Portable "Piggy Roaster" Mounts On Car Chassis

Portable "Piggy Roaster" Mounts On Car Chassis HOG EQUIPMENT & IDEAS Hog Equipment & Ideas (351) 23-1-24 After experiencing problems with conventional pig roasters, Paul Brehm of Cedarburg, Wis., decided to build his own portable "piggy roaster" out of an oil tank and mount it on the chassis of a Chevrolet Camaro car. "I built it because I always noticed two problems with conventional pig roasters - sudden flare-ups from the coals caused by grease dripping down, and the lack of a stable holding system to keep the pig from falling apart as the cooking progressed. My roaster solves both problems," says Brehm. Brehm started with a 275-gal. oil tank. He cut off the top third of it and hinged it to form a cover. He welded a double row of angle irons around the top of the bottom part to strengthen it and welded on an inside ledge that supports a flat grill for cooking chickens, corn, etc., when the spit isn't being used. The spit, made from stainless steel, rests in a bronze cradle mounted at each end of the cooker and can be lifted out with the pig on it at any time. It consists of a 1-in. dia. stainless steel center bar with a point at one end and Lovejoy coupling at the other. An adjustable 8-armed "spider" slides onto each end of the spit. Holding bars are attached to the eight arms of the spider and are adjustable and lockable in any position. "The bars do a great job of holding and containing the pig and work far better than wiring the carcass," says Brehm. The entire tank sits on the Camaro chassis and is towed backward. The tank fits into the front cross member which has a dip in it where it supported the car engine. Brehm used 2 by 4-in. channel iron to lengthen the frame and then attached a trailer hitch for towing. Welded-on angle iron braces connect the cooker to the chassis. The car's tie rods were stabilized with a clamp and U-bolts - and not welded solid - so that the car wheels could be adjusted to track correctly. At the rear of the unit he fabricated a steel frame and mounted a 40-gal. well tank on it. When filled with water and pressurized, the tank not only helps to balance the unit so that it isn't tongue heavy but also provides water in case of occasional flare-ups. The spit is rotated by a 1/2 hp electric motor that drives a 40:1 right angle gearbox via a chain and sprockets. The spit rotates at 4 to 5 rpm's. "This is just fast enough to keep the grease flowing around the carcass, basting it but not flinging it off," says Brehm. When the pig is fully cooked, the spit is lifted off and placed on a table. The meat is carved and placed in large disposable aluminum pans, and then, with the grill now in place on the cooker, the pans are placed back in the cooker and the cover pulled down, keeping the meat warm. The charcoal is placed on an expanded metal grate about 1 ft. above the bottom of the cooker. Brehm cut an opening in the bottom at each end of the cooker and placed an adjustable cover over it which serves as a draft. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Paul Brehm, Box 454, Cedarburg, Wis. 53012 (ph 414 377-6005).

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