A brick barbecue is a smart investment or do-it-yourself project for any frequent griller with sufficient backyard space and time. Brick barbecues are extremely durable and require minimal maintenance and cleanup, so you’ll have more time to put that extra bit of effort into making delicious food. If you haven’t already started drafting your plans to build a brick barbecue, read on for tips on how to bring your favorite BBQ brick designs to life.

Brick BBQ Designs

Unlike a traditional metal grill, brick barbecues will not rust or break down unexpectedly from wear and tear if constructed properly. You should start by considering how the brick barbecue grill will fit into your outdoor space. The location is permanent, and it should be away from flammable objects while offering generous room the smoke to waft away from your house.

Brick barbecues are usually semi- or fully-enclosed boxes containing a fire chamber and grates for grilling, but they range in size, from full-sized stoves with chimneys to simpler brick barbecue pits. Some designs feature a double grill and fire walls, while others are built with ledges that can be used as counter space. Building your own barbecue leaves the details up to you, but considering consulting online sources or a local hardware store before making additions that may affect the overall functionality of your barbecue.

How to Build a Brick Barbecue

To construct a basic open-front brick barbecue, you can build on an existing concrete slab or lay your own cement foundation in a leveled area of about 16 square feet. Reinforce the cement with three pieces of rebar. The cement will need at least 48 hours to dry.

Next, spread the mortar and begin laying each row of bricks to form walls, checking periodically that the structure is level. At predetermined heights, you will start building short ledges where grates will be installed. Once you finish building the walls, you can continue to form a covering or chimney, cutting the bricks with a chisel and hammer in order to produce the desired shape. Afterwards, insert pieces of rebar across the ledges to support the grates that will be put in and your brick barbecue grill is complete.

You can use a similar method when setting up a brick barbecue pit, but you should dig a pit approximately 1 foot deep and fill it with gravel and mortar before building the brick frame around it.

After building a homemade brick barbecue, you should wait a few days, then saturate and clean the bricks before firing up the grill for your first summer cookout. While you wait, stock up on all your summer staples and prepare to show off your tastiest BBQ recipes to your friends and family.