Can You Fire Pottery In a Barbecue? Let's Find Out!
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- Опубліковано 2 січ 2024
- In which I attempt to fire pottery in a barbecue grill and learn a few lessons along the way.
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More alternative pottery firing fun here - ua-cam.com/video/ztLn3BsYuJ8/v-deo.html
Did you think about using a hair dryer to add oxygen to the coals? I can get steel to forging temperature doing that. You should get to 700° or higher.
Andy Ward spent money to answer a question. No matter the result you have to say 'Thank you!"
You have to spend money to make money. You are welcome.
Thank you
I fire all my pottery in my old charcoal grill. There is a trick to do it, though. I bought a charcoal starter chimney, I get the coals red and hot in that before putting them in the grill. As long as the coals are hot when you put it in, it will work fine.
Good tip, thanks
Andy, your channel gave me the inspiration to make my own clay. As a 17 yr old who doesn’t have the money to buy clay or a way to fire in my neighborhood, I’ve developed my own process of “curing” the clay. I’ve been sculpting for almost 2 years now and it feels so much more authentic to make the clay then to buy it. Just thought I’d let you know 😊
That is awesome!
How do you cure it?
@@boscorner i don’t know if it is necessarily considered curing it, but i let it dry completely out, like good luck breaking it apart and then put a layer of sealant. I use glue as i don’t have money for major brands, but it works really well. I made a medical sculpture (I’m a CNA rn) and made a pregnant woman that’s in half vertically and you can see all the organs and baby! It’s still together ands even with dropping it. Just know that once you seal it, you can still break it apart with pliers and rework the clay into usable clay. It’s just a pain in the ass.
Same, im a 15 year old and also interested in clay. Try to see if you have a fireplace or something like that, those are pretty good for firing as well.
Fantastic! Keep going and best of luck.
On the 3 grill firings I've done, I never put the lid on until everything was cooling down, and I just put the lid on because it was very cold outside and I didn't want thermal shock to occur. I think the lid is completely unnecessary during the firing. I also use a charcoal starter chimney to get the coals I use on the bottom burning before I add my pottery. Start the coals in the chimney then add them to the grill, then the pottery, then more unlit coals to surround and cover the pottery. I also then used a few sticks on top to ensure the coals burn all the way through from the top to the bottom. I have also been using a 22" kettle grill instead of that small one you used. But I am going to try the small one next time I fire something smaller. I think the grill is ideal for when the ground is too wet, otherwise I do prefer either open fire on the ground or using the ring of stacked bricks with charcoal. Only because those two methods use less fuel than the grill. And also my grill firings typically only last about 3 to 4 hours, I think you using the lid really dampered the process. I hope you try it again with a few more firings because I think you'll find it's almost identical to using the ring of bricks if you don't use the lid of the grill. Thanks for the video!
I tried lidless and had trouble keeping the pot bottom from becoming exposed as the coals would burn and slide down. I think keeping the pot covered, with coals, or with sherds or with the BBQ lid will keep your pot from possible cracking and will encourage a better, fuller firing. The ring of bricks allows good oxygen flow between the bricks, the difference with the BBQ grill, as I mentioned in the video is that it restricts air flow, so if you want to do something similar you will need to drill some holes.
Interesting!
A "starter chimney" is the word I was looking for in my comment, thanks!
You could model yourself some cute little legs to hold the lid up, with steps for different heights.
@Dulanec you know... that's not a half bad idea! But I'm actually currently firing on the ground at this very moment. That's my preferred method, but it had been so wet lately I didn't want to have to spend time prepping the ground. This is currently shaping up to be my fastest firing. I'm using pine pallet wood.
I really admire your determination and the way you try and experiment many different things. It's really inspiring and amazing ❤
Thank you so much!
Andy, I've been watching your videos for a couple of years. My yard is rocky clay soil. Since the rains have started in California, the runoff has deposited clay at the bottom of a steep hill. No rocks! I'm gathering it up in a bucket because of you. Soon I will decide on my method of cleaning it, making the pottery, and firing it.
Sounds like fun.
A couple months ago I've found another way to fire pottery without a traditional kiln. At our house we have a central heating installation which works on wood gas. I don't really know if wood gas carburetor is the right word for it in English, but it's called a Holzvergaser in German. Now it basically is an oven with two chambers, one for the fuel and one for the gas combustion. The latter reaches temperatures at which clay becomes ceramic. I've now fired like 5 smaller pots in it with almost no cracks. Though bigger ones definitely need some cover sherds. There is also a need for a similar amount of temper to outdoor firing. I mean that thing basically is like a modern version of a late medieval pottery kiln. Another plus is that all the heat produced and used for firing the pot, also goes into heating the water for the house. So, pretty energy efficient. And I know, not everyone has something like that, but I just wanted to put it out there.😄
Wow, that's pretty cool. It would make a great video too
Hammer, das würde mich auch interessieren!
@@AncientPottery I've thought about making one myself, but that be the first actual video for me, so the quality might lack a bit. But If you have the possibility to make one about it, I'll gladly watch it!
@@hiwakoo Naja letztlich würde ich einfach mal ein kleines Gefäß mit in die Brennkammer stellen und schauen, ob der Ton die Temperatur aushält oder überhaupt gebrannt wird. Und bei größeren Stücken habe ich diese vorher im Küchenherd vorgetrocknet.
@@hiwakoo Naja letztlich würde ich einfach mal ein kleines Gefäß mit in die Brennkammer stellen und schauen, ob der Ton die Temperatur aushält oder überhaupt gebrannt wird. Und bei größeren Stücken habe ich diese vorher im Küchenherd vorgetrocknet.
Would be very interesting to see how it works with the modifications.
Practical, Safe, and effective! If it makes pottery, I am all for it!
Thanks Mark
Andy, I will note my kids have had three firings in our (cast aluminum) chiminea, two of them successful. I used stainless steel mesh bent into shape with pliers in lieu of cover shards to mitigate the effects of the relative lack of space inside the chiminea. The micaceous clay from NM Clay works at the temperatures we can hit in there; we've messed around a little with local wild clay from Connecticut but not enough to comment on the stuff.
Interesting, thanks
Did it melt the Aluminum any ?
@@user-yy3lu7gv9k Not that I could detect. It's not really a hotter wood fire than what I normally build in the thing. I think the large-ish thermal mass is was keeps the aluminum chiminea body out of trouble - the metal never gets anywhere near the firebox temp. Nb. the grates on the bottom are cast iron.
As someone who knows nothing about pottery or charcoal grills, I think making sure all of the fuel is burning from the start would work better. More oxygen would probably be more good too. But for science, I would use the same grill, but make sure everything (or at least most of the fuel) was ignited before covering.
Very cool ! Bringing pottery making to the masses!
Thanks
I love this demonstration! Now you have a link to share with all those who ask this age old question! lol
Exactly! Thanks
What a wonderful way to fire pottery. While waiting for the charcoal to get up to temp one could either roast marshmallows or kabobs. I have had that model of grill since the mid 80's (for kabobs, grilled chicken and steaks) and it is still going strong. Now I can add firing small pottery. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much for all your videos. I've been looking for a new bonsai pot lately, but everything I like the look of ends up being too small for my tree. Your videos have made me realize I should just make one myself. My ancestors made pottery ten thousand years ago, no reason I can't do it now!
Crazy! I was just looking for a video like this today. 😅
Great timing
You have such an open mind. Thank you for your generosity
Thank you for the entertaining and informative content, we are very lucky you take time and effort to help us hone our own skills, I hope you have a blessed new year 🎉
Thank you, I really enjoy making these videos.
Well said ! I agree totally
New possibilities. Very interesting. Looking forward to new discoveries with the BBQ method. Thx for doing this, filming it and sharing it with us. 👍👍👍👍👍
Glad you enjoyed it!
Soo timely. I just started collecting wild clay to make bonsai pots and it just occurred to me the other day to try to fire a very small pot in my charcoal grill.
Glad I could help.
I have an Egg bbq you can try !!!!
👍 Happy New Year!
Looking forward to seeing the modified bbq grill! Would love to see more options for firing but with low bar of entry. Love your videos!
Another great one brother!!!
As far as potential modifications go I've seen a lot of making a forge out of a barbecue videos most of them suggest lining the steel with some kind of insulator, and then doing some kind of forced air setup, old hair dryers being a common one.
Brilliant🎉. Also the tension waiting to see the result! Thank you so much for showing this because I’ve been flummoxed as we can only light bonfires in (very wet) winters so it’ll be fine in summer with a charcoal “barbecue” 😉
Thanks, imagine the anticipation I experienced waiting overnight to see how the pot came out. I really didn't peak before I showed you.
😂
Awesome idea! Instead of shards, could you possibly put a sizeable terracotta planter over the pot you're firing? I'm thinking that drilling more holes in the bottom of the barbecue and just using the terracotta planter instead of the metal lid would provide both extra oxygen and a thermal envelope around your pot. I could be horribly wrong, but that's what I'd try next.
I think you are on the right track. I have used flowerpots as cover sherds in the past and found that because they lack temper they don't handle thermal shock well. So they are mostly only good for one firing unless you can find one that is made from gritty clay.
Hi! I tried firing that way, with a thick terracotta vase made with high percentage of grog and what i noticed is that you need extra fuel to reach a reasonable temperature (almost double amount)and in that case i used charcoal.. I did not have any breakage of the vase. I like to call this firing "bell firing" because the shape of it😂😂😂
Great video. I would consider creating a way to introduce more air at the bottom, such as a dome made out of an old tuna can with a lot of holes punched into the can. This would allow better air flow from the bottom which could be restricted by both small pieces of charcoal and ash. A way to remove ash during the firing could also be considered. 😊
I genuinely love these videos! thank you.
Great video!
HAPPY NEW YEAR.
My new favorite channel 💜
I have fired several times in a small Webber Smokey Joe grill with success. I place the items on the lower grill and cover with mesquite lump charcoal. I don’t cover the fire. I guess I could if I wanted a reduction fire.
PS I’ve reached 1500 F easily and sometimes even 1600 F
Thanks, a lot depends on the size and shape of the pot being fired. I had trouble keeping the coals over the bottom of my pot so the cover was to keep it from becoming exposed, under-fired or cracked from a cool breeze. I suppose if my pot was a little shorter I could easily cover it with the coals and have no problems there. Still though I think some holes in the bottom will encourage a more robust fire.
@@AncientPottery Yes, I think in the Smokey Joe, it's necessary to keep all the items quite small. With larger items I really mound the charcoal and add more for a couple of rounds. It gets super hot as you noted, hard to be near the fire. I think it would be easier in the "standard sized" bbq because more fuel could be used. Thanks so much for all your videos! You inspired me to return to pottery after about a 10 year break. I kept trying to build a kiln out of bricks in the back yard but had trouble finding grates. Just one of those silly problems. But then it hit me one day, what if I did it in the bbq? It actually worked!😀Keep doing what you're doing!
I've fired in a BBQ before and that was way over packed with charcoal. You can always add more mid firing but if you over pack it you wont get enough air. Also something as small as a hair blow dryer with some dryer vent duct pointed at the bottom air vents can work wonders at getting up to temp. I was able to get 1k c by pumping air in with a hair dryer and vent. It got so hot the BBQ grill body was glowing red
Another fascinating video.
Great video Andy!!👍🏻
Thanks
I'm here to support *clay rights!*
I just discovered your videos. Subscribed.
Welcome aboard!
Good video as always ❤
Thanks 😋
The pot looks like a beaker from the late Neolithic Beaker Culture in Western Europe that I replicated myself several times. They had a standardised way of putting such a beaker in every grave. Perhaps they were also produced with a puki judging by the small round bottom.
Your holiday haircut is very flattering Andy, looking good 👍😁🧓
Great video Andy, thank you for this experiment, much appreciated
My pleasure
The first pot i got to work out i fired in a small charcoal grill with a half charcoal half wood fire and pre heated in my oven. Got another one to work well in a wood burning stove. Getting better at open fireing though. Thabks fkr all the videos! ❤
Great video uncle andy...I always wondered about this.
And now you know, thanks Robert
personally i would try adding a small fan beneath the barbecue grill instead of drilling more holes. Isn't it the way they used to do it but instead of fans they used bellows.
I have never heard of bellows being used on a kiln, I think you are thinking of a forge which gets much hotter. I thin k we can reach the desired temperature with just holes, adding a fan could easily get too hot and melt the pottery.
@@AncientPottery true. but it could be tried.
Thank you.
Thank you
Thank You very much for your presrntation . It took a day and night but it did it
Hey, that's fun! Great idea.
Thanks
Ceramic cooker like the Big Green Egg can achieve temps north of a 1000 F. Without adding a powered air source! Positive it can be used for small firings.
Well done
Good choice with the Weber Smokey Joe. I have the same one and it cooks the best burgers!
thank you so much!! this was really fun to watch and im pretty sure ill try this sometimes
Great, thanks
thankyou for such an inspiring video. definitely going to give this a go
Have fun!
Good temp readings.. nice job. Keep going
Thanks, will do!
I Love the video keep it up
I used a Weber, once, to attempt to add fire clouds to an already fired small pot. Worked well enough, but the outcome is predictably unpredictable.
Adding fire clouds is something that always baffles me because I have spent years trying to avoid them. I had some ladies at my SW Potters Gathering last spring who wanted fire clouds and piled cow pies all over the pots to good effect.
Thank you so much! This video was something i didn’t know i was looking for, but it definitely was needed. Your videos are amazing ✨✨🌿
You are welcome.
I have always wondered is this would work. Thanks for doing this!
You're welcome!
I hope you do more videos like this. Many live in fire prone areas and this seems safer. Thanks. I was really hoping you would put some chunks of metal or rock to keep lid propped open for oxygen. You mentioned at the end but I’d like to see. Interesting for those who might have difficulty modifying grills! 😊( whether lack of access to tools or disabilities) it’s nice to share more ways accessible to more people ❤
4:20 🔥🔥🔥. Yep had one of these melt. Legs buckled
" No you cant! Stop asking!" best line
Can you tell I'm a dad?
I just stumbled on your UA-cam one day, and I think you're my hero. ❤
Thanks
You might use a shop vac with reverse or a leaf blower might help.
Tried similar last summer, used the BBQ chimney starter and the leftover charcoal after I had used the BBQ for cooking. Sticking the coals in the chimney starter and the chimney creates an updraft which brings it up to heat rather quickly. I don't know the actual temperature but based on the glow it does seem to be a bit hotter than a BBQ alone. The clay came from the garden and I separated it from the grit with water in a pit, could do with getting a mesh to remove the fine bits of plant material next time. Pot was a small pinch pot, wouldn't be able to fit much larger.
Pretty much my first time ever trying any kind of pottery, would like to do some more this year as we now have our own house and garden so I can scale it up a bit more to get some more clay and will likely make a firepit in the garden and it can double up as a pit kiln.
Really cool. Maybe I should try it
You should
I use a small $15 tin bucket from Home Depot with holes punched into the bottom and that exact same bag of charcoal. I routinely get to around 1400F and use less charcoal.
It's all about the holes, thanks
It's been a dream of mine to do pottery, and with your videos I finally think that I actually CAN!!!
I'll get the materials ASAP and try your no-kiln methods, I have a yard... I have charcoal... I have wood... Let's do this!
And if it doesn't work, i'll try again, I feel like a kid again everytime I play with clay 🧡
Maybe drill a hole and use a bellos? I have seen people use a metal barrel with top then a grate to set the pottery then a level for the wood and a space at the bottom with a hole to insert a bellos to get air under the fire.
Your pottery is amazing by the way!
Thank you
This was how I fired my first pot.I had the lid off at first and once it burned down I put the lid on so it would slowly cool.
Awesome
Since i live in an apartment Ive been playing with the idea if essentially this same thing but doing what people will do to make backyard forges, with a hair dryer blowing in air from the bottom and modding the lid and container with refractory cement/ceramic insulation and air holes. Haven't gotten around to it yet due to moving, but i always expected that it might get really hot just not sure how I'd manage to keep it at temp. Excited to see your next attempt after modding, will be interesting!
There is also a difference between using charcoal and actual coal. Coal burns hotter than charcoal, and coke gets even hotter ( andmade by baking coal without a fresh air supply, with a hole to let excess gases escape).
A blower would get your temp up. Lot's of backyard blacksmiths use one with charcoal and get really hot temps.
With a kettle braai(bbq),
cooking food, one gets the charcoal to temp before putting the food and the lid on. Then the
rule of thumb is, "if you're looking, it isn't cooking" it's a convection oven, so leave it to cook.
Don't peek. Very helpfull though, thanks
Great. exciting, and absolutely helpful. Now I can fire my hand-dug, coiled pieces of AZ pottery I made 25 yrs ago. This video, along with other comments below, will do the trick. Thank you
if you add a pipe with a fan to blow air into the bbq it would help bump the heat drill a big hold and add the pipe and fan a few feet back to push air into it
Full disclosure, I am not a potter. But, my children watched your episode of reclaiming Clay, and since I live near Cape Cod, we were able to dig up and purify enough for a couple of small plates. We dried them out in the oven, but then put them in my wood-burning stove. I have no idea what the temperature is inside but I'm guessing it is well over 1000° because I've left my poker inside and it glows red. Now granted, this is homemade clay made by amateurs into a plate that dried in a standard kitchen oven and was fired, in a while, the inconsistent woodburning stove for a short time. Ultimately, it broke, but I think we are onto some thing.
You put out very interesting content I've never attempted anything other than clay hunting.
However I do quite a bit of grilling the royal oak I've had issues with it being high moisture. Thank you appreciate your time and effort
Oh, interesting point that I hadn't considered. Thanks
Put the lod on. Drill a large hole in the top and one in the bottom.. on the bottom hole attach a pipe and use a blowdryer. I used a stock pot and ceramic insulation to melt brass and steel with charcoal and a hair dryer. It's very possible
Andy, there is a type of wood stove called Solo that may work better. There are other cheaper brands, too. They give a secondary burn to the wood gasses so it may get hot enough for firing. Not free, but cheaper than a kiln.
I've been thinking about trying to make some pottery and use my Solo stove / fire pit to fire them. Now I'm inspired!
I want to see a miniature leaf blower or vacuum on this thing!
You could also add some kaowool to the outside of the grill and make the firings more fuel efficient. Another idea is to use the grill as a firing chamber and cover the outside with mud as insulation. Love the videos, keep up the awesome work!
Ihave run into similar issues,.ans so as nor todestroy a barbecue that I actually cook with, i have taken a galvanized bucked and punched a load of holes in the sides and use that set on a couple of bricks instead (also cheaper than a Barbecue so that is a bonus).
Good idea
Andy, I grew up throwing pottery and bisque firing. Will you please direct me to the video that explains your
painting/firing technique (in general) and the science behind it. Thank you!
It may not even need extra drilling, but not filling out the bottom where coals would cover the air holes. Keeping the very bottom clear should allow more surface area to let air in. (Which seems to be the point of the lower grid in regards to the intended use.) However that limits to smaller pieces than the one that was fired here. Might even be as simple as putting some more loose shards over the bottom to diffuse the air coming in and preventing too much ash from spent coals from blocking the bottom air inlet. Also I find that coals can have two stages of lighting off (the second stage seems to burn out-gassing vs. the initial stage that only burns the solid part), start with lid off until a portion turn white and then add more with the lid on. Something acting as a spacer to keep the lid up by about an inch may be all that is needed.
Have you thought about adding a small hair blow dryer through a hole in the bottom. It would drive the temp up dramatically
Interesting video Andy! Shopping in the department I work, at a competitor store though!! Haha! Now I won't be able to look at that small weber kettle grill again the same, haha! Those little ones use such thin and cheap metal now, I imagine that was a possible factor in the temps from you achieved? Real cool video!!! Really enjoyed watching this one.
Thanks Will. The Lowes was right across the street from the Walmart I started at but in order to get there I would have to make a U turn so it was easier to go to the home depot around the corner.
Real nice video! Thanks Andy! Sometimes watching someone experimenting, opens mind..and sometimes prevent you from failures! Anyway I'm not sure that you would recommend this way to fire.. looking forward to see all masters potters works in ancient pottery challenge! I have Two pieces already done! Keep on coiling 😂😂😂😂 greetings from Italy
Thanks, you are ahead of me, I am almost done with the first one but waiting for some dry weather to fire it.
you should use a small fan that blows air into the grill from the bottom.
I tried it years ago before the Internet, the high temps destroyed my cheap offset smoker. But it did work for a few small projects.
I thought that might happen thanks
I fired a little pot in a bisque saggar in my Kent fireplace. It worked. Went black as not well enough ventilated but I was happy.
once saw a raku firing that used a smallish galvanized trash can with ceramic fiber insulation and a hole for a gas torch. was really cool. maybe a cheaper option, but no clue how you could make it work with coals.
Just want to say that I loved owning the hoodie you've been wearing lately. It's long gone .. damn fire!
I found it at the Sportsman's Warehouse, they didn't have my size so I bought the XL and I am so glad I did. This is my third winter in it and I suppose I better start looking for a new one or I might regret it.
@@AncientPottery I haven't found one since.. good luck!
Well I'll be damned! That's pretty cool! I'll have to try that once I get good enough at mixing clay and sand from the wash.
I noticed on the box that your cooker is actually a smoker. It's designed to be cooler. Otherwise, thanks! I've watched several of your videos añd havè learned a lot.
I would think a bellows/reverse vacuum cleaner or hairdryer through a hole in the side would get the oxygen going and temp up a little faster also
Your so great
Lump charcoal does not burn as hot as briquets. Also burns more unevenly. Better to use briquets, with a fluid starter to get it going.
Inspired in your videos about firing clay the primitive way, I used an oil barrel and opened vents in the shape of a door at the walls lower middle and upper side in order to feed with air from start to end so you control airflow by opening them. As fuel I made pellets using wet recycled paper combined with sawdust compresed using a caulk gun, So I combine chunks of wood, pellets to fill the barrel and the clay I want to fire. Next I fill the top with paper and wood shavings to start the fire, If fire gets shy I use a hair dryer to feed the flames and raise temp, at this point I've made pots and vessels to fill with water and keep plants hydrated, I works me well so thank you Andy. Oh and 70 -30 temper clay was the only way to success with thermal shock and cracks.
Additionally I surround clay and pellets with raw shards as you suggest, great choice to keep those firing pieces of clay glowing inside the coals.
This is such great information 😊 how would more sculptural forms go do you think?
Probably would work but I have no experience with that so give it a try
@AncientPottery I will, I've been working with clay on and off for about 30yrs, I think this is the new adventure 😊