Holy Moly. I remember 1971. I had a neighbor two houses down the street, and the occupants at that time were Vietnam refugee's who were trying to escape the horrors of their country at that time. I was only 6 years old at the time, yet I would, along with my younger brother, walk over, and play around in their back yard. The little Vietnam kid was our age, and was named Damon. And although the grill was constructed by the post WW2 veterans, they were using it to great effect. I will never forget that in that backyard, was an exact inexpensive concrete block grill like the one that you put together in this video. Exactly the same. Thank You for sharing. Now I know how to upgrade my BBQ skills.
I thought the building process was very straightforward and I like the way you gave the material lists upfront BEFORE the project began. I love the simplicity of it yet how functional it can be for grilling and possible smoking. GREAT JOB!
Just found your channel. Only thing I would change is the height of the pit. For me I would put the cooking surface on the 3rd layer and that is because of my back being screwed up and I can't bend over like I used to. I would also take the middle block on the bottom and turn it so the grill can get some air in the bottom so the fire can breathe. Agani good video.
My grandfather built two of these many many years ago, one in his backyard and one at his other property which his son lives in. I want to build one in my back yard! Thank you for this!
I have made many of these here in Texas.....good job! The only difference is on mine i get a single block with the hole facing into the pit to get some air circulation for the fire. I just use either a rag or rock to control the air flow. This way on those days when there is no wind you can stick a small fan at the back of the pit to create heat.I also use aluminum siding panels and make a flat roof to catch some smoke for smoking meats and it protects the meat from any unexpected rain.
Thank you for the video, it could not be better. It's cheap, easy to make and I can even put everything in storage in winter (I'm in Canada). Awesome. Thank you again.
Just built your set up with my son. We are using it as a fire pit at the end of our patio. It was easy and the kids love it. I did flip the bottom middle block on its side to allow air flow to the fire. It worked great! Constant rolling flames. Thanks for the video!
Well I made 1 except I went 2 levels of bricks higher and with 2 large cooking trays that gave me 2 levels of height to cook with. I wanted my meat higher (Say if it is half chickens) because I thought that the meat height to fire ratio was too close. Out here I have a lot of post oak among among other trees but some of these pieces can be large and I don't or won't have to use little pieces preparing my wood sizes. Started a fire immediately after I put it together and grilled some axis deer burgers. They cooked fast and even and delicious had the wood flavor etc. It's something that I want to cook on. It looks fantastic out here to. Thanks Dr. Stewart this is a winner.
Looks good. One thing I have found is that the half blocks have a slot made into them. You can use the slot to support a grill... that way you can have your fire at 8,12,16 20 inches depending on how you stack them. I used a grill grate out of a unit that was worn out but the gratings were in good shape. Worked great... Ribeyes were perfect!!!! Happy grilling ya'll!!!
My grandpa built his nearly 40 years ago. And the thing is still beautiful. Red brick and plenty of space for your steaks and hot dogs. It drools American!
What a gorgeous demonstration! I am not very technical but you explained it in a way I could understand and clever details like offsetting the blocks which I would have never thought of...
A few extra blocks and some sand and bring that cooking surface up at least one more layer. Fill the bottom with sand and put down a layer of the 2x8x16 to bring up the fire pit. Your back will thank you as you stand there flipping burgers, chicken and weenies.
When I was very young I use to see the remains of these grills in the corner of the old timers back yards. Hell my grandparents had what was left of one in there yard. This really brings back memories. That was in the early 70s. So I would have to guess they were common at most yards in the 50s-60s.. Again the ones I saw back then were broken up and had weeds growing through them. They must have been out of fashion. I believe with gas lines attached to New gas grills replaced them. The ones I saw were in pieces. Never got to see one in its glory..lol Thanks.. I do remember they were cemented together back then. Or what was left of them.lol
I have seen other people doing close to the same thing. One improvement I would make is to use the 2 inch blocks he put on last in the bottom as the fire area, that was your food is not dirt smoked. And they also turned the back center turned so that the holes were pointing to the fire area, for airflow. They put a 2 inch block over the turned one so it would be level. If you are a tall person, I would suggest making a fourth row. this way you don't have to bend all day to cook.
Awesome Video. Thanks for taking the time to put it together. I have a whole bunch of blocks from underneath an old house I tore down. They will be great to re purpose into a grill.
I have one of these in my front yard . I seriously love it . I am not normally allowed to have a fire in the city limits but with this and a burn permit (free) I can now have my soul saving fire . Thank you for posting this how to video .
Yeah That's a good ideal. I would think it would be easier to mod it later on if you decided too. Like add another shelf, make it wider, longer, etc...
Thank you! Sir. Looks like a fantastic grill, you've given me some great ideas here we'll go out this weekend and buy the material. Fantastic video.thank you kindly.
This is great. I have a shity back so my only tweaks to this would be to make it one more layer higher, raise the floor by a level with some paving stones and the dirt I used to level it and pound a few bars of rebar into the ground for a pinch of support. This bbq is fantastic as is though and will last a long long time..
That was incredible, great idea for a quick, temporary-permanent grill for family gathering. It looks a bit low but still effevtive. Can't wait to start!
Thanks for the video. I've built a few of these types. I usually clock one of the rear 1st level blocks 90* so the holes face the fire for air draw. Lined the inside of mine with fire brick as Ive had the block crack while using it in cold weather. Thats just me though. Again, thanks for the vid.
Why don’t you BBQ in the summer time...? I’d be using it all year round. Especially in the summer! Beats heating up the kitchen by turning on the oven or stove
built one and I put a plywood top on it and a front door. Smokes meat great. Venison back straps, chicken, ribs, all good. Got all my stuff for free, cant beat it. Thinking of making some adjustments and making a pizza oven, grill, smoker.
i enjoyed this video and the time spent putting into making it really helped me learn alot (thank you). upon looking at the list materials i think 1 piece is missing in the list.. the small top surface cooking rack piece of metal mesh wasnt added to the list, just wanted to help point that out so any errors can be overlooked.. i cant wait to build this and have my family bbq's
Dr. Stewart Productions great video! Do you get much rain where you live? I live in the east coast, lots of rain... I think it would need a more solid foundation here. Maybe I’m wrong tho
Thank you. I appreciate your putting up this video. / I was thinking, if on one side, I placed a cap stones underneath one of the top blocks, instead of on top of it, I could use the two exposed holes to hold some BBQ tools. Also, I would like to have a double row of blocks on the other side, completely cap stoned off, so I could have a wider surface area to set pots, platters, supplies, etc... on.
My father built a big firebox using the concrete blocks. He used it to burn trash. The concrete blocks this man is using is the same as what my father used. Since these blocks were not fireproof/heat resistant, all the concrete crumbled into dust. You should use something designed for fire, or buy a shovel to scoop up the concrete rubble.
About to save us a lot of money and didn’t even have to switch to Geico 😂 Thank u so much for sharing this with us . We will be using this to build ours this weekend thank uuuuu thank uuuu 💋
Thank You so much! This is exactly what I was looking for. This is what I am going to construct in the backyard this spring. Thanks Doc! I'll send you pics when I complete it. What a great find. I gave thumbs up and subscribed!!!
Out of all the grill video's I have checked out. Yours is the best! But because I have back issues I think I will build up one more level. Do you think there will be a problem?
Don't see why you cannot rise it up one more level; I actually have been debating on revamping my grill and rising it up; but I also like the ground level camp-fire feel of it. Thanks for watching!
Awesome video! Where do I find the expanded metal sheet? I went to Lowes, Home Depot, and Tractor Supply and they didn't have any sheets remotely close in size.
This is an awesome idea but a note of caution: that metal should have been stripped of the rust that was on it. Hopefully it was seasoned properly after this video but it's a serious concern.
Holy Moly. I remember 1971. I had a neighbor two houses down the street, and the occupants at that time were Vietnam refugee's who were trying to escape the horrors of their country at that time. I was only 6 years old at the time, yet I would, along with my younger brother, walk over, and play around in their back yard. The little Vietnam kid was our age, and was named Damon. And although the grill was constructed by the post WW2 veterans, they were using it to great effect. I will never forget that in that backyard, was an exact inexpensive concrete block grill like the one that you put together in this video. Exactly the same. Thank You for sharing. Now I know how to upgrade my BBQ skills.
thanks for sharing that story! and thanks for watching!
My pleasure. I had a few beers and was feeling sentimental. Great video!
Do you ever remember that grill exploding? These are very dangerous and have a very high explosion rate! Safety first!!!
😂😂😂@@troyellis8692
I thought the building process was very straightforward and I like the way you gave the material lists upfront BEFORE the project began. I love the simplicity of it yet how functional it can be for grilling and possible smoking. GREAT JOB!
THX for watching!
Now THIS... I can do!!🥰
Wish you the best with your project; just remember: there is more than one way to build this; research it a bit. And thanks for watching!
She's a real beauty. Real simple yet super effective .. might have to try n get one goin
Thanks so much! And thank you for watching!
Just found your channel. Only thing I would change is the height of the pit. For me I would put the cooking surface on the 3rd layer and that is because of my back being screwed up and I can't bend over like I used to. I would also take the middle block on the bottom and turn it so the grill can get some air in the bottom so the fire can breathe. Agani good video.
Ok. I wanted a camp fire feel to it. Thx for watching
My grandfather built two of these many many years ago, one in his backyard and one at his other property which his son lives in. I want to build one in my back yard! Thank you for this!
Thanks for watching!
I have made many of these here in Texas.....good job! The only difference is on mine i get a single block with the hole facing into the pit to get some air circulation for the fire. I just use either a rag or rock to control the air flow. This way on those days when there is no wind you can stick a small fan at the back of the pit to create heat.I also use aluminum siding panels and make a flat roof to catch some smoke for smoking meats and it protects the meat from any unexpected rain.
All sounds great! Thanks for watching and have a great year!
please load your video of this
please load tour video of backyard it sounds interesting
Do a video please
Do you put the hole above the grate?
Wow, My Dad built one of those when I was akid in the 60"s. A lot of good family times we had !!!!!!
Thank you for the video, it could not be better. It's cheap, easy to make and I can even put everything in storage in winter (I'm in Canada). Awesome. Thank you again.
Tnank you from Chile. Exactly what I was looking for.
thanks for watching!
Just built your set up with my son. We are using it as a fire pit at the end of our patio. It was easy and the kids love it. I did flip the bottom middle block on its side to allow air flow to the fire. It worked great! Constant rolling flames. Thanks for the video!
nice work; enjoy it; and thanks for watching!
Hey, quick question did you flip all the bottom blocks over or just a couple for air control?
@@tediggs42Looks like just one brick, the bottom middle
Sweet. I’m stealing this idea.
You don't have to steal the idea because I just shared it with you. Enjoy your project. And thanks for watching!
Me to
Guarantee Miss Martha is in the kitchen right now cookin him up a nice little snack for his lunch here at about 1030am
Thx for watching.
Well I made 1 except I went 2 levels of bricks higher and with 2 large cooking trays that gave me 2 levels of height to cook with. I wanted my meat higher (Say if it is half chickens) because I thought that the meat height to fire ratio was too close. Out here I have a lot of post oak among among other trees but some of these pieces can be large and I don't or won't have to use little pieces preparing my wood sizes. Started a fire immediately after I put it together and grilled some axis deer burgers. They cooked fast and even and delicious had the wood flavor etc. It's something that I want to cook on. It looks fantastic out here to. Thanks Dr. Stewart this is a winner.
nice; Thanks for watching!
Good job! I use 16" square pavers for a base. Makes clean out a lot easier, keeps things workable shortly after a rain.
Thanks and thanks for watching!!
I can’t wait to do this.
Thanks for watching! Wish you the best.
Looks good. One thing I have found is that the half blocks have a slot made into them. You can use the slot to support a grill... that way you can have your fire at 8,12,16 20 inches depending on how you stack them. I used a grill grate out of a unit that was worn out but the gratings were in good shape. Worked great... Ribeyes were perfect!!!!
Happy grilling ya'll!!!
Thanks for watching!
Great design
Thank you and thank you for watching!
My grandpa built his nearly 40 years ago. And the thing is still beautiful. Red brick and plenty of space for your steaks and hot dogs. It drools American!
Did he use mortar? Or just a dry install like this?
@@brink5589 Yes he used mortar
@@tombraver6449 so your grandpa's was built properly and looks nice so it's actually not like this then
I love it, no poured concrete, no b.s. looks amazing, buddy
Thank you! And thanks for watching!
This is excellent. It's so simple and obvious as to whatever modifications you can add or subtract. Thank you
thanks so much and thanks for watching!
My dad made one of these when we were kids
Kimberley Bowman great memories. Thx for watching !
Whoever’s dad this is should be proud
Thanks for watching!
Brilliant. I am building this tomorrow for tomorrow night's braai.
enjoy it! and thanks for watching!
This is easy to build myself! Thank you for sharing. It's actually gorgeous, enough cooking surface space, and I can build side counter tops.
Wish you the best, and thanks for watching!
i saw the shoes and then i knew i could trust this man with my life.
Wow thanks....looks easy..will show my wife so she can make it lol
She can build it and then cook on it for you while you watch sports on TV! Thanks for watching!
Rj Jones lmao
Rj Jones lol
you saying it is funny if a muslim says it then we make a big deal out of it and we go to middle east to give then freedom LOoOoOooOoOL
@@bftigdd WTF 🤔
Hi, The Cap Lock size is 2X8X16. Home Depo and Lowes do not have Expanded Metal with size 36inx48 (46). The largest size they have is 36in.
Grate metal: try a welding shop. Thanks for watching!
What a gorgeous demonstration! I am not very technical but you explained it in a way I could understand and clever details like offsetting the blocks which I would have never thought of...
Thanks for watching! God bless you richly this Christmas season!
Excellent job
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for this video.
And for being so Detailed.
I wish you showed how to level out the ground at the beginning.
Take care
Thanks for watching! I just raked over the area until I thought it was smooth;
A few extra blocks and some sand and bring that cooking surface up at least one more layer. Fill the bottom with sand and put down a layer of the 2x8x16 to bring up the fire pit. Your back will thank you as you stand there flipping burgers, chicken and weenies.
I love coming across videos like this when regular joes show you how it's done! Great job Dr. Stewart!
And thanks for watching!
We did same at bbq with my Dad and friends
Its normal in Uruguay
Thanks for watching; I appreciate it very much.
When I was very young I use to see the remains of these grills in the corner of the old timers back yards. Hell my grandparents had what was left of one in there yard. This really brings back memories.
That was in the early 70s.
So I would have to guess they were common at most yards in the 50s-60s.. Again the ones I saw back then were broken up and had weeds growing through them. They must have been out of fashion. I believe with gas lines attached to New gas grills replaced them.
The ones I saw were in pieces.
Never got to see one in its glory..lol
Thanks..
I do remember they were cemented together back then.
Or what was left of them.lol
Thank you for the comment; And thanks for watching!
Thanks for the materials list right off the bar! Excellent video!
Thanks for watching!
Simple, cheap, and effective. Great job. Thank you for your time
And thank you for watching!
I have seen other people doing close to the same thing. One improvement I would make is to use the 2 inch blocks he put on last in the bottom as the fire area, that was your food is not dirt smoked. And they also turned the back center turned so that the holes were pointing to the fire area, for airflow. They put a 2 inch block over the turned one so it would be level. If you are a tall person, I would suggest making a fourth row. this way you don't have to bend all day to cook.
All good ideas; thanks for watching!
Awesome Video. Thanks for taking the time to put it together. I have a whole bunch of blocks from underneath an old house I tore down. They will be great to re purpose into a grill.
sound great! Thanks for watching!
I have one of these in my front yard . I seriously love it . I am not normally allowed to have a fire in the city limits but with this and a burn permit (free) I can now have my soul saving fire . Thank you for posting this how to video .
Thanks for watching and enjoy your fires!!
@@SStewartBibleProduction Absolutely ! Thanks again !
Im building mines the same way without filling it with concrete. Might just want to move it one day. Thanks for the video.
Yes, there are benefits of not using concrete, and I am thinking of revamping mine next spring. Thanks for watching and Merry Christmas to you!
Mines?
Yeah That's a good ideal. I would think it would be easier to mod it later on if you decided too. Like add another shelf, make it wider, longer, etc...
Thanks! This is great! No big deal, nothing fancy just an outdoor grill that works without a large price tag Hey why not Thanks Doc
And thanks for watching!
Thank you! Sir. Looks like a fantastic grill, you've given me some great ideas here we'll go out this weekend and buy the material. Fantastic video.thank you kindly.
This is great. I have a shity back so my only tweaks to this would be to make it one more layer higher, raise the floor by a level with some paving stones and the dirt I used to level it and pound a few bars of rebar into the ground for a pinch of support. This bbq is fantastic as is though and will last a long long time..
thanks for watching!
Simple yet badass
thanks for watching!!
That was incredible, great idea for a quick, temporary-permanent grill for family gathering. It looks a bit low but still effevtive. Can't wait to start!
Low? Just like a ground level camp fire. Thanks for watching!
Excellent! Now I can get rid of our 3 or 4 grills that we are constantly dragging around! Lol!
great , i will build my , thanks
Wish you the best; and thanks for watching!
THANK you for the shopping list !!!! Going to build this next weekend!!
Did u ever build it?
@@hungry4205 I DOUBT HE DID
Im a handful of years late but this is fantastic! Simple and effective. Thank you Sir
This pit takes me back when I was growing up. Everyone had a pit like this. A few people added brick to the outside of the block and added a chimney .
I added a diamond plate cover and plan to use the grill as much as possible; thanks for watching!!
I like it. its a mobile grill
Armon Stewart
Awesome build...takes me back to child hood days..They used mining dryer screens from the coal mines alot...awesome stainless grates for grilling
Great job👍nice grill thanks
THX for watching!
This is Nice and simple, thank u for your time.
thanks for watching! enjoy your fire.
I LOVE this one very simple safe and easy. Good job
Thanks and thanks for watching!
Thanks for the video. I've built a few of these types. I usually clock one of the rear 1st level blocks 90* so the holes face the fire for air draw. Lined the inside of mine with fire brick as Ive had the block crack while using it in cold weather. Thats just me though. Again, thanks for the vid.
Thanks for watching!
Thank for sharing, sir. This is looks simple to make and I am going to make one for my family🥰
Enjoy your project, and thanks for watching!
Heck yeah makes me want to make one. Can’t be any easier. You rock sir . Keep on keeping on.
Great! Thanks for the kind words and thanks for watching!
Looks amazing greets from Holland
A big thanks to you in Holland! And thanks for watching!
Mister thanks is a great idea ... specially cause I can remove it the summer
Thanks I send you my gratitude
For sharing your ideas
yup; it is totally moveable; thanks for watching!
Why don’t you BBQ in the summer time...?
I’d be using it all year round. Especially in the summer! Beats heating up the kitchen by turning on the oven or stove
@@mikeo6525 I have used the concrete block grill in every season; works great in light rain also;
This is just what i was looking for. Thanks for sharing
Thank you for watching!
Great idea. Good job Sir.
built one and I put a plywood top on it and a front door. Smokes meat great. Venison back straps, chicken, ribs, all good. Got all my stuff for free, cant beat it. Thinking of making some adjustments and making a pizza oven, grill, smoker.
This is so nice! I am in the process of rounding up my materials! Can't wait to get started!
thanks for watching; wish you the best
Wow...Good job Sr,excellent idea,easy,cheap and longer duration,thanks x Compartir
Jose Betancur Thanks and thanks for watching!
Fast, cheap very easy to make, good job thank you for sharing
thanks and thanks for watching!
i enjoyed this video and the time spent putting into making it really helped me learn alot (thank you). upon looking at the list materials i think 1 piece is missing in the list.. the small top surface cooking rack piece of metal mesh wasnt added to the list, just wanted to help point that out so any errors can be overlooked.. i cant wait to build this and have my family bbq's
Thx for watching
Just for stability I'd add rebar to keep bricks from moving otherwise great BBQ
great idea; thanks for watching!
Dr. Stewart Productions great video! Do you get much rain where you live? I live in the east coast, lots of rain... I think it would need a more solid foundation here. Maybe I’m wrong tho
@@mikeo6525 Central NC gets moderate rain; and a person can build one of these with a foundation of concrete or gravel; modify it how you wish.
Filling the holes in the blocks with pea gravel will help make it stronger and stable as well.
John Campbell good idea. Thx for watching!
Thank you for adding the material list.
I don't know how many videos I seen with no list.
Time for me to start building
Thx for watching.
Thank you. I appreciate your putting up this video. / I was thinking, if on one side, I placed a cap stones underneath one of the top blocks, instead of on top of it, I could use the two exposed holes to hold some BBQ tools. Also, I would like to have a double row of blocks on the other side, completely cap stoned off, so I could have a wider surface area to set pots, platters, supplies, etc... on.
good suggestion; thanks for watching!
lori grass
lori grass ,
Great video
Thanks and thanks for watching!
Use two alunium foundation vents 8X16 on bottom level for adjustedble air for fire.Height same as a 8x8x16 block
Never thought of that. Thanks for watching!
Man I’m so thankful for this video.
Nice grill how would you make one into an oven
Good question; not sure but I would need a few more blocks; thanks for watching!
Молодец мужик! Основательно подготовился к этому видео!
Thanks for watching!
My father built a big firebox using the concrete blocks. He used it to burn trash. The concrete blocks this man is using is the same as what my father used. Since these blocks were not fireproof/heat resistant, all the concrete crumbled into dust. You should use something designed for fire, or buy a shovel to scoop up the concrete rubble.
Nice suggestion; He probably burnt trash much than I will cook out in this grill. After three years it is in tip top shape. Thanks for watching!
Great video. I'm looking to build this but I can't find the metal mesh at Lowes or Home Depot.
Try a local welding shop or search online companies that sell the metal. Thanks for watching!
yes that is the way I started to go thank you very much for your input and your immediate response blessings to you sir
He built a Solid Grill, Awesome!
Thanks and thanks for watching!
Thanks for sharing good 😊 ideas 💡 God bless you
And thanks so much for watching!!
About to save us a lot of money and didn’t even have to switch to Geico 😂 Thank u so much for sharing this with us . We will be using this to build ours this weekend thank uuuuu thank uuuu 💋
Funny post about Geico! Thanks for watching!
Totally caveman! Very cool and great build presentation! Thanks for the lesson!! Subbed!
Had basically the same setup my dad built in our back yard back in the 50's. Lots of great memories.
nice; thanks for watching!
Thank You so much! This is exactly what I was looking for. This is what I am going to construct in the backyard this spring. Thanks Doc! I'll send you pics when I complete it. What a great find. I gave thumbs up and subscribed!!!
great; thanks for watching; will be looking for your pics!
great video
Thanks so much! And thanks for watching!
I built one as a teen in years ago don't really need to measure it can be done by eye
Thanks for watching!
Very nice
Simple and easy to build for amateur like me
Thank you very much
@@lykaojalao2733 thx so much. And thanks for watching
Out of all the grill video's I have checked out. Yours is the best!
But because I have back issues I think I will build up one more level.
Do you think there will be a problem?
Don't see why you cannot rise it up one more level; I actually have been debating on revamping my grill and rising it up; but I also like the ground level camp-fire feel of it. Thanks for watching!
Like I built mine but I turn a block on the bottom on each side. To let air in when I put the tin on the front and top. Just saying might try that.
pretty good idea; I would have to take mine all apart to do that; Thanks for watching!
They are concrete blocks. No cinders in them.
I realize that; the term cinder blocks goes back along time ago; Thanks for watching!
Awesome video! Where do I find the expanded metal sheet? I went to Lowes, Home Depot, and Tractor Supply and they didn't have any sheets remotely close in size.
Try a local welding shop; or even look up "expanded metal" on Amazon. And thanks for watching!
this works fast cheap simple
thanks and thanks for watching!
walt braden was
Can you roast a pig on this?
Nice Love it good job
Thanks for watching!
very very nice tutorial
Cooking area to low.. I went up another level..
I wanted a ground level camp fire affect; so I have my camp fire level and can cook anything I want; thanks for watching!
I agree, it's well built but too low. If someone was standing cooking at that all day it'd be very hard on the back from leaning into it.
Why would I want my food so close to the ground
Looks like a half grill
Why dont you idiots build it to the hight you want instead of crying like little school girls
Well Done!!
Thank you so much! And thanks for watching!
this was good and informative, thanks
Nicely done. Hi thank you for the inspiration. I will do one also.
thanks for watching! Have a great project!
is that metal lath? Doesnt look like it, but then you said everything could be had at a big box store...
Nice simple grill
Thanks; simple is what I wanted. Easy also. Take care and thanks for watching!
This is an awesome idea but a note of caution: that metal should have been stripped of the rust that was on it. Hopefully it was seasoned properly after this video but it's a serious concern.
I cook my food on a grilling mat; we bought two and they are great to cook on; I never cook directly on the metal; thanks for watching!