Tag-A-Long Small Aluminum BBQ Grill

[ThomasT]

I had some 3/16" thick aluminum drops left over from a job and I decided to build a small Charcoal Grill. Lots of time I want to cook just one steak or a ½ chicken or couple of hamburger patties and don’t want to fire up my big BBQ Pit and I surely do not want to fry them. This little Grill should be just the thing and only needs a single hand full of charcoal. It is 10" x10" opening at the top and the Stainless Steel Expanded Metal for the grill will measure 9-1/2" by 9-1/4" and I will line the outer edge with 1/4" S/S round rod. The Charcoal Grate will be 9-1/2" x 7-3/4" and it also will be lined with S/S rod. Two sides taper in at the bottom and the two ends are parallel to each other and are 8" high. Later on I might make a lift-off top for it. I am out of 1/4" S/S rod but as soon as I have a chance to use it, I will tell you’ll how it works.

 

[braincrater]

How well do these aluminum grills and bbqs hold up and what is the advantage? They sure look great!

 

[ThomasT]

I use 5052 Marine Grade aluminum for all my Grills, Pits and Smokers and they will last forever. Aluminum transfers heat ( thermal conductivity ) 522% faster than steel thus requiring a lot less fuel.
Conductivity in aluminum: Pure aluminum has a thermal conductivity of about 235 watts per kelvin per meter.
Conductivity in carbon steel: Carbon steel has a much lower conductivity than aluminum: a thermal conductivity of about 45 watts per kelvin per meter.
Conductivity in stainless steel: Stainless steel has a much lower conductivity than carbon steel: a thermal conductivity of about 15 watts per kelvin per meter.
Aluminum will cook much faster also and is so easy to maintain.

 

[plumbstupid]

I though I read somewhere that aluminum gives off a toxic gas when heated and that is why you never see aluminum smokers or grills. I could be wrong though.

 

[Garage5.9]

Most cheap gas grills are cast aluminum

 

[ravenccorax]

would it be smart to do a burn out on it ? throw an extra plate on the bottom throw in a triple load of charcoal and grab the misses hair dryer and get some color on the walls to burn off everything. i know stainless has an oil on it thats why stainless cuts take forever to heal.

 

[plumbstupid]

I was looking into building a aluminum grill out of some junk I had laying around. Someone advised me against it because of aluminum poisoning.

It may not be an issue,but you should know the symptoms.


Are There Any Dangers in Cooking in Aluminum ?

Effects
One of the dangers of the above-mentioned improper uses of aluminum cooking utensils is aluminum poisoning, which can cause gastrointestinal problems, anemia, colic, headaches, memory loss, bone softening and speech difficulties.

Identification
Aluminum is an element abundantly found in the earth. Its ability to excel in conducting heat makes it popular for use in cooking utensils.

Warning
Aluminum is also considered a poison that can be life-threatening if found in large quantities in the body.

Misconceptions
Aluminum cooking utensils are relatively harmless in and of themselves, but pose dangers to health when excessively heated. High heat causes chemical breakdown, which allows aluminum to seep into the foods being cooked.

 

[ThomasT]

would it be smart to do a burn out on it ? throw an extra plate on the bottom throw in a triple load of charcoal and grab the misses hair dryer and get some color on the walls to burn off everything. i know stainless has an oil on it thats why stainless cuts take forever to heal.

Aluminum does have factory oil on the surface which is a residue from the manufacturing process. I acid wash everything real good and rinse it off with clean water real good before using it. I also get the unit up to at least 400 degs for several minutes before adding any food. This also helps “set” the s/s grill. I have been building grill, pits and smokers for about forty years now and never had any problems with them.

 

[ThomasT]

I was looking into building a aluminum grill out of some junk I had laying around. Someone advised me against it because of aluminum poisoning.

It may not be an issue,but you should know the symptoms.


Are There Any Dangers in Cooking in Aluminum ?

Effects
One of the dangers of the above-mentioned improper uses of aluminum cooking utensils is aluminum poisoning, which can cause gastrointestinal problems, anemia, colic, headaches, memory loss, bone softening and speech difficulties.

Identification
Aluminum is an element abundantly found in the earth. Its ability to excel in conducting heat makes it popular for use in cooking utensils.

Warning
Aluminum is also considered a poison that can be life-threatening if found in large quantities in the body.

Misconceptions
Aluminum cooking utensils are relatively harmless in and of themselves, but pose dangers to health when excessively heated. High heat causes chemical breakdown, which allows aluminum to seep into the foods being cooked.

Well I am sure that you are aware that almost every element on earth in it's raw "state" can be harmful in large quantities to the human body. Think about all the “cooking” items manufactured today out of aluminum: pots, pans, skillets, etc. Plus the containers we use: beer cans soda cans, etc. One of the very first commercial manufactures of BBQ pits in America was Patio Pal, who by the way is still in business today, made various models out of aluminum. I have made thousands of aluminum grill, pits and smokers for forty years now without one single problem. For many years there was misinformation about the dangers from “smoke” from cooking food in the “BBQ style” of process, where some sort of wood is used to create a “smoke flavor”. Misinformation is normally a result of ignorance or not addressing the subject matter will all of the true facts.

 

[ravenccorax]

beer and soda cans have a liner and i thought aluminum was only really bad with high acidity foods. some reports have linked it to possible alzheimers but with all of todays chemicals and food additives its hard to pinpoint exactly what or how or how much exposure over how many years it takes. you seem like a smart guy and if your comfortable with your precautions then more power to you.

how hard would it be to make a small smoker box for chips? and my other question is you think that say 1/8th inch alum is stout enough for my version or is it gonna warp and twist? i have a bit of 1/8th plate and angle but nothing structural

 

[ThomasT]

beer and soda cans have a liner and i thought aluminum was only really bad with high acidity foods. some reports have linked it to possible alzheimers but with all of todays chemicals and food additives its hard to pinpoint exactly what or how or how much exposure over how many years it takes. you seem like a smart guy and if your comfortable with your precautions then more power to you.

how hard would it be to make a small smoker box for chips? and my other question is you think that say 1/8th inch alum is stout enough for my version or is it gonna warp and twist? i have a bit of 1/8th plate and angle but nothing structural

The photo above of the Smoker is made out of 1/8" 5052 Marine Grade aluminum and I have had it up to 750 degs and no problems. I have built several large ovens for professional chefs where the units were under constant heat for 16 to 18 hours and again no problems. If your box is not larger than say 24 x 24 x 12 then only a few braces would be needed. Do you know the grade of your material?

 

[ThomasT]

A Doctor friend of mine sent me this link to wikipedia covering metal toxicity. I copied a portion that covers Aluminum and have posted it below in quotation marks. I hope this will be helpful.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_toxicity

"Aluminum has no known biological role and its classification into toxic metals is controversial. Significant toxic effects and accumulation to tissues have been observed in renally impaired patients. However, individuals with healthy kidneys can be exposed to large amounts of aluminum with no ill effects. Thus, aluminum is not considered dangerous to persons with normal elimination capacity".

 

[ravenccorax]

the grade of the material is whatever the old back planes were on old telecom equipment. if there is a simple test i can do to figure out would be appreciated. penny glass carbide propane torch, drill shavings. it has a brushed finish and it fairly stout stuff. thats about as much as i know. my stepdad is in the telecom business and i get random old equipment that gets tossed most of it gets scrapped for a few bucks side money and some of the larger panels and electrical components get saved for "future projects"

 

[ThomasT]

the grade of the material is whatever the old back planes were on old telecom equipment. if there is a simple test i can do to figure out would be appreciated. penny glass carbide propane torch, drill shavings. it has a brushed finish and it fairly stout stuff. thats about as much as i know. my stepdad is in the telecom business and i get random old equipment that gets tossed most of it gets scrapped for a few bucks side money and some of the larger panels and electrical components get saved for "future projects"

Normally cabinets and fixtures like that are made out of a 3000 or 6000 series of aluminum sheet material that have a T-1 to T-6 temper and are not suitably for this use. I would recommend buying either 5052 or 5086 marine grade with a H-32 or H-116 temper. If you are going to make some close radius bends (bends of 3/16" or less) of 90 degrees to form the “box”, then 5086 will not do because it is too hard. Hope this will help you.

 

[ThomasT]

My supplier was out of 1/4" S/S round rod so I bought some 5/16" which is a bit of an over kill but it looks good on the edges of the S/S expanded metal. The grill and charcoal grate are now completed and on the next pretty day I will grill some sausage and see how well this small BBQ Grill works.

 

[ThomasT]

The little Tag-A-Long open grill passed the test today cooking a dozen drumsticks. Even with an outside ambient temperature of 55 degrees the center of the meat got up to 190 degrees. I only put 10 charcoal briquets along with some small pieces of red oak on the grate and after 2 hours of cooking two batches, there was still some charcoal left.