Barrel barbecue facts for kids

A barrel barbecue is a special kind of grill made from a large, empty 55-gallon metal barrel. It's designed to cook food, often meat, using smoke and heat, similar to a smoker. People cut openings, called vents, into the top and bottom of the barrel to control how much air gets in. A lid helps keep the heat inside. Unlike many grills, it doesn't need a tall chimney because the barrel itself helps create a good airflow, pulling smoke and heat through. Small, sturdy legs are usually added to keep it stable.

It's important not to confuse a barrel barbecue with a barrel barbecue stove. A barrel barbecue stove is a barrel cut in half lengthwise, where one half becomes the cooking surface and the other half acts as a hinged lid. A barrel barbecue, however, stands upright and cooks food inside.

Barrel barbecues have been used for about ten years at different events. They are often seen at World of Outlaws car races, where they are used to cook meals for the racers and their teams.

How It's Built

Since many barrel barbecues are "homemade," people can build them in different ways using various materials.

A barrel barbecue stands tall, with a lid on top. At the very bottom inside, there's often a heavy metal disk, like a plow disk. This disk has handles so you can lift it out to empty the ashes. It also protects the bottom of the barrel from getting too hot and melting. There's a hole at the top of the barrel to let some smoke out and to make sure the flames don't go out completely.

Along the sides of the barrel, there are usually three or four slots. These slots hold strong, half-inch thick stainless steel rods. These rods are where you hang the meat using S-shaped hooks. The hooks are made from thinner stainless steel, about one-eighth of an inch thick, and are bent so the meat won't fall into the hot coals below.

You can also find some barrel barbecues already made and ready to use at online stores.

How It Works

A barrel barbecue works much like a smokehouse. Meat is hung inside the barrel from hooks and slowly cooks for about two to three hours using smoke. To keep the heat and smoke inside, the lid is opened as little as possible during cooking. To check if the meat is done, people use a special remote control thermometer. This thermometer measures the temperature inside the meat without needing to open the lid.

For safety, the barrel barbecue is usually placed on dirt or cement so that hot coals or sparks don't accidentally start a grass fire. To start cooking, coals are placed at the bottom of the barrel. A small amount of lighter fluid is added, and then a piece of paper with a small flame is used to light the coals. Once the flames die down a bit, the meat is carefully hung inside.

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  Barrel Barbecue

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  Barrel Barbecue different view

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  Barrel Barbecue tall view

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  Barrel Barbecue top view