The original HOBO STove

Hmmm .....where to start ..... let's see.... Well, 

HOBO is an acronym for High Output Bedicle Oven. 

Bedicle is a portmanteau for "bed of coals". Of course, it could be a neologism, or a maybe a protologism, the jury’s still out. I'm sure the pantheon of inter-web aficionados will weigh-in mercilessly.
 

Either way, all just little colloquialisms from deep dogpatch, Eastern-most West Tennessee. 

OK, I'm done now .....🤞

HOBO Stoves were utilized widely by depression era transient workers, mostly along the nations burgeoning railroads. They wern't always used as fire box for making coals. They would have been used to discretely cook directly over a camp fire. A truly OG HOBO Stove would have been made of anything from a coffee can to a car rim. You can consider the offerings on this website to be an evolved version of the historical implement that has been  polished-up and packaged for the modern market.

My grandaddy, pronounced grandeddy, first introduced me to the concept when I was maybe 8 or 10 years old. He also invented the term "bedicles" around that time. Just the sort of thing you'd expect from a Grampa desperate to entertain an overly inquisitive child who was eagerly poking at the fire with a stick. 

Once a year the local volunteer fire station would hold a pig roast to raise funds for new hoses or boots or whatever. The neighboring farmers would donate a couple of hogs and the cooks in the community would stay up all night slow cooking them over cinder-block pits.  They would sprinkle the hot bedicles into the pits with specifically augmented, long-handled shovels (also available on this site). A tradition that's still going strong today. 

If you ever find yourself in Lexington TN, stop by Scott-Parker's BBQ. You won't be disappointed.

Somewhere between a Rocket Stove and Burn Barrel the HOBO was originally developed as a companion firebox to the open-pit Bar-B-Q process. It was specifically designed to turn firewood into charcoal. 

Fashioned from a 55-gallon drum, the HOBO Stove is perfect for the campground, job site, or back yard BB-Q.  

The technology driving the HOBO Stove is relatively simple. Something called the Venturi effect has been known since the 1700’s. Essentially, the velocity of any gas/liquid can be increased by restricting volume through which it is flowing. Its essentially the same principle as placing your thumb over the end of a garden hose.

Seeing is believing. Upon first look, it appears too simple to be of any merit, but like a lot of Old World tech, it's still around because it works! Think, John Browning’s pistol or Mr. Willys Jeep, you won't find many things in this life that are more tried-and-true.

Oh, did I mention that it doesn’t smoke? I won’t go as far as to say smoke-free, but when operated correctly, there will little to no smoke!  

Bottomless™ brand pits (and HOBO Stoves) are designed to increase the volume of oxygen that exists underneath the central core of the fire. The resulting furnace will draw air and continue to efficiently consume firewood as long as the flow of fuel and oxygen remain consistent.

If you keep a yellow flame licking out the top, it will drop hot bedicles out the bottom for hours on end. You might occasionally need to jostle the contents to expose the fresh, un-burnt fuel to the flames. The trick is to apply fresh logs by dropping them from about waist height. This will automatically cycle out the ripe bedicles and expose the fresh fuel to the flames. The process actually sounds like an ice maker making ice. Only instead of freezing water it’s red hot glowing clumps of charcoal.

The hungry, hungry HOBO will only continue to consume fuel as long as the flow of oxygen remains unrestricted. Large chunks, non-seasoned, and wads of wet leaves will counteract the Venturi effect and produce un-necessary smoke and fumes. The application of any non-fuel items such as metals and plastics will only serve to clog to orifices and impede the flow of oxygen. This will also produce toxic fumes. 

For best results the HOBO should be installed above a small hole in the ground about the same diameter as the pit itself. The outer ring should be positioned to sit between 1 and 3 inches above the surrounding terrain. A ring of brick or rocks will complete the installation. The rock/brick ring will also help to radiate the heat. Once you've established an adequate bedicles, your HOBO is ready to Rock and Roll! 

I recommend using dry, well-seasoned sticks of firewood, 4-6 inches around and 15 - 20 inches long.  You can start with a traditional Scout style tee-pee/log-cabin or fill the pit with fire wood and place a couple of fatwood sticks in the middle.

Note: the 'First-Fire-Free' upgrade will include the Fatwood option. Sorry, this service is available only to customers in the Middle Tennessee region.

Propper operation of your HOBO Stove should result in the deposition of nothing but fluffy white ash in the pit below. Even so, the ash will build up and should be removed periodically. Excessive accumulation of ash beneath your HOBO will reduce its functionality and allow moisture to corrode the steel faster. In summary, clean out your  fire pit!