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Trying to make charcoal


batista230
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Hi

Have read some stuff on the internet about making charcoal and it would seam really easy

Just got a drum cut the top off and put some holes in the top to let the water and oils out fill the drum with wood and put it on a fire and when all the steam has gone you have charcoal

 

So I did this with a 5 gallon drum but the charcoal started burning in the bottom of the drum

Any ideas why please

 

Thanks

Batista230

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Saw something on tv the other day ,they done as you have but once white smoke started coming out of the top they shut the top and filled around the bottom of the barrel with soil to stop the air, then left it to cool down. Seemed to work ,no knowledge of doing it myself but would like to try

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I used to do this with a 40-gallon metal drum. It's best if you get one with a separate lid. The holes should be knocked into the bottom of the drum. Find a nice windy spot and dig out a shallow, circular pit slightly wider than the drum and save the earth.

 

Place the drum onto three or four bricks (don't block the airholes). Place a pole into the centre of the drum (this is where you start the fire) and pack your logs tightly around the pole. When you have filled the drum, remove the pole and push down paper and kindling into the hole. I used to put a couple of fire-lighters in, light them, and then place more paper and kindling onto the firelighters.

 

The paper and kindling should then start to burn. When your fire is well alight, place the lid loosely onto the drum. Now it's a case of controlling the burn. You want the wood to carbonise but not catch fire (well not all of it anyway). If the fire is burning too fiercely, start to block up around the bottom of the drum with the earth that you dug out. Eventually you shoud get to a point where you have completed blocked up the air inlets at the bottom of the drum whilst having white smoke pouring out of the gap around the lid.

 

When the smoke starts to thin, give the drum a knock to settle the wood and increase the burn (the smoke will thicken). After you have done this a few times the smoke will stay a thin, bluey colour. At this point put the lid on securely and make sure any smoke holes are completely blocked up.

 

You will need to leave the drum overnight to cool down. With luck you will get a fair proportion of good charcoal out of this (it will sound tinny and metallic when you tap it). You will also get some partly burnt logs or "brunts". You can use them on your next burn. Charcoal dust is incredibly difficult to get off and the only thing that gets the stuff out of your mouth is real-ale (I used to need at least 3 bottle of Broadside).

 

 

Good Luck.

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From your post you seem to be describing a retort. There should only be holes in the top.

 

The steam should eventually burn nicely down to a blue flame. Then the retort is removed and cover the holes with a damp cloth.

 

If you've got a log burning stove, start with a sweetie tin in the stove.

 

have a look at this thread

 

http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/woodcraft-forum/54931-charcoal-burning.html

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I used to do this with a 40-gallon metal drum. It's best if you get one with a separate lid. The holes should be knocked into the bottom of the drum. Find a nice windy spot and dig out a shallow, circular pit slightly wider than the drum and save the earth.

 

Place the drum onto three or four bricks (don't block the airholes). Place a pole into the centre of the drum (this is where you start the fire) and pack your logs tightly around the pole. When you have filled the drum, remove the pole and push down paper and kindling into the hole. I used to put a couple of fire-lighters in, light them, and then place more paper and kindling onto the firelighters.

A good bit of info thanks

Do you mean an internal fire? and if so do you think this is more efficient (for the amount of wood you need to burn to the charcoal you produce) then an external fire?

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From your post you seem to be describing a retort. There should only be holes in the top.

 

The steam should eventually burn nicely down to a blue flame. Then the retort is removed and cover the holes with a damp cloth.

 

If you've got a log burning stove, start with a sweetie tin in the stove.

 

have a look at this thread

 

http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/woodcraft-forum/54931-charcoal-burning.html

 

I got 2 old bake been cans today

slotted one of them filled it with wood and slid the slotted can inside the other

put it on my fire and after may hours I now have charcoal

 

Tried the idea mentioned above about filling the can with mud

Its not quite so done/ cooked as the other idea but at least the wood did not burn

So I guess starving the wood from oxegen has done the job

 

But my next though of plan is how to make it efficient

so I dont use a lot of wood for burning on the fire to the amount of charcoal I produce

 

And another question I have is-

What kind of wood is used for commercial charcoal

The stuff you buy in the shops

 

Thanks

Batista230

Edited by batista230
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Onlt seen the 45 gallon drum method done, & it produced about half the orginal volume of the drum if the burn was a good one.

 

Fire was made on ground on drum lid then the drum packed solid with split wood was tipped up on top of fire and proped with a few old tiles to make air gap round bottom Drum also had one hand sized hole at bottom (on top when the drum was tipped up).

 

Closed down with mud when smoke stopped being white (could also view charcoal inside by looking down the top hole) Top hole was blocked with slate.

 

 

 

 

 

To little time/oxygen you get "brown ends" unburnt wood, too long you get not much charcoal left, just ashes

 

A retort (external fire) is more effiecient that a traditional charcoal kiln i think. Also insulating the kiln can increase its efficency

 

Best wood to use is seasoned hardwood espacially alder, but apparently any wood can work including green wood.

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Home made retort from oil drums:

 

Methode of making charcoal kiln

 

 

 

As for charcoal you buy in shops could be any wood as comes from all over the world often causes deforestation of third world countries etc. Somalia is a large charocal exporter for example:

 

Deforestation and Charcoal Export SATG | Somali Agricultural Technical Group

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  • 2 weeks later...

for people interested in charcoal burning and looking for volunteer experience - we do burns for few weeks every year as we sell stuff on the commecial basis. we do love the process and love getting other people into this - if u want o volunteer with us get in touch via web http://www.blackbark.co.uk. conversely if you dont like the look of us - find coppicers association north west and try them, or book yourself in for woodland pioneers event in cumbria - its all great fun and youll meet lotsa folk with passion for charcoal! :)

hope this helps!

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