheers JJ
    RealitySurvival
     
  15. Gunny Highway

    Gunny Highway Hard Work and Sacrifice blessed by God's Grace


    When I lived in PA ( Franklin ) our house had a great room in the basement for butchering game. It had a drain the floor that was sloping and it had epoxied walls to prevent anything sticking and of couse a spigot for a hose and giant garage like double sink and an excellent counter to butcher / grind meat. What a great design ! Grab the deer - take it in walk in double basement doors and butcher it right. All the freezers were in basement too.

    I own property in Tionesta and was looking forward to building there when I retired but it looks like I won't ever be able to do that. Miss the solitude those woods brought me as a kid. Just hunt or fish in the Allegheny or just take a walk and think. Nobody messing with you. I'd grab my .22 or shotgun and not come back till dark or after dark.
     
  16. beast

    beast backwoodsman

    if you cover the bottom of your fire pit with concrete
    you remove one of the best, easiest and oldst ways to bake
    -- under the fire --
    it does work really well and cooks food thoroughly
     
  17. Avarice

    Avarice California Health Junkie

    I'm a big fan of a rocket stove. It's basically a wood burning range. You can cook on it with a pan and boil water with ease, and it uses very little wood to do it. They are easy to build and very customizable.

    <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/XSMR2ANIZ7E" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
     
survivalmonkey SSL seal        survivalmonkey.com warrant canary
17282WuJHksJ9798f34razfKbPATqTq9E7