Obtain Your Grates

• You'll need two metal grates for your project--one to hold the charcoal up off the ground so that air can get to it, and a second, larger one on which to set the food. The size of the pit you build will be limited by the size of the available grates you're using, so obtain the grates first. Go to your local home improvement or outdoor store and find two good iron grill grates, or take them off your old grill. Generally, the bigger the grates you can find, the better.
  
  

Dig the Hole

• Choose a location that's not directly under trees, awnings or other obstructions that might gather smoke or catch fire. Lay down the smaller of your two grates on the ground and trace about five inches outside of it all around in the dirt with a spade. It's important that the perimeter of the hole isn't bigger than your larger grate. Dig out the area, taking it down by the thickness of whatever bricks you're going to use for the base (generally about three inches).
  
  

Lay the Base

• Put down a layer of bricks in the hole, all pressed tightly together, forming a solid ``floor'' in the bottom of the hole. Lay a permeter of bricks on top of the ``floor,'' arranging them in a circle are the edges, with two or three inches of space between each brick. (This layer of bricks should be sitting just above ground level.) Lay three bricks in the center of the circle, in a loose triangular pattern, and lay your smaller grate on top of the three bricks.
  
  

Stack the Walls

• Stack two or three more rows of bricks on the brick perimeter that you made earlier, staggering the layout to build a ``wall'' of bricks. Don't leave any space between them this time. From the side, you should see several rows of stacked bricks, with the bottom row having a space between each brick to allow air to get under the charcoal. To use the pit, stack your charcoal on the lower grate, light it, then lay the larger grate on top of the brick circle to hold the food.