A rocket stove is a very useful piece of survival gear. And if you can make a rocket stove yourself out of stuff you have lying around (in this case a beer keg) a save a few bucks in the process, even better.
DIY Beer Keg Rocket Stove
These instructions will help you use a simple beer keg as a camping stove, a rocket heater, or just for everyday cooking.
Read on and learn how to have (almost) as much fun with your beer keg as you had emptying it.
Materials:
- Mini beer keg, 5 liters
- 2 soup cans with top and bottom removed
- 1 small can with top and bottom removed
- 2 pipe cap ends
- 5 liters of vermiculite
Steps:
1. Remove anything from the top of your keg. In this case, there is a plastic handle that needs to be removed before proceeding.
2. Drill a large hole in the top of your keg, a bit bigger than the size of your larger cans.
3. Remove all of the inner parts from your keg.
4. Place one of your pipe cap ends on a large can.
5. Make a hole in the side of the larger can, then place the smaller can inside as shown.
6. Fasten your two large cans together with your left over piece of tin from the hole you created.
7. Measure from the top of your keg down to where the hole is placed in your bottom can. Mark the size of the hole off and cut a slightly larger hole in your keg.
8. Nest your can assembly down into your keg, checking to be sure that your holes line up at the bottom. Then put your smaller can through the hole in the keg and into the inner can.
9. Place your second pipe cap end between the hole in your keg and the smaller can sticking out of the keg.
10. Fasten your pipe cap end to the top of your can.
11. Create a small hole and fill the dead space in your keg with vermiculite.
12. Cover over the hole with a piece of metal and fasten.
13. If desired, fashion a tray to feed your fuel into your chimney.
14. Start using your rocket stove!
See the full instructional video here:
You can also find another version of the instructions here.
Like DIY projects for preppers? Check out these posts:
36 Weekend Projects for Preppers
36 MORE Weekend Projects for Preppers
How To Build A Fire Pit
Like this post?
Be sure to like us on Facebook so you can be the first to know about latest survival tips and off the grid living skills.
I see a lot of very good information on this site, but, PLEASE HIRE A PROOFREADER.
Could you please supply some sort of part number, and/or a more detailed description of the ‘pipe cap ends’? I’ve been to a few hardware stores but have been unable to source these yet. Trying to find the standard 3″ that you used, as well as 4″ end flanges.
I have seen, & built many a rocket stove, some good, some bad, some down right dangerously built….
This appears to be a good build, but very sloppy work…
Rivets? Screws?
Not on my Rocket Stove.
This could be built just as good, if not better, if he had taken the time to weld these cans(or had them welded by someone else), which would make it look better, work better, work safer….
I like the idea, but as stated earlier, very sloppy work.
Can you please email me and let me know where I can get those collar pieces that go on the end of the soup cans. I have gone to the hardware stores and haven’t been able to find them or know what to search to buy them online. Thank you. Thanks for the awesome job
You did a really good job on this rocket stove! I made something similar not too long ago but I used concrete between the beer keg and chimney wall. I found it sucked a lot of heat from the burn chamber, I will have to try using vermiculite like you did with yours it will probably make it a lot more efficient. I did a video of my build.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aM7yvHa8GWg
-GearsNTools