At some point this summer, you may find yourself somewhere your grill isn't, with an itch to
cook up something tasty. So in this project let's hack an empty drink can, into an itty
bitty BBQ. That'll help get you the fix you need, and put some sizzle on those links
one glorious dog at a time.
We’re all familiar with the term “lifehacks” but this summer, the guys at mike’s hard lemonade
asked me to help put a refreshing twist on it with what they’re calling “mikehacks" /ˈmīkˌhak/
Mike Hack: Basically a lifehack that makes any social occasion, more awesome.
I just made a Bitty-Q that grilled the largest garlic and onion bratwurst I could find at
the grocery store, so there's a good chance it'll handle your hot dogs as well. For this
project I chose to use this large drink can, which you can see is nearly a pint and a half,
so it's pretty big. To get started, we'll need to cut the can completely in half, which
you could do with a pair of scissors, but whatever you use, the goal here is to split
the can cleanly in two. If we make some small angled cuts about half an inch from the edges,
we'll be able to bend the aluminum over, forming a small ledge. I was able to get a nice clean
crease with the help of a popsicle stick. Let's do the other side the exact same way,
then trim down the pointy parts so they're not quite as sharp. Now let's focus on making
an awesome, and removable, cooking grill. I made mine with a wire coat hanger, and I'll
give you the template for free. Just check the description for the link. Now let's use
something like a pair of wire dikes to cut the hanger at the neck, then find a way to
remove the protective coating. I used a piece of 60 grit sandpaper, and got the film removed,
in under a minute. Now let's go ahead and use the template to measure, and carefully
bend the wire to shape, until it looks something like this. Now we've got a removable grill
that spring loads into position when we're ready to start cooking. Alright, it's time
to add the legs. I picked up a couple of 4" U-bolts from the hardware store, and we'll
need to go ahead and remove the metal plate, so we can use it as a template, on the inside
of the can. This way, we'll know exactly where to poke the holes we need, and they'll need
to be just large enough to accommodate the open ends of the bolt from the inside. Now
the plate can go back on, and if we bend the two legs away from each other, you can see
the plate locks down on the can, holding it securely. Now, if we do the same thing on
the other side, and replace the nuts, just for decoration, you can see we've just created,
a half-barrel BBQ ready for grilling. Now we could stop here, but let's take it to the
next level by adding a top. I found these 1" utility hinges fit perfectly between the
gaps on the grill, so let's poke some holes where they fit the best, and use something
like these #4, round-head machine screws, to fasten them together. The bolts are three
eights of an inch long, and you can see I fastened the hinges with the barrels facing
inward. Now, let's finish up by adding a miniature handle. This piece is called a "strap loop"
and I found it at the hardware store as well, and after fastening it near the edge with
some #8 machine screws, our Bitty-Q is completely finished. It looks like it's ready for grilling,
so let's see what it can do. Now because our grill is completely removable, it makes it
nice and easy, to add some coals, or whatever else you use for grilling. You can see the
wire grill snaps into position, and is held firmly in place, so let's go ahead and add
a bratwurst to the coals, and close the lid to get it sizzling. And check this out, it's
even got a built in loop for hanging your tongs. Now, after about 10 minutes you can
see our brat is perfectly grilled, sweating out juices, and ready to satisfy those cravings.
I nestled this one into a golden brown bun, added some condiments, and thoroughly enjoyed
it off camera. Now, there are all kinds of variations you can make to this idea as well.
I tried using some smaller cans as a base, and added some wire lath to form a makeshift
half barrel grill, which you can see does a pretty nice job as well. So now you know
how to turn your empty drink cans, into a sexy and satisfying, miniature BBQ. So go
ahead and get your grilling fix, just about anywhere you want, because now you can.
Well that's it for now, if you liked this project, perhaps you'll like some of my others.
Check them out at www.thekingofrandom.com