Making a open fire grill. But how high should it stand?

[clcuckow]

Hi All,

I am making an open fire grill but my experience with open fire cooking is mostly using radiant heat. So my question before make the legs is how high should I aim it to sit about the ember bed?

I have made the grill so far and will post photos later but it is currently on the oven seasoning and making my house smell great ... Not! I also intent to make a fire tray to attach to the legs so I can use it where open fires aren't allowed or appropriate.

Thanks,

Christopher

P.S. Don't expect to much from the photos as I must be the worlds worst arc welder

 

[Tadpole]

Hi All,

I am making an open fire grill but my experience with open fire cooking is mostly using radiant heat. So my question before make the legs is how high should I aim it to sit about the ember bed?

I have made the grill so far and will post photos later but it is currently on the oven seasoning and making my house smell great ... Not! I also intent to make a fire tray to attach to the legs so I can use it where open fires aren't allowed or appropriate.

Thanks,

Christopher

P.S. Don't expect to much from the photos as I must be the worlds worst arc welder

I’ve not cooked on a camp fire grill, but I would suggest that it all depends on where you plan to camp. If the ground is soft’ish you can always lower the grill closer to the ground, by hammering the grills legs further into the ground, or if the ground is hard, you can make a bigger fire, then when you want to cook, pile the ashes up under the grill.

From what I remember from when Ray Mears had his grill made (somewhere in Africa, where they sell Knock out whisky in little bags) the grill was between nine inches and a foot off the ground (not leg length). I’d make the legs from ¾ inch re-bar (not the galvanised stuff) that has been ground to a point.

 

[billycan]

I made one last summer from small angle iron, the legs are about 20-25 cms high if i recall, but i cut points on the legs so it could be pushed into the ground to make it lower.

 

[clcuckow]

Thanks for the advice so far. I want to make folding legs so I don't know how feasible it would be to push the legs into the ground as the legs would lean out for stability. I was planning on using 15mm x 15mm x 1mm cold rolled angle iron like I used for the grill frame.

I might have to look at a way of making extending legs.

 

[clcuckow]

Well this is the seasoned grill part.

Any more ideas on the height?

 

[clcuckow]

Well I have added some legs but I am not happy with them and will probably replace them.

I have learn a lot from this project:

First I am the world worst stick welder.
Second I should not have welded in the grill/hot plate before working out the legs as it made fitting the legs a pig because when I tried to dill the holes for the legs the grill kept deflecting my hand drill and I could not get it in my drill press.

P.S. Sorry for the poor photo it was taken with my phone.

 

[British Red]

Looks pretty good to me mate!

 

[jon r]

Thats excellent! looks like you did a really good job to me!

Hope you didnt loose your egg!

 

[clcuckow]

Thats excellent! looks like you did a really good job to me!

Hope you didnt loose your egg!

Urr, just a bit I did not have it quite level, hot enough and the eggs where not at their freshest