your thoughts on charcoal production...?

[Brushcutter]

we sometimes get chestnut that we could put in a kiln, you say small kiln out of an oil drum - i may sound daft but is it that simple - just fill tightly your oil drum, drill holes in bottm which becomes top? tip upside down and seal around with sand, stand on tiles? is this right? as would like to give it a go

 

Nearly that simple. Cut the bottom off the drum which you then use as the top. Make sure when you cut the top off leaving about an inch lip which the lid will sit on.

 

Cut about 5 holes in the lid about 40-50mm wide in the lid. The bottom of drum site on a few bits of roofing tile so its about half an inch off the ground. you need to prop it un in 4 places so its stable.

 

light a fire and get it going inbetween the 4 bits of tile. place the drum over the top it now will draw the fire up, throw in some stuff to get a good fire going. Then add the stuff you want to turn into charcoal.

 

One the smoke changes from a yellow colour add the lid. As the smoke changes colours seal off the drum by first adding sand on one corner between bits of tile. then do the opposite one so on so forth till the kiln has a clear heat haze comming off the top. Then seal off the top slate over the holes or roof tiles then sand over the top. its now air tight and the wood will cook.

 

Slightly more complex than i made out but trust me it is easy and you will after a few attempts get it right. worst that can happen is you burn it all up. best failure is only a partial conversion but if was just waste its still good.

 

Some people will say use earth but that is mostly air, sand tends to fill in on its self removing air gaps.

 

I wish i had some photos to show you all but it seems i don't have any. Thatching photos i can do just not charcoal. Still crafty though isn''t it.

[Joy Yeomans]

I have some plans i can copy and drop down for an oil drum set up. Is this ready for the huge bbq you guys are building, going to need a kilo or two or charcoal for that beast

 

you guessed it charlie - the lads are into "project use those drums" we'll have a steel band before long! - could you tell when you popped in that their in one of their "lets start a project moods":lol: - too much sun, too hot to do any proper work! lets muck about:thumbup:

- as always charlie - tony has overengineered the bbq setup so that we could spit roast an ostrich!

[tommer9]

I'll be posting some pics & videos on my site soon, showing how we do it. The longer you do it & the better you get, the more of your own ways you get into, but the principles are all ways the same. I'll post back when they're done.

 

Hi lindisfarnecharcoal (BTW do you have a name, thats quite alot to type!!) is this what you do for a living, ie commercially? What is your website address? A mate down here did it for a while, but went into milling in such a way that the charcoal production stopped. The charcoal was a million times better than 'tescos' stuff though. I would be interested in getting a kiln going.

[Joy Yeomans]

Nearly that simple. Cut the bottom off the drum which you then use as the top. Make sure when you cut the top off leaving about an inch lip which the lid will sit on.

 

Cut about 5 holes in the lid about 40-50mm wide in the lid. The bottom of drum site on a few bits of roofing tile so its about half an inch off the ground. you need to prop it un in 4 places so its stable.

 

light a fire and get it going inbetween the 4 bits of tile. place the drum over the top it now will draw the fire up, throw in some stuff to get a good fire going. Then add the stuff you want to turn into charcoal.

 

One the smoke changes from a yellow colour add the lid. As the smoke changes colours seal off the drum by first adding sand on one corner between bits of tile. then do the opposite one so on so forth till the kiln has a clear heat haze comming off the top. Then seal off the top slate over the holes or roof tiles then sand over the top. its now air tight and the wood will cook.

 

Slightly more complex than i made out but trust me it is easy and you will after a few attempts get it right. worst that can happen is you burn it all up. best failure is only a partial conversion but if was just waste its still good.

 

Some people will say use earth but that is mostly air, sand tends to fill in on its self removing air gaps.

 

I wish i had some photos to show you all but it seems i don't have any. Thatching photos i can do just not charcoal. Still crafty though isn''t it.

 

thanks for that, will get the lads to read and digest! - see if we can have a go at it

 

thatching and charcoal making - a real craftsman:thumbup:

[rapidlee]

any recomended books about charcoal?

[Charlieh]

you guessed it charlie - the lads are into "project use those drums" we'll have a steel band before long! - could you tell when you popped in that their in one of their "lets start a project moods" - too much sun, too hot to do any proper work! lets muck about:thumbup:

- as always charlie - tony has overengineered the bbq setup so that we could spit roast an ostrich!

 

that will no doubt be a pto powered spit roast of the back of one of the majors then

 

you sure as well its not for spit roasting a whole lamb? there was two guys in uttoxeter the otherday busking on steel drums but im pretty sure it wasnt them:lol: not unless they were in costume,

 

 

 

there is a good few pages in the btcv woodlands book on charcoal burning in both the traditional type and steel drum methods,

 

also for anyone thats interested there is a big ring kiln for sale on ecolots at the moment, for about £750 in tidy condition

[Brushcutter]

BTCV hand book has a good bit in it on charcoal, the chacrocal burners handbook is good too.

[northumbriaforestry]

Hi, yes this is our living, along with with logs we keep busy all year. Our site is NFWS & LINDISFARNE CHARCOAL - BELFORD

Cheers,

Natalie.

[treefeller]

hi,just looked at your website,very well done.....liked the landy and disco photos very tidy for working motors. good luck.

[Guest coppiceer]

I used to make my own charcoal in a metal drum (originally held imported fruit juice). I made some good quality charcoal, but it was a grim and dirty business. With the summer weather and the competition you can never make enough profit for the effort to be worth it.