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A metal brazier is, of course, good. But, in addition to functionality, I also want beauty, especially on the site: in the country or near the house. An attractive look without compromising functionality is given by a brick barbecue. There are very simple models that can be folded, even without skill, in a day or two, there are more complex ones – whole complexes. We do not recommend folding these without experience, but try a simple barbecue oven or just a brick brazier. Master the masonry, the basic techniques, and then you can take on more serious projects.
Barbecue brazier – what’s the difference
There is no exact separation between barbecues and barbecues. The main difference is that on the grill they cook on skewers, and burbecue is done on a grill. But both of these cooking methods can be used even on a fire, so – for us, anyway – that the barbecue, that the barbecue is one design.
You can also classify by the presence of a roof. The brazier is always an open fixture, without a chimney. In barbecues, especially those made of bricks, chimneys are often made, although there are also simple open models.
Simple brick brazier
This design is very simple, easily modified to suit any needs and desires. It consists of brick walls, in which ledges are arranged (the brick is placed on the edge). Heat-resistant sheets (metal, etc.), gratings, and skewers are laid on these ledges. It is convenient, especially if there is some kind of roof over your head in case of rain, but it is built separately and at will.
Any brick building requires a foundation, or at least a prepared foundation. Not even this little brick brazier. Since there are few bricks – a half-brick wall, then a rammed platform lined with some kind of hard surface is suitable for this design.
Substrate preparation
Remove the fertile layer, if necessary, deepen the pit. The depth should be about 20-25 cm. The dimensions of the foundation or platform are 50 cm larger than the dimensions of the furnace in all directions. The bottom is leveled, crushed stone of the middle fraction is poured onto it. The thickness of the crushed stone layer is 15 cm. It is well rammed. Preferably – a vibrating plate, if not, a metal or wooden rammer.
The next steps depend on the selected base. If this is one of the coatings – paving stones, paving slabs and similar materials, then a layer of fine-grained sand is poured into which the coating is laid according to the level.
If a slab foundation is chosen as the basis, it is reinforced with a bar 10 mm in diameter. It is laid along and across the foundation in increments of 20 cm, tied at the intersection. If you don’t know how to knit with a special wire, you can tighten it with plastic clamps. Reinforcement with a ready-made thick wire mesh is allowed for this model. The formwork is exposed along the edges and everything is poured with concrete of the M250 brand. Work can be started in a week if the average daily temperature was not lower than +20°C, and in two if it was +17°C.
Ordering (masonry drawings) and recommendations for masonry
For this brick brazier, a full-bodied ceramic brick M200 is used. You can take a stove, but it is more expensive, you should not put fireclay: the temperatures are wrong and he loves moisture too much to feel normal in an open barbecue.
The laying is carried out on a clay-sand mixture, to which a little cement is added for greater strength. For beginners, it is better to take a ready-made mixture for stoves, but not heat-resistant, without fireclay. Knead according to the instructions, the thickness of the seam is 3-5 mm, withstand strictly. Constantly control the verticality of the walls and the horizontality of the masonry. This is important for the normal operation of the oven.
As you can see, everything is really very simple. Each odd row starts with a whole brick, the odd row starts with a half. In the 6th and 10th row, the bricks are placed on spoons – sideways, and unfolded across the main masonry. If you are making a barbecue – under the grate – in the same rows, the back wall is laid out of brick, also placed on spoons, and to maintain the thickness of the masonry, they are placed in two rows, as well as the rest – with dressing – offset seams. If you are going to use a brazier – for skewers – put a brick on the back wall, too, on a spoon, making a ledge in this area as well. Ahead, as a support for skewers, a profile metal pipe of small sections, cut to size, is used. In it, under the skewers, you can make recesses.
Starting from the 7th row, laying is carried out only on the half – right or left – as you wish, but this layout is given under the frying chamber on the left – it is wider, and there is a table on the left. If it is more convenient for you on the contrary, do a mirror image of this ordering.
Brick is a hygroscopic material, in order to reduce the amount of moisture that it will “pull” from the base and extend its service life, waterproofing is needed under the first row. You can lay rolled material in two layers (such as roofing material or hydroisol), walk around the perimeter with hydrophobic impregnation. A layer of waterproofing will not interfere between the first and second rows.
After the brick brazier is built, it is left to dry in warm weather for 1-2 days, in cooler weather – for 3-5. Then you can do a test run. Approximate “equipment” is shown in the photo of the finished barbecue. In this version, three rows of protrusions are made: the upper one is for products, the middle one is for coals, the lower one is for collecting burnt coals and ash.
In order for the folded brazier to serve more or less for a long time, it is desirable to cover it with a composition that reduces hygroscopicity. For this case, KO-85 varnish is best suited. And it would also be nice to provide some kind of cover: close it in case of rain and for the winter.
Brick barbecue with a pipe: ordering
This barbecue option is a little more difficult, but also not the most difficult. The most important thing is that the combustion chamber here has a direct vault, and it is much easier to make it vaulted. The brick frying chamber is raised to a height of 90 cm, the total height – to the beginning of the pipe – 217.5 cm.
It all starts with the preparation of the foundation. For this barbecue oven, only a monolithic reinforced base (reinforcement step 15 cm) on a compacted crushed stone base is suitable. On a dried foundation, waterproofing is spread in two layers, then laying begins. If barbecue is done in the gazebo, the first row of masonry should begin at floor level. If the foundation turned out to be lower, lay out an additional row (or two) of bricks, and then begin laying according to the above scheme.
The first 9 rows do not require special explanations. They lay exactly according to the scheme, observing the order, using halves and cut bricks, if indicated on the plan. Be sure to check the verticality of the resulting walls, as well as control the thickness of the solution – 8-10 mm and the horizontal laying of each brick.
To control the thickness of the seam, you can use a rebar of the appropriate diameter. It is placed on the edge, the surface of the row is filled with mortar, the excess just above the bar is cut off with a trowel. After laying and tapping the bricks, an even seam is obtained – the bar prevents the brick from sinking lower than necessary. The bar is then taken out and shifted higher.
To be able to lay the 6th row (solid), after laying the 5th, lay a strip of metal 4-5 mm thick, 40 mm wide. Length – slightly less than the span of the furnace – 1450 mm. 3 strips are needed – one at the edge, two approximately in the middle of each row of bricks or as indicated below (11th row).
The laying pattern of the next rows of barbecue is clear. Only in the 12th row, pay attention – you need bricks sawn along. It is also worth mentioning that the 12th and 13th rows are larger than the lower ones – forming a decorative “belt”.
Fireclay bricks (ША-8) are indicated in light color in these rows. They put it on the same composition of clay and sand (it is possible to add a small proportion of cement). It is better not to use mixtures based on fireclay: they need very high temperatures for sintering, which are unattainable in outdoor barbecues. As a result, this solution may subsequently simply crumble.
At this part of the order, everything is also clear: we begin to mold the vault of the firebox. It overlaps on the 22nd row, in which a gradual narrowing begins.
The formation of the vault continues, which in the 30th row passes into the chimney. Then the 30th and 31st rows alternate until the required height is reached.
Video
Brick barbecue photo
First, a few simpler options. You can make these brick barbecues yourself.
A few barbecues that you can build with some experience already, but it’s better to entrust a specialist (if you can find, of course)