My first Charcoal burn

Didn't know if to put this in pictures, firewood or woodland so here it is anyway.

Been saying I was fgoing to have a go for ages but finally got round to it last night (figured the neighbours couldn't complain on bonfire night )

It was only very small scale but what I did was cut the end off a 19kg gas bottle, welded a hinge and catch on it and was goign to try the retort method rather than the conventional way.

Loaded the drum up with a few seasoned oak logs and some fairly green sweet chestnut (more as a test than anything else), stood the drum inside an oil drum and lit a fire in the bottom around it.

The idea being once the wood inside the drum gets hot enough, the caases escaping round the crack in the base ignite and help keep the fire going without wasting too much additional timber.

It took a little while to get going but once the gases took it was roaring like a good un with flame about 8ft high!

About an hour and a half later it had died down so I left it to cool down.

fished it out this mornign and was really surprised how little volume it had lost and there were only three bits partially not burned and they were all bits of chestnut that were at the top.

The billhook is to give an idea of size.

Quite please for my first try

nice one mate it is strangely exciting isnt it! novelty soon wears off when you start seiving it and bagging it though...

nice one mate it is strangely exciting isnt it! novelty soon wears off when you start seiving it and bagging it though...

I would have to agree there

lol - I just tipped the lot into a bag and be done with it - the little bits can get tipped on once BBQ's going

Haven't got any plans to go into production - just fancied having a go and yes, found it really quite satisfying.

Doesn't matter how many times I do it, it's always that first cut into the gas bottle that's a little nerve racking

lol - I just tipped the lot into a bag and be done with it - the little bits can get tipped on once BBQ's going

 

Haven't got any plans to go into production - just fancied having a go and yes, found it really quite satisfying.

 

Doesn't matter how many times I do it, it's always that first cut into the gas bottle that's a little nerve racking

how did you make the gas bottle safe before slicing it open?

will filing it with water do the job?

purging it with water is all ive ever done. the smell of the gas tends to linger in the casting of the bottle but ive never had a problem

All I do is take the valve out, brim it with water, leave it an hour or so for any bubbles to finish coming up and then empty it - they do stink after still though. Once did a 50kg one without using water - just left it stood upside down for a couple of days - my thinkgin was the gas is heavier than air and it would all come out. seemed to work that time anyhow.

i make it in a oil drum each winter light it before going to bed then damp it down when wake up get about a bag and a half from each burn, smokes like hell though would never light it in daylight neighbours would go batty.