Exeter charcoal mobile retort kiln

[SteveA]

Hi Steve,

 

Unfortunately I'd have to charge you more than the resulting charcoal would be worth!

 

What species are you coppicing and what size is the material? There may well be a better use for it.

 

Cheers, wasn't thinking of dragging you personally to West Wales. I was chatting recently to someone with a mobile charcoal unit not too far away.... although unfortunately I think the Wildlife Trust have hogged his services! Maybe I can talk him into a weeks work??

 

The coppice has:

- quite a bit of willow, from small diameter up to about 30cm diameter.

- some ash, from small up to about 30 cm diameter (although I'm inclined to leave the big ash as overstood for the coppice stools).

- a fair bit of unmanaged hazel stools with chunky and wobbly hazel stems

- small oak trees dotted in between hunting for pockets of light! (will be leaving these).

 

It's quite hard to work out exact amounts because there is plenty of bramble & dog rose to navigate.

 

Glastir are paying us a bit towards getting it back into a managed coppice. Not a huge amount but it does help cover some fuel.

It's a shame Glastir didn't actually offer some management advice, they've been crap like that.

cheers, Steve

[slack ma girdle]

Cheers, wasn't thinking of dragging you personally to West Wales. I was chatting recently to someone with a mobile charcoal unit not too far away.... although unfortunately I think the Wildlife Trust have hogged his services! Maybe I can talk him into a weeks work??

 

The coppice has:

- quite a bit of willow, from small diameter up to about 30cm diameter.

- some ash, from small up to about 30 cm diameter (although I'm inclined to leave the big ash as overstood for the coppice stools).

- a fair bit of unmanaged hazel stools with chunky and wobbly hazel stems

- small oak trees dotted in between hunting for pockets of light! (will be leaving these).

 

It's quite hard to work out exact amounts because there is plenty of bramble & dog rose to navigate.

 

Glastir are paying us a bit towards getting it back into a managed coppice. Not a huge amount but it does help cover some fuel.

It's a shame Glastir didn't actually offer some management advice, they've been crap like that.

cheers, Steve

 

Thats alright Steve, you dont need Glastir, you got me for hair brained advice.

[timbernut]

5: The most efficient means of packaging is to sell it ungraded in bulk bags to a bigger processor. Most people use homemade weird and wonderful contraptions to grade the charcoal into paper sacks. I have often thought that a rotating soil screener and potato elevator/bagger would make a good combination for doing bags. All mine goes wholesale.

 

 

Bag mine using this modified potato riddle

 

Had to modify a fair bit but works well😀

[the village idiot]

5: The most efficient means of packaging is to sell it ungraded in bulk bags to a bigger processor. Most people use homemade weird and wonderful contraptions to grade the charcoal into paper sacks. I have often thought that a rotating soil screener and potato elevator/bagger would make a good combination for doing bags. All mine goes wholesale.

 

 

Bag mine using this modified potato riddle

[ATTACH]192361[/ATTACH]

 

Had to modify a fair bit but works well😀

 

Just the jobbie Timbernut, and a perfect case in point.:thumbup:

[SteveA]

Thats alright Steve, you dont need Glastir, you got me for hair brained advice.

 

Great!.... a few chocolate croissants?....

[the village idiot]

Great!.... a few chocolate croissants?....

 

Have you considered buying a small ring kiln (much cheapness) for converting your low value coppice wood Steve?

[SteveA]

Have you considered buying a small ring kiln (much cheapness) for converting your low value coppice wood Steve?

 

I have vaguely considered it and like the though of doing that..... but my knowledge on making charcoal is vague, to say the least!

 

I made a tiny amount of charcoal in the summer using a Lidl garden incinerator... it glowed very bright orange, and, um... melted!

 

Are there any kilns you would recommend?

I've also thought of trying to make some charcoal by burying the burning wood in earth (using the mini digger) but it's probably a stupid idea.

 

cheers, steve

Edited October 29, 2015 by SteveA

[timbernut]

I have vaguely considered it and like the though of doing that..... but my knowledge on making charcoal is vague, to say the least!

 

 

 

I made a tiny amount of charcoal in the summer using a Lidl garden incinerator... it glowed very bright orange, and, um... melted!

 

 

 

Are there any kilns you would recommend?

 

I've also thought of trying to make some charcoal by burying the burning wood in earth (using the mini digger) but it's probably a stupid idea.

 

 

 

cheers, steve

 

 

Hi Steve, if you want to experiment/practice making charcoal use 45 gallon drum with 3 slits in the base (near edge) and sit it on 3 bricks cut top out leaving lip you can lay lid on (better still a drum with a replaceable lid) light fire in bottom and quickly pack in as much wood as you can and prop lid up 1 side to allow steam/gas/smoke out and soil up round base leaving air ways where your slits are. You can reduce the airflow if it flares up too quick and vice versa you should get thick white smoke to start which will thin overtime and when it starts to turn blue seal lid and base (cutting off oxygen) and allow to cool 24hrs you should then have 1/4 drum of charcoal or so.

Burn time will vary, obviously, dependent on wood/weather/wetness, but from memory 2 to 3 hrs.

Hope this helps😀

[SteveA]

That's great cheers.

Just been watching YouTube vids on charcoal making.... this stool made me larf:

[the village idiot]

That's great cheers.

Just been watching YouTube vids on charcoal making.... this stool made me larf:

 

 

Plenty of time to come up with daft ideas whilst charcoal making!