Mobile Retorts

[felixthelogchopper]

No worries. Is that near the Dengie Marshes? Had a cousin from those parts- webbed feet but a real heart of gold.

 

 

 

He's now my wife:thumbup:

 

Spot on.

[the village idiot]

A few pics from today's unload and re-load. Uploaded them all by myself!

 

This is the same kiln load as the previous pictures, you will note how much volume is lost. This is partly down to the fact that the Ash wood I am using is not fully seasoned.

 

At the moment I am averaging 3 very full barrow bags per burn, each weighing 50kg. I sell them like this- ungraded- for £1.10 per kg. There is a huge market for British charcoal and if you were less lazy than me and decided to grade and bag you can get around £1.50 to £1.70 per kg.

 

As stated before, charcoal won't make you rich on it's own but the nature of the process allows you to do other work simultaneously. Whilst the pictured charcoal was cooking I was in the mini digger clearing the old concrete bomb pads in the wood (relics from the war).

[openspaceman]

you will note how much volume is lost. This is partly down to the fact that the Ash wood I am using is not fully seasoned.

 

I cannot see this being a reason, one of the attributes of a retort over a kiln is that all of the solid carbon in the charge is retained and the char contains more volatiles as temperatures are much lower, so yield of over 40% of the dry weight are possible.

 

It's great for easy lighting and UK barbecues but people who are used to a well cooked char, from countries where jiko type charcoal stoves are traditional disliked it as too smoky.

 

 

At the moment I am averaging 3 very full barrow bags per burn, each weighing 50kg. I sell them like this- ungraded- for £1.10 per kg. There is a huge market for British charcoal and if you were less lazy than me and decided to grade and bag you can get around £1.50 to £1.70 per kg.

 

IIRC we used to get £1.70 /bag delivered on the bioregional scheme but I cannot remember the weight of the bag.

[the village idiot]

Once again, very interesting comments.

 

I have definately observed a greater volume of charcoal from more thoroughly seasoned wood. I sell by weight so it is not too relevant, although you would think that the dryer and more 'carbon dense' the charge the better. More end product and a quicker burn.

 

The designers of the exeter retort have had the char tested for volatiles and it was found to be surprisingly pure.I would be over the moon if I could achieve a 40% yield but charcoal quality is very important to me. I know a lot of the imported charcoals are heaving with un burnt off volatiles as the poor sods who make it are paid by weight and have to produce it 'under charred' to try to earn any kind of living.

 

Interesting that you mention the benefit of retort charcoal being easy to light. I am working on a new easy lighting British charcoal product called Barbecube with my partner's sister. She has got it into the co-op and possibly soon Waitrose. Amy is actively searching for UK charcoal suppliers and she pays much better than bioregional who should have been ashamed of themselves!

 

I believe the embryonic website is up and running. http://www.barbecube.co.uk

[Woodworks]

Really interesting thread and pleased to see you where able to get transport sorted in the end.

 

I have to ask what drives you to make charcoal?

 

Just doing some sums from the figures you have given. Internal volume is 1.7m3 filled with stacked logs and this converts £165 of end product. The logs unprocessed would be worth appreciably more. I know we don't all do our jobs for money put for most it plays a part.

 

We make charcoal ourselves in a home made retort. Only use the waste wood as we can't justify putting quality logs in for no return.

[the village idiot]

Hi Woodworks,

 

I only use the small diameter wood for charcoal that has no other obvious use.

 

This thread probably gives the impression I do nothing but churn out charcoal, but the vast majority of the wood I harvest goes for firewood. My main interest is the overall management of the ancient woodland. Making charcoal means I am wasting less of the woodland resource and it keeps me out of trouble in the summer when I can't bear to pull on the chainsaw trousers.

[Goaty]

Got to agree maximum profit is not the only thing going. I enjoy job satisfaction, efficiency of resources. I haven't made charcoal as yet. I do see the logic in seasoned wood achieving greater conversion. If wood shrinks when seasoning, unseasoned must lose that in the charcoal process. Reducing the volume in the contained area.

 

Well done on working out the uploads.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Arbtalk

[the village idiot]

Well said Goaty.

 

I should perhaps also point out that I also had biochar in the back of my mind when buying the Kiln. It is not viable to produce this product yet, but I am hopeful that before too long it will be worth more than BBQ charcoal.

I won't go into too much detail on biochar as I have my fingers burnt by non-believers on previous threads, but I think it is a really exciting prospect (there is loads of info on the internet).

The Exeter retort was actually designed to produce biochar. Luckily it is also pretty good at lumpwood charcoal!

[Rigger Mortis]

Very behind at work now so discussed visit is now likely in September.

[the village idiot]

Very behind at work now so discussed visit is now likely in September.

 

No worries, I'll stash the best china back in the attic.