Thinking of having a crack at making charcoal.

[hedgesparrow]

Thanks Ty.

 

So I am not imagining things

 

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

 

sellway packaging aldershot 18p each i think min order is 200

[billy_wizz]

As in i can use it i don't want to waist time making something that is of no use at all! If i can bbq a few bits for myself and family thats good enough for me!

[openspaceman]

As in i can use it i don't want to waist time making something that is of no use at all! If i can bbq a few bits for myself and family thats good enough for me!

 

Go for it then, an advantage of softwood is that if it is debarked or split it dries very fast in the sun and dry would is the best wood for pyrolysis for a number of reasons.

 

..and timbernut when I said it didn't travel and was friable I meant it didn't stand a lot of bumping or handling as it turns to dust but agree it does the job in a barbecue.

[Woodworks]

Just a little update.

 

Sales are slow but the retort still works fine. Did a batch yesterday and made a new short video. I am no Metsaman with a camera but you should get the idea of how it all works. [ame]

[/ame]

[timbernut]

Just a little update.

 

 

 

Sales are slow but the retort still works fine. Did a batch yesterday and made a new short video. I am no Metsaman with a camera but you should get the idea of how it all works.

 

 

Nice one, nothing wrong wi that! 😀 do you ever hav to add more fuel before it starts producing flammable gases?

[Woodworks]

Nice one, nothing wrong wi that! 😀 do you ever hav to add more fuel before it starts producing flammable gases?

 

No more for most of the burn but I chucked a bit on about 30mins from the end to finish it off. Still not quite sure how best to do it but this looks like the best batch yet. Openspaceman mention quite high temperatures were good somewhere on here so we made sure the flames were fierce for the burn. The charcoal from this batch seem a bit harder than some of my slower cooked burns. Not cooked with yet though.

[Woodworks]

Yesterday burn got a bit lively. Had a false start has had lit the fire underneath the barrel but the wind came up making difficult to get the barrels hot enough to start driving the gas off so let it out and started again later. I guess after the first failed burn any water had been driven off and once the gases started coming off it all went a bit wild.

[Nick Connell]

What size bits of wood are best to fill the barrels with?

[Woodworks]

What size bits of wood are best to fill the barrels with?

 

To be honest Nick I don't know. I only used small branch material that I would not sell for logs but it does make good charcoal. Larger material may well be better though.

[HertsWood]

We're in the running for an RDPE grant towards a charcoal retort' aiming to produce charcoal from the timber we source from woodlands we have under management. More news to follow....