Grills, brick ovens and outside man kitchens

A few months ago last summer I needed something to do. Since we have a family tradition of the Sunday family meal, involving some heavy meat and pasta dishes, I decided to construct an outside kitchen utilizing mostly recycled materials (bricks, glass bottles and concrete blocks) and the purchase of some materials (fire bricks and premixed concrete). The center pieces of the outside kitchen are the “Parrilla” or grilling area and the “Horno de Lena” translated to wood oven or brick oven.

The grill is mostly used for summer time use and the brick oven can be used year round, but mostly in winter. In the next posts I will provide a step by step procedure on how to make a brick oven. I sure there are more efficient and attractive ovens out there, in addition to variations around the world. This is just my way of doing the design and construction. Feel free to modify and change to your liking.

Cheers

How to make and homemade brick oven. Step by Step. Enjoy

I began the construction with a good base made from concrete blocks and iron rods. It can either be free standing or placed against an existing wall as in this case. Once the foundation id placed and concrete block walls are erected a platform can be built approximately 1,2 meters in height. A good formwork and a mesh of iron rods helps give strength and consistency to the platform

(sorry no pictures)

The thickness of cement mixed with clay is important, approximately 10 centimeters is a good choice.

Once the mixture has set the fire bricks (4/5 cm thick) are placed

Penciled is what would be inside the oven of about 1,20 cm in diameter.




wooden panels are used to make arches that will support to run the arched entrance to the oven.





Two equal parts are cut and joined with a wooden crosspieces to form the arc.




Having developed two arches, the smallest is on the inside which will support to run the dome. The bricks will support it and therefore remain hidden.

The larger arc is placed on the outside and the fireplace where the fumes will migrate.

There will be another arc to make later.

When there are 475 bricks to place in the center of the outer arc, these will be split in half to form the hollow vent.

Meanwhile dome execution starts. The bricks are cut in half, a laborious task.



In these first 2 rows of bricks inward inclination it is almost zero but gradually have to start closing the dome tilting increasingly bricks.

The plot thickens……. Bricks increasingly need tilt and support must be available within the dome in order to build the missing section to completely close the dome rows.



With wet sand the required spherical space is formed which provides the base for bricks to be built on.






The vault is already taking starting to take shape. In the image below you can see panels placed inside and on top of them put on the wet sand



Once the dome has set one can proceed with the removal of supports and sand inside the vault.

Great job! Masonry is very hard work.

Grand piece of masonry.
You'll need a lot of wood(and time) to get the oven to the right temperature for cooking though.

beautiful work Mirage. what kind of temp do you expect this oven can reach? as there is no connection between the top and bottom chambers, i'm guessing that you have have build fire in both chambers to heat up the oven and rake out the charcoal from the top when you can ready to cook?

siegecrossbow said:

Great job! Masonry is very hard work.

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I cannot take all the credit. In latin america all of your friend help. I recieved basic training for a master. I had several back massages after.

shen said:

beautiful work Mirage. what kind of temp do you expect this oven can reach? as there is no connection between the top and bottom chambers, i'm guessing that you have have build fire in both chambers to heat up the oven and rake out the charcoal from the top when you can ready to cook?

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I cannot take all the credit. I did get help from a friend. I am have gotten up to 225 C, but cook between 180 and 200. Difficult to regulate, but you slowly get the way she works

SamuraiBlue said:

Grand piece of masonry.
You'll need a lot of wood(and time) to get the oven to the right temperature for cooking though.

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Gracias amigo. The temperature is all in restricting the air flow. A good stump of 50cm x 20cm dia. will work well