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W ood Kiln Firing

Pit Firing Using a Good Old-Fashioned Charcoal Gr ill

Pi t Fi r i n g Wi t h out t h e Pi t !
Sumi von Dassow • M arch 20, 2020 • Read Comment s (47)

As Sum i von Dassow expl ai ns i n thi s post, you can get great pi t û ri ng eõ ects on pots usi ng a good ol ’ charcoal gri l l . And, w i th so
m any people sw itchi ng to gas gril l s these days, you coul d probabl y û nd a cheap charcoal gri l l at a garage sal e, or you m i ght
even have one i n the back of your ow n garage!

So i f you’re l ooking for a fun acti vi ty to try out i n your studi o, read the arti cl e and start experi m enti ng w i th thi s backyard pi t
û ri ng techni que. – Jenni fer Poel l ot Harnetty, edi tor.

I f y ou don ’ t h ave a k il n but st il l w an t t o ù r e som e pot s— or you h ave an el ect r i c ki l n but y ou’ d l i k e t o do som e sm ok e ù r i n g
w it h out di ggi n g a ù r e- pi t in your y ar d or al ar m i n g t h e n ei gh bor s t oo m uch — t h e gr i l l i s a sur pr i si n gl y v er sat i l e al t er n at i ve.
Yes i n deed, y our t r ust y ol d Weber gr i l l — t h e l i t t l e r oun d on e on t h r ee l egs t h at y ou m i gh t h ave l ef t si t t i n g i n y our gar age
w h en you upgr aded y our out door ki t ch en — can h av e a secon d l i f e as a m i n i - k i l n .

I used a 22½ - i n ch r oun d gr i ll , ach i ev i n g a v ar i et y of eö ect s w i t h sever al ki n ds of cl ay an d sur f ace ù n i sh es. I n or der t o
r epl i cat e t h e l ook of Nat i ve Am er i can pot t er y ù r ed i n out door bon ù r es, I ù r ed pi n ch pot s an d sm al l w h eel - t h r ow n pot s
m ade f r om m i caceous clay. Th i s cl ay i n cor por at es sm al l par t i cl es of m i ca i n addi t i on t o gr og, w h i ch m akes i t beaut i f ul as
w el l as ver y r esist an t t o h eat sh ock . I n New M exi co i t ’ s t r adi t i on al l y used t o m ake û am e- w ar e f or cooki n g di r ect l y on a ù r e
or on t h e st ov e- t op. I al so t r i ed a var iet y of sm ok e- ù r i n g t ech n i ques on pot s m ade f r om sm oot h st on ew ar e cl ay t h at w as
bur n i sh ed ei t h er w i t h a st on e or usin g t er r a si gil l at a.

Pit Firing Pot t ery in a Weber Gr ill

To pi t ù r e gr een w ar e on t h e gr i l l , m ake pot s w it h w al l s t h at ar e about 3/ 8 - i n ch t h i ck t h r ough out — n o f at bot t om s or t h i n
r im s— an d dr y t h em t h or ough l y bef or e at t em pt i n g t o ù r e t h em . You don ’ t n eed t o use m i caceous cl ay , but use a cl ay w h i ch
i s r esi st an t t o t h er m al sh ock such as r aku cl ay , gr oggy st on ew ar e, or paper cl ay.

M ak e sur e t h e gr i l l i s cl ean , r em ovi n g an y ash es or par t i al l y bur n ed coal s i n t h e bot t om , t h en get i t goi n g j ust as y ou w oul d
f or cook in g, pour i n g l i gh t er û ui d ov er m oun ded ch ar coal an d l i gh t i n g i t . Not e: Wear gl ov es an d pr ot ect i ve eye w ear
w h en ever h an dl i n g pot s ar oun d t h e gr il l , f r om pl aci n g t h em on t o t h e gr i d t o t ak i n g t h em out of t h e coal s af t er t h e pi t
ù r i n g. As t h e coal s gr adual l y begin t o sm ol der , pr eh eat t h e pot s on t h e cook i n g gr i d abov e t h em .

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Fig.1 Lift out the cooking grid, spr ead out the coals and put the
preheated pots on the coals.

Fig.2 Cover the grill but leave the cover cocked to allow for air
˘ ow.

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Fig.3 Surround taller pots with wood scraps. Use newspaper to

encourage the wood to burn.
Af t er 15 m i n ut es or w h en t h e coal s ar e t ur n i n g gr ay at t h e edges, qui ckl y an d car ef ul l y m ov e t h e pot s, r em ove t h e cook i n g
gr i d, spr ead t h e coals out an d pl ace t h e w ar m ed pot s di r ect l y i n t h e h ot coal s ( ù gur e 1). Spr ead t h e coal s out as you w oul d
f or cook in g, an d n est le each pot i n t o t h e coal s. Cover t h e gr i l l t o r et ai n h eat , but l eave t h e cover cocked f or bet t er ai r û ow
(ù gur e 2). Be car ef ul n ot t o r est t h e h ot edge of t h e l i d on t h e pl ast i c h an dl e of t h e gr i l l ! Out of cur i osi t y, I put a py r om et er
i n si de on e of t h e pot s in t h i s ù r i n g, an d i t r egi st er ed as h i gh as 130 0 °F, or appr oxi m at el y con e 0 18 . Af t er 30 m i n ut es or so,
y our pot s can be r em oved. Test t h em by t appin g t h em t o see i f t h ey r i n g, or scr at ch i n g t h em w i t h y our ù n ger n ai l . I f your
pot r i n gs w h en you t ap i t an d y ou can ’ t scr at ch i t easi l y , i t ’ s ù r ed. Of cour se t h e cl ay w on ’ t be f ul l y vi t r i ù ed an d your pot s
w on ’ t h old w at er , but t h e ù n i sh ed pot s w on ’ t di si n t egr at e i n w at er as gr een w ar e w oul d. Coal s al on e r each a t em per at ur e of
at l east 110 0 °F, an d w i l l be en ough t o ù r e sm al l pot s. For pot s abov e t w o or t h r ee i n ch es t al l , or t o i n cr ease t h e ù r i n g
t em per at ur e, y ou m i gh t w an t t o pi l e w ood scr aps ar oun d t h em t o en sur e an ev en ù r i n g t em per at ur e f r om t h e t op t o t h e
bot t om of t h e pi ece (ù gur e 3). To i n cr ease t h e h eat ev en m or e, you can t r y bl ow i n g ai r i n t o t h e gr i l l w i t h a f an ( ù gur e 4 ),
t h ough i t ’ s possi bl e t h at doi n g t h is r epeat edl y coul d sh or t en t h e l i f e of t h e gr i l l , par t i cul ar l y of t h e ch ar coal gr at e. Addi n g
w ood t o t h e ù r e w i ll m ake i t sm ok e m or e an d con sequen t l y t h e pot s w i l l com e out w i t h m or e sm oke- m ar k i n gs.

Alt er nat ive Sur faces

For a beaut i f ul decor at i ve eö ect si m il ar t o h or se h ai r r ak u, pl ace h or se h ai r s (or ot h er an i m al or h um an h ai r ) on t h e pot
i m m edi at ely af t er r em ovi n g i t f r om t h e ù r e (ù gur e 5). Wh en w or k i n g w i t h t h i s t ech n i que, r em ov e t h e pot usi n g t on gs, an d
pl ace i t on a pi ece of w ar m ed sof t br i ck t o avoid cr acks f r om t h er m al sh ock . Th e h ai r s w i l l bur n an d l eav e squi ggl y bl ack
m ar k s on t h e pot (ù gur e 6 ). Hav e t h e h air s r eady an d w or k f ast — you m ay on l y h av e a f ew secon ds bef or e t h e pot cool s
dow n t oo m uch .

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Fig 4. Use a fan to increase air ˘ ow and heat.

Fig 5. Place horse hairs (or other animal or human hair) on the
pot immediately after removing it fr om the ˉ re.

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Fig 6. Finished pot with horsehair decoration.

For ot h er al t er n at i v e pi t ù r in g eö ect s, t r y bur n i sh i n g your pot s w i t h a st on e or appl y i n g t er r a si gi l l at a. Depen di n g on t h e
t y pe of cl ay y ou ar e usi n g, y ou m i gh t w an t t o bi sque ù r e t h em i n an el ect r i c k i l n an d use t h e gr i l l f or decor at i v e eö ect s. I
cr eat e pat t er n s on pot s w it h copper f oi l t ape (i n t en ded f or st ai n ed gl ass w or k), gol d l eaf pen s ( ù gur e 7), or m aski n g t ape
(ù gur e 8 ). Decor at ed pot s can t h en be w r apped w i t h a doubl e l ayer of al um i n um f oi l an d pl aced ei t h er di r ect l y on t h e h ot
coals or on t h e cooki n g gr i d f or 30 m i n ut es (ù gur e 9 ). I pl aced t h ese t ape decor at ed pi eces on t h e cook i n g gr i d i n st ead of i n
t h e coal s because al um in um f oi l di si n t egr at es w h en pl aced di r ect l y on t h e coal s, w h i ch can al l ow sm oke t o bl acken t h e pot
t oo m uch . Si n ce t h e gr i l l can ’ t pr oduce en ough h eat t o bur n oö t h e adh esi v e on t h e copper f oi l t ape, t h i s n eeds t o be
scr aped oö af t er t h e ù r i n g.

Fig.7 This sphere has designs drawn with a gold leaf pen and
lines made using copper foil tape.

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Fig.8 This pot was bisque-ˉ red to cone 010, masked with tape,
and brushed with terra sig.

Fig.9 Place foil-wrapped, tape-decorated pots on the cooking

grid rather than on the coals as the foil disintegrates in high
heat.
 

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I ’ v e f oun d t h at di ö er en t br an ds of m ask i n g t ape can h av e ver y di ö er en t eö ect s- — som e bur n qui t e qui ck l y an d m ay l eav e
y our pot com pl et el y bl ack i f l ef t on t h e gr i l l f or t h e f ul l 30 m i n ut es, w h i l e ot h er br an ds h ave a gr eat deal of st i cki n g pow er ,
pr ovi de a st r on g r esi st an d n eed t o be scr aped oö af t er ù r i n g. Th e w h i t e st on ew ar e pi ece (ù gur e 10 ) w as br ush ed w i t h t er r a
si gi l l at a, bi sque ù r ed t o con e 0 10 , decor at ed w i t h m aski n g t ape, w r apped i n a doubl e l ayer of al um i n um f oi l an d ù r ed in t h e
gr i l l .

On e m or e beaut i f ul eö ect y ou can easi l y ach ieve pi t ù r i n g i n y our gr i l l i s t h e r i ch gl ossy bl ack of bur n i sh ed an d
sm oke- ù r ed Pueblo I n di an pot t er y. For best r esul t s, bu r n i sh a sm oot h r ed st on ew ar e cl ay w i t h a st on e. I f you w an t t o
bi sque- ù r e i t i n an elect r i c k il n ù r st , ù r e i t on l y t o con e 0 18 t o r et ai n t h e bur n i sh . To bl acken i t i n t h e gr i l l , w r ap i t i n
n ew spaper an d t h en al um i n um f oi l an d pl ace i t i n t h e coal s. For a deeper bl ack, pl ace i t di r ect l y i n t h e coal s an d sur r oun d i t
w it h w ood scr aps.

Wh en t h e w ood i s bur n i n g m er r i ly , cov er t h e gr i l l , sh ut t h e ai r v al ve on t h e gr i l l cov er an d cl ose t h e cl ean i n g v al ve on t h e

un der si de. To pr ot ect t h e bur n i sh ed sur f ace f r om get t i n g scr at ch ed or m ar k ed by t h e f uel , you can f ol l ow t h e sam e gen er al
st eps but st ar t by pl aci n g t h e pot i n a coö ee can or cook i e t i n t h at h as h ol es pi er ced i n t h e si des. Nest l e i t i n t o som e w ood
sh avi n gs at t h e bot t om of t h e can , pl ace t h e can i n t o t h e coal s (ù gur e 11), an d cov er t h e can w i t h al um i n um f oi l or a pi ece
of ki l n sh el f (ù gur e 12). Th i s w ay, sm oke can sur r oun d t h e pot but t h e pot w on ’ t be i n di r ect con t act w i t h bur n i n g w ood or
coals. Af t er 30 t o 4 5 m i n ut es, w h en t h e gr i l l h as st opped sm oki n g, t h e pot can be r em ov ed. I f t h e pot w asn ’ t bi sque- ù r ed
bef or eh an d i n an el ect r i c ki l n , y ou’ ll n eed t o car ef ul l y pr eh eat i t an d ù r e i t di r ect l y i n t h e coal s t o get i t h ot en ough t o
v i t r i f y— but you’ l l pr obabl y get t h e r ich est bl ack col or t h i s w ay ( ù gur e 13).

Fig.11 Place a burnished pot inside a perforated coffee can

prior to ˉ ring to create an even, glossy black surface.

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Fig.12 Surround the coffee can with wood scraps to create

more heat and smoke. Cover the opening with a piece of kiln
shelf.

Fig.13 A r ed stoneware, stone burnished pot, bisque-ˉ r ed to

cone 018, placed inside a perforated coffee can and ˉ red in a
W eber gr ill.
I ’ m sur e I ’ ve j ust scr at ch ed t h e sur f ace i n expl or i n g t h e possi bi l i t i es oö er ed by t h i s si m pl e pi ece of equi pm en t . Pl ayi n g
w it h ù r e i n your bar becue gr il l m akes f or an easy an d f un pr oj ect you can en j oy by y our sel f or w i t h your f am i l y— so br eak
out t h e cl ay , get som e ch ar coal , an d ù r e aw ay !

Clays used
M i caceous cl ay i s avai labl e f r om : Coyot e Clay – w w w .coyot ecl ay .com
or New M exi co Cl ay –   w w w .n m clay.com
You can al so buy pow der ed m i ca an d add i t t o your ow n cl ay body .

Red cl ay f or bur n ish i n g: Nav aj o Wh eel f r om I n dust r i al M i n er al s Com pan y – w w w .cl ay i m co.com

**First published in 2010

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