Thinking of having a crack at making charcoal.

[csservices]

Mine has'nt been used in anger in a while, always planned to get a few more to make it more worthwhile, usually set it up on the yard somewhere when I'm cutting logs means its handy for anything to small for the log pile and also I can keep an eye on it whilst doing something else

[slack ma girdle]

The BTCV woodlands book has a really good section on charcoal production.

[Woodworks]

Excellent thread, been thinking of doing this myself for a while, just for a bit of fun and charcoal for my own barbeque!

 

Excellent post CSSERVICES, was thinking of doing the same thing, good to know it works!

 

Definitely going to crack on with this soon!

 

My only attempts to date are making charcoal in a biscuit tin as suggested in this thread.

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

We used some if of it tonight on a BBQ. Pretty pleased with it probably best charcoal I have ever used (normally buy supermarket rubbish) Gets seriously hot so now use less than before.

 

I am suspecting making on a large scale is going to be more problematic but quite looking forward to getting a barrel and trying some of your suggested ways

 

Evidence

[Maxwell]

Thinking of giving this ago myself! stupid question of the day, would you light the fire in or under the barrel?? also would a barrel with a clip lid work ok?

[csservices]

You light the fire in the barrel, the barrel in my pics is the type that has the circular clip to secure the lid but I don't use it just tap the lid on tight and seals well enough

[gensetsteve]

I have a massive incinerator in the yard. Sometimes I get what looks like charcoal but wonder if it has any heat in it. If it looks like charcoal could it be or is it more scientific than that ?. Sometimes the incinerator burns right out to ash but caught right and shut the door and it seems to get results. I dont have a charcoal bbq but will have to try some out.

[Woodworks]

Had a busy day yesterday making a low tech retort. Used an old water tank that was lying around and spent a whole £7 on a barrel also used a few bits and bobs that were kicking about (I never through anything away )

 

I decided to just drill holes in the side of the barrel instead of making complicated ducted vents. I here the argument that the fire will burn the wood above the hole but my thinking was that once you start heating the barrel the gasses start expanding and the only place for them to go is out through the holes thus not allowing any flame in. Any way I took some pictures later on in the burn as having too much fun at the beginning to drag myself away to get the camera.

 

It's not the best charcoal as was not selective about the sacks of branch loggings I put in. I presumed it would not work the first time but looks like I have had some beginners luck. The barrel is half full so with good dense chunks hopefully will get a bit more. The retort will take two barrels but I thought I would mess about with one until I am sure it works. The second picture is the gasses burning late in the burn but half an hour earlier it was roaring like a crazed thing. Next time I will get some pictures of it in full flow, might even try and put a video on you tube.

[Woodworks]

Just sieved and bagged up the contents of the barrel. Probably put in 60 ish kg and have got 13kg of charcoal with no ash or brown pieces. 1 1/2 feed sacks of decent chunky pieces and 1 sack from the twigs that went in.

 

Now something I don't get is presuming this is as good as the stuff I did in a biscuit tin in the wood burner why is bought charcoal as heavy as it is? I am sure what I have made is a lot lighter by volume but the biscuit tin stuff was every bit as good to use as bought if not better but seemed lighter.

[Ty Unnos]

Just sieved and bagged up the contents of the barrel. Probably put in 60 ish kg and have got 13kg of charcoal with no ash or brown pieces. 1 1/2 feed sacks of decent chunky pieces and 1 sack from the twigs that went in.

 

Now something I don't get is presuming this is as good as the stuff I did in a biscuit tin in the wood burner why is bought charcoal as heavy as it is? I am sure what I have made is a lot lighter by volume but the biscuit tin stuff was every bit as good to use as bought if not better but seemed lighter.

 

The charcoal you are making will be much purer carbon than imported charcoal. This means it will weigh less by volume. The better the charcoal the less it weighs. It is why it is hard to sell native charcoal because customers think they are getting less for their money.

 

The guys in the third world that make the imported stuff usually get paid by weight - so they have no incentive to make it well (and throw in stuff to make it heavier) That is why imported charcoal is so hard to light - its not really pure charcoal! And as for briquettes lord only know what gets put in them.

 

The charcoal you are making will light easier, get hot quicker and be more efficient than anything that has been on a boat / sat on a garage forecourt and then stuck in shed for a few years.

 

If anyone is interested I am doing a free charcoal making workshop as part of my work with the North Wales Wildlife Trust - Saturday 22nd June - Near Mold - North East Wales. Just drop me a PM to book on.

[Woodworks]

Thanks Ty.

 

So I am not imagining things

 

Where is good place to buy some paper bags for selling a bit on?