Cast Iron Beckerheads, Sound Off!

[FCFER]

All these sportsman grills are giving me a sense of jealousy!

 

[Chameleonbear]

Do I sense a Sportsman's grill "throwdown" at the next gathering?

Ethan's will win!

 

[Mack]

Ethan's will win!

That may not be a bad thing. He shares what he cooks and he cooks pretty good.

 

[Dexwithers]

 

[tradewater]

That is so many kinds of awesome DW. I'm really enjoying this thread.

 

[Dexwithers]

 

[gmoneyluv]

That is so many kinds of awesome DW. I'm really enjoying this thread.

Gotta agree with Trade, very cool setup!

 

[1066vik]

Guyon - if they let you keep the broken one, I bet it can be fixed with a Lincoln tombstone and some 1013 rod.

 

[Dexwithers]

Have any of you ever made your own charcoal? I started making my own and I have to say that I have never had anything cook so good. It's basically like making charcloth just on a bigger scale. Been using a 6gallon metal pail with metal lid.

Here's a pic of the coals in action!

Chicken and onions.

I love this little grill! Thanks GMoney for inspiring me to get it out and use it again. Been over a year at least and now I've used it three times this week!

 

[gmoneyluv]

Have any of you ever made your own charcoal? I started making my own and I have to say that I have never had anything cook so good. It's basically like making charcloth just on a bigger scale. Been using a 6gallon metal pail with metal lid.

Here's a pic of the coals in action!

Details sir, we want details. And pics.

 

[Dexwithers]

Details sir, we want details. And pics.

Ok sir. I'll do my best to explain my process. I am no expert and just recently learned how to do this.

First off you must have a Bk-10. Nope, will not work with any other knife. Lol

Take your Bk-10 and split some logs.

I used an old tree that fell in the road in front of my house a while back. Totally dead and dried out.

I want to try it with mesquite next.

Make smaller pieces.

Fill up a metal bucket with a lid. I actually used 2 old paint cans my first go round but decided to go larger the last two burns. 6 gallons at a time. Oh baby!! Haha Working up to the 55gallon drum.

The second time I made all the pieces a little smaller and got a better burn.

Next I put it in the fire and left it for a few hours. I did drill three small holes in the top of the lid so the gasses could escape.

After the smoke stopped coming from the can I took it off and let it sit till it was all cool. If you open the can to soon and let oxygen in when there is still an ember, it will ignite.

When your done you get this.

Black wood charcoal. Stuff works great and you don't need lighter fluid. It lights up quick and I used one of those charcoal lighter things. Just a little newspaper in the bottom. Here is a pic.

In about ten minutes I was ready to cook. Crazy.

I'm never going back to the bag stuff again.

Hope I was able to explain it correctly?

 

[acerpower]

Thanks for the lesson.
I'm going to make me some this weekend!

Now I need to buy a new grill though.
After seeing so many awesome pics of the lodge grill I have some serious grill envy.

 

[SaturatedShadow]

Damn.

Thanks to this thread, I now need a sportsman's grill, more dutch ovens and other assorted cast iron cookware, and I need to start making my own charcoal.

 

[1066vik]

I let someone else do the work and buy my lump charcoal by the 20# bag.
E had some at the gathering for the Thursday night meal.

 

[Dexwithers]

So this afternoon the Wife said she wanted fish tacos for dinner.

I was like yes! Another chance to use the old grill!!

Getting my charcoal ready!

Fire in the grill!

Onions, stuffed mushrooms, asparagus, fish, and scallops! She surprised my with scallops. My fav.

Taco time!!

Enjoy fellas.

And by the way, who didn't order their grill yet? Lol

This grill may be new to some of you but to me this is old school!
I absolutely love this thing.

Lodge actually used to make a bigger one that had a stand or something. Wish I would have picked that up because I believe they quit making it.

 

[The Warrior]

Looks awesome. Old school to me as well. Parents had one when I was a kid. Mom still has one, but I'm not sure if it's the same one or not.

 

[Dexwithers]

Yea my father had one a few years before I got mine (so around 1995 or 1996). I begged and begged for one since he wouldn't let me take his out and use it. Lol. He finally got me that one for my birthday I believe.

You should check and see what one she has. And they last forever if you take care of them.

It's awesome how they are still so popular.

 

[The Warrior]

Have officially joined the ranks. Called mom, asked her if she still had it, and she answered, "yes, and you can have it", haha. She's old and well loved, but will clean up just fine and dandy. It's an old Birmingham Stove and Range Sportsman model. The precursor to the Lodge model. This things older than I am.







By the way, here's a little history I found:

The Louisiana Salesman who wanted to change the Sad iron Heater to a Fish Fryer was "Piggy" Greenfield in the late 1930's. The sad iron heater went for something like $2.50, and the Sportsman's Grill $7 or $8. All of the Sportsman Grills, even the Atlanta Stove ones, were cast at Birmingham Stove & Range. They were the same grill, except a different door was cast with whichever foundry was going to sell it. The four legged one would be the older one, he spectulates that the four legs is a leftover design feature from the original sad iron heater and was quickly changed. The three legs were used because three legs don't wobble.

Along the same line:

The Sportsman Grill started life as a charcoal fired, sad iron heater made by Birmingham, when one of BS&R salesman thought they could sell more if they converted it into a grill, They added grates and started selling it as the Sportsman Grill. It sold well. At the end, when BS&R was "on the ropes" after Sam Jones had retired from active duty, they had to job out their casting to Lodge. Things got so bad at the end, that there was no money to pay Lodge with, so the accountant had to pay Lodge with patterns and molds, including the Sportsman Grill. Lodge then modified and began selling the Sportsman Grill.

And again:

It came about in the 1930's due to "Piggie" Greenfield. He was from Louisiana and sold for BS&R in that state. Louisiana's are known for their fish fries. According to Jones, "Piggie" came to the office and told them if they would put a grate on that sad iron heater and call it the Sportsman he could sell them for around $7.00. Now that charcoal fired sad iron heater sold for around $2.00 then. So they added a grill, called it the Sportsman, and it sold well.

Birmingham Stove & Range Co.

Location: Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama
Founder: Sam D. Jones
Period of Production: 1902-1989
Products Manufactured: Full Line
Brand Names: Red Mountain, Century, Pioneer, Lady Bess

Birmingham Stove & Range Co. Timeline

1898 - Jones family acquires controlling interest in Atlanta Stove Works.
1902 - Birmingham Stove & Range Co. established to produce hollow ware and stoves for ASW and itself.
1930s-40s - Red Mountain series of cookware produced.
1950s - Century series introduced.
1957 - Atlanta foundry closed. BSR continues to produce products under both the ASW and BSR names.
1960s - Automated molding machines installed.
1989 - BSR foundry closes, brand continues to be produced under agreement with Lodge.
1991 - Company closes, relinquishes patterns and molds to Lodge to satisfy debt.​

 

[Dexwithers]

That's so awesome Warrior!!
Congrats!!
That is the coolest grill yet!
Thanks for the history lesson. I did not know that. Very interesting. I had no idea they've been around that long.

 

[arizonaranchman]

Lodge!!?? Lodge???!! No way!!!!
Go for the original...Griswold!!!!!!!!!!

Griswold man right here!! Mine are 1930's vintage skillets. LOVE my Griswold's... Far superior quality to anything I've seen today. I'll attach a pic soon as I'm able.