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A Weld.com video featured by Hunker shows a DIYer making a grill and smoker from used beer kegs, scrap steel and existing grill parts. The report puts the cost of new items at about $152, but says the build requires advanced welding and fabrication skills.
A Weld.com video shows a DIYer turning used beer kegs and scrap metal into a portable grill and smoker that can attach to a truck’s trailer hitch. Hunker reports that the creator spent about $152 on new materials, although the project also relied on reused parts and requires advanced welding and fabrication skills.
For the build, the creator sourced a half-barrel and a quarter-barrel keg from a local brewery. He also used angle iron, flat bar, aluminum diamond plate, old grill grates and 16-gauge stainless steel. According to Hunker’s account of the video, the only new items purchased were a 90-degree stainless-steel elbow, a two-inch exhaust pipe and a coiled grill handle. The roughly $152 figure is the reported cost of the new purchases, not necessarily the full value of every material and tool used.
The video documents the kegs being fitted with cooking grates, a charcoal tray and a firebox grate, then joined into a grill-and-smoker setup. The creator welded a square tube to the grill so it could slide onto a standard trailer hitch, making it possible to transport to tailgates or camping trips. Hunker says the work involved tools including a welder, plasma cutter, chop saw and cut-off wheel.
The fabrication included several adjustments to handle the keg’s rounded shape and thin metal. The builder used receipt paper to measure a keg’s circumference and attached hinges before fully cutting the grill door to keep it aligned. When warping and gaps affected an end cap, he used ratchet straps and clamps to bring the pieces into position. Hunker reports that he used TIG welding on thin end caps and MIG welding on structural parts and the exhaust components.
A Hitch-Mounted Alternative to Store-Bought Grills
The build offers an example of how reused kegs and scrap metal can be turned into a cooker designed for transport, rather than a fixed backyard barbecue. Its hitch attachment gives the project a practical feature for people who want to bring a grill to a campsite or tailgate without buying a purpose-built portable stove.
The low reported outlay could make the idea appealing to people who already have metalworking tools and access to used materials. But the figure should not be treated as a general price estimate: it excludes the value of reclaimed parts and existing equipment, and the source does not provide a full accounting of labor or other costs. The build’s specialist welding demands also limit how readily most readers can reproduce it.
It is also not equivalent to a commercial griddle or grill. Hunker notes that thin-gauge stainless steel transfers heat quickly but does not retain it well, which can cause rapid temperature changes. That may affect cooking consistency and calls for testing the cooker before preparing food for a group.
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How the Keg Grill Was Fabricated
The Hunker report presents the project as an alternative to buying a portable outdoor stove, while noting that such products have drawbacks. It specifically mentions the upkeep needed to prevent rust on Blackstone griddles. The keg build is a different design: it uses a firebox, cooking chamber and exhaust pipe, rather than a flat-top cooking surface.
In the video, the creator’s sequence of work is part of the project’s practical detail. He removed a keg end cap, fitted supports and adjusted the grates before cutting the main grill door. Hunker says this helped preserve the keg’s structure. The hinges were installed before the door was fully cut so they would remain aligned as the metal separated.
The source also describes alternatives for people without the equipment used in the video. One is a no-weld horizontal grill made by cutting a keg lengthwise with an angle grinder; another is an upright drum smoker made by drilling holes in the base. These are suggestions in the report, not builds independently tested or compared there.
“The DIYer built a grill and smoker from used beer kegs and scrap steel for around $152.”
— Hunker, reporting on the Weld.com video
Cost, Performance and Build Safety
The source does not provide an itemized budget, clarify whether the $152 estimate includes every consumable, or give a full value for the reused materials and pre-owned tools. It also does not report controlled cooking tests, long-term durability results, or independent measurements of temperature control.
Hunker’s account describes the welding methods but does not specify the creator’s training, the keg’s prior contents, or whether it was professionally cleaned before fabrication. Readers should not assume that every used keg is suitable for cooking use. The report recommends heating the completed cooker with charcoal for about an hour before cooking to burn off manufacturing oils, labels and beer residue, but it does not provide a detailed safety protocol for cutting or welding a used vessel.
The article does not establish whether the hitch-mounted design was tested on public roads, how it is secured during travel, or what vehicle and trailer-hitch limits apply. Those details remain unconfirmed in the source, as do the project’s final weight and any local requirements for towing or outdoor fires.
Test the Cooker Before Serving
The source gives no schedule for further updates or evidence of additional testing. For someone considering the project, the next practical step described by Hunker is to burn the grill hot with charcoal for about an hour before cooking, then run practice cooks to learn how quickly temperatures rise and fall.
Anyone attempting the full build would need to assess their welding experience, tools, materials and local rules before starting. The video’s use of TIG and MIG welding, cutting equipment and metal restraints makes this a fabrication project, not a simple assembly job. The hitch attachment would also need appropriate fit and secure mounting for the intended vehicle. Until testing or further details are provided, the reported cost and portability should be understood as features of this particular build, not guarantees for other versions.
Key Questions
What did the DIYer make from the beer kegs?
The Weld.com video shows a grill and smoker made from used kegs and metal parts. A welded square tube lets the unit slide onto a standard trailer hitch.
How much did the project cost?
Hunker reports about $152 in new purchases. The creator also used reclaimed materials, existing grill parts and tools he already owned, so that amount is not a complete valuation of the project.
Can someone build it without welding equipment?
The featured build uses welding and metal-cutting tools, and Hunker says it calls for advanced welding and engineering skills. The report suggests a no-weld keg grill as an alternative, but it does not provide a tested comparison of the designs.
What should users know about cooking performance?
Hunker says the keg’s thin stainless steel heats quickly but retains heat poorly, which can lead to temperature spikes. The report recommends practice runs before cooking for guests.
What does the report recommend before cooking?
Hunker advises filling the grill with charcoal and heating it for about one hour before food is added to burn off manufacturing oils, labels and beer residue. The report does not give a full cleaning or fabrication safety guide.
Source: rss
