Making Charcoal

[DanGray]

Hi Guys I'm new here

just adding this to the info, it's sorta been mentioned here but here are some pictures also

Making your own charcoal

here any other link of interest

Charcoal Making at Home, Robert Lea

[Michaelangelica]

From a Vermont USA tourist newsletter/guide.

Barker Charcoal Kiln: Not far from the money diggings are the ruins of the Barker Charcoal Kiln. In its day this was a sophisticated kiln. It was a stone enclosure about ten feet high and twenty feet square and the stones were mortared in place.

Hardwood was piled inside and burned slowly to produce the charcoal. The amount of air allowedto the fire controlled the burn and was regulated by a system of holes in the walls of thekiln which could be filled with bricks to close off the draft.

As late as 1981 the south side of the kiln was still in almost perfect condition.

The Valley Voice

 

I googled to see if I might find an image of this. I didn't; but I did find this:)

 

Charcoal Kilns from Death Valley National Park?:hihi:

I thought it was a desert?

The charcoal kilns stand in Wildrose canyon, in western Death Valley, at an elevation of 6,800 feet. They can be reached by a good dirt road where you can drive a regular car. In early April, there was still some snow remaining. When you arrive and discover the kilns, the view is stunning. What is that, is that a village ?

Other Points of Interest - Death Valley National Park Travel Guide - VirtualTourist.com

and a better pic of the same?

9. Charcoal Kilns in Wildrose Canyon

 

The Charcoal Kilns were built in 1867 to reduce the local Pinon Pines and Juniper trees to charcoal by a process of slow controlled burning. The charcoal was then used to smelt gold and lead ore in the local mines. However, after just a few years of use, they were abandoned, one of the reason behind the longevity of these kilns.

Our Beautiful World at the Backroads

[Michaelangelica]

Here is a surprise from left field

Plantstones!!!

Plants that make their own charcoal !

You can see the show here

The 7.30 Report - ABC

Look for "Australian Scientists Discover Carbon Storage Solution"

Therefore, unlike most plant matter

which readily decomposes in soil returning CO2 to the atmosphere, the

carbon in plantstones effectively removes CO2 from the atmosphere for

millenia."

The show's transcript is here

http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2008/s2352434.htm

Grassy crops seem to be good at this, like sugar cane and bamboo.

So it make be competition for the "Tree Huggers"?

Back to the drawing board to do more sums on carbon sequestration- better by grass or trees?!!!

[DanGray]

very interesting , thanks

[DanGray]

I'd post the new link to that if I could but can't post links untill have at least 10 posts here it seems .you have to search for the right link now..

[Michaelangelica]

How to Make some Charcoal

How to Make some Charcoal

[Michaelangelica]

Charcoal Making Stoves

On 14/10/2008, Ron Larson (snip) wrote:

> Biochar and stoves list members (special "hello" again to Dr. Yuri):

>

1. I forward the following because I believe the following dialog

deserves an audience on both "stoves" and "biochar". I sense that only a

few dozen people are members of both "Tom Miles" lists. Many "biochar" list

members will therefore be unaware of a 12+ year charcoal-making dialog

history on "stoves". Many "stoves" list members will be unaware of present

charcoal-making discussions on "biochar"

The first part of this dialog below is on very large scale char

production that can be seen at

Wood Charcoal (technologies) BIOENERGY LLC "

 

 

Andrew has helpfully commented on every section of Yury's (often

spelled "Yuri") short message today. I add one comment below as well in

item #2 - about needing two compartments in some (wet) climates.

 

2. The second part of this "stoves" dialog is also pertinent to

"biochar" - as both Andrew and Yuri are commenting on some dialog today

(and a few days earlier) on "stoves" about a different type of small scale

charcoal maker which is toroidal in shape (the inverse perhaps of what Folke

has been describing on "biochar"). A dialog like this also appeared on the

"stoves" list 10-12 years ago (also of Indian origin, but different) and a

prototype was demonstrated at the recent IBI conference in Newcastle.

Andrew (coordinator of the "stoves" list) is to be commended for bringing

his extensive knowledge on charcoal-making to bear in improving (hopefully)

this design.

 

3. I re-send this to "stoves" list members as well - who may not be

aware that there is a lot more these days on charcoal-making (including

small scale) on "biochar". I hope people thinking especially large-scale

charcoal-making (like Yuri) will also communicate on, and be members of,

"biochar".

 

Apologies to all who are on both "biochar" and "stoves". Ron

reposted with permisssion

[erich]

New Biochar Stoves at the 2009 Ethos Conference in Washington State, USA

Kelpie Wilson, IBI Media Liaison

 

On January 23 – 25, about 100 “stovers” gathered in Kirkland, Washington for the annual ETHOS (Engineers in Technical and Humanitarian Opportunities of Service) conference devoted to meeting household energy needs in the developing world. Improved stove technology was only part of a program that included discussion of standards and testing, distribution and manufacturing, and the intricacies of carbon credit financing.

 

The highlight of the conference occurred at the ceremonial “lighting of the stoves” late on Sunday afternoon on the concrete steps outside the conference hall under a light flurry of snow. A variety of innovative designs were on display, but only two of the stoves were able to operate in a pyrolysis mode to produce charcoal.

 

The International Biochar Initiative (IBI)

[Michaelangelica]

Biochar is starting to be used for stricly pyrolosis derived char but not everyone is using it this way

IMHO it is pyrolosis Char is best as it reduces smoke emission (by 90%+?) and uses the energy to keep the char burning and sell off the energy as bio-oil or as electricity from a generator

The closesest thing around to a perpetaul motion machine?

 

In the meantime this is an interesting article. A good introduction you can give someone on the whole deal

To make biochar, pile up woody debris in a shallow pit in a garden bed. Burn the brush until the smoke tins and then damp-down the fire by covering it with about an inch of soil. Let it smoulder until the brush is charred, then put the fire out.

. . .

The white smoke, produced early on, is mostly water vapor. As the smoke turns yellow, resins and sugars in the material are being burned. When the smoke thins and turns grayish blue, dampen down the fire by covering it with about an inch of soil to reduce the air supply, and leave it to smolder. Then, after the organic matter has smoldered into charcoal chunks, use water to put out the fire. Another option would be to make charcoal from wood scraps in metal barrels. (For details, go to Twin Oaks Forge.)

. . .

I’m part of the Smokey-the-Bear generation, raised on phrases like “learn not to burn,” so it took me a while to warm up to the idea of using semi-open burning as a soil-building technique

. . .

But there’s more. What if you generate energy by burning a renewable biomass crop (like wood, corn, peanut hulls, bamboo, willow or whatever), while also producing biochar that is then stashed away by using it as a soil amendment? (For an example, see the Archive article, Mother’s Woodburning Truck, about wood-gas generators.) The carbon recovery numbers in such a system make it the only biomass model found thus far that can produce energy without a net release of carbon.

. . .

As gardeners, it is up to us to find ways to adapt this new knowledge to the needs of our land. To make the most of my bonfire of weeds, I staged the burn in a trench dug in my garden, and then used the excavated soil to smother the fire.

A layer of biochar now rests buried in the soil. Hundreds of years from now, it will still be holding carbon while energizing the soil food web. This simple melding of soil and fire, first discovered by ancient people in the Amazon, may be a “new” key to feeding ourselves while restoring the health of our planet.

 

Make Biochar ? this Ancient Technique Will Improve Your Soil

MOther' s Woodburning Truck

The method I use requires 55 gallon barrels. Once you get the idea I am sure you can modify this method to suite your needs.

Making Charcoal

[Michaelangelica]

Biochar is starting to be used for stricly pyrolosis derived char but not everyone is using it this way

IMHO it is pyrolosis Char is best as it reduces smoke emission (by 90%+?) and uses the energy to keep the char burning and sell off the energy as bio-oil or as electricity from a generator

The closesest thing around to a perpetaul motion machine?

 

In the meantime this is an interesting article. A good introduction you can give someone on the whole deal

To make biochar, pile up woody debris in a shallow pit in a garden bed. Burn the brush until the smoke tins and then damp-down the fire by covering it with about an inch of soil. Let it smoulder until the brush is charred, then put the fire out.

. . .

The white smoke, produced early on, is mostly water vapor. As the smoke turns yellow, resins and sugars in the material are being burned. When the smoke thins and turns grayish blue, dampen down the fire by covering it with about an inch of soil to reduce the air supply, and leave it to smolder. Then, after the organic matter has smoldered into charcoal chunks, use water to put out the fire. Another option would be to make charcoal from wood scraps in metal barrels. (For details, go to Twin Oaks Forge.)

. . .

I’m part of the Smokey-the-Bear generation, raised on phrases like “learn not to burn,” so it took me a while to warm up to the idea of using semi-open burning as a soil-building technique

. . .

But there’s more. What if you generate energy by burning a renewable biomass crop (like wood, corn, peanut hulls, bamboo, willow or whatever), while also producing biochar that is then stashed away by using it as a soil amendment? (For an example, see the Archive article, Mother’s Woodburning Truck, about wood-gas generators.) The carbon recovery numbers in such a system make it the only biomass model found thus far that can produce energy without a net release of carbon.

. . .

As gardeners, it is up to us to find ways to adapt this new knowledge to the needs of our land. To make the most of my bonfire of weeds, I staged the burn in a trench dug in my garden, and then used the excavated soil to smother the fire.

A layer of biochar now rests buried in the soil. Hundreds of years from now, it will still be holding carbon while energizing the soil food web. This simple melding of soil and fire, first discovered by ancient people in the Amazon, may be a “new” key to feeding ourselves while restoring the health of our planet.

 

Make Biochar ? this Ancient Technique Will Improve Your Soil

MOther' s Woodburning Truck

The method I use requires 55 gallon barrels. Once you get the idea I am sure you can modify this method to suite your needs.

Making Charcoal

[JMJones0424]

Well, searching for info on terra preta is what led me to this site to begin with, so I think it is only fair for me to share what I had learned about biochar kilns prior to arriving. This site is a link to a kiln designed by a guy that uses charcoal for blacksmithing. I think it is unique though, in respect that it is easily customizable, and relatively impermanent. Meaning, you can set the kiln up when needed, and disassemble for storage when not needed. It uses 55 gallon metal barrels for the retort and concrete blocks for the kiln body. I would be interested to know if anyone had used a kiln similar to this to produce biochar at the temperatures that preserve wood alcohol levels, in other words low temperature biochar production rather than high temp production. This seems to be the most important factor (along with char component size, which can be adjusted by crushing) involved with biological usefulness of biochar, but I have no experience with using biochar. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

[collier]

The Twin Oaks retort is interesting, the retort/reburner concept is promising. I'm at work on something with a tighter IFB insulated firebox and a jacketed retort aimed at boosting efficiency and safety.

[collier]

I'm currently working on a retort, trying to make it as efficient as possible within the limitations imposed by garage building with salvaged materials, a second-hand buzz box, and steep learning curve. Most fun i've had in years.

[mavrickjohn]

Has anyone posted this link

MAGH CM-II NATURAL DRAFT T-LUD WOODGAS STOVE

It's a simple updraft bio-char stove that can be used as a model for making your own bio-char unit. With modification you might be able to heat your hot water for washing or to warm your house and generate all the charcoal you need for your garden. Let's make producing bio-char take some of the Co2 emissions that we generate every day out of the bio loop. Seems insane to me to heat your house with natural gas then burn some wood to make Bio-char so you can add it to your garden. Or to put it another way spend the day making bio -char and that night and for the rest of the week barbecue with some of the charcoal you just got through making or worse yet buy some charcoal briquet's with hickory flavored smoke for cooking your dinner for the next week?

[erich]

This just came to the Biochar list;

 

 

Two-Can Stove Making Charcoal

 

I have a new cooking stove design that makes charcoal.

Its best features are, the simplicity of construction, its functionality and its low cost.

It makes charcoal better than my more sophisticated design!…that I have been working on!… for years!…. Ouch!

 

Lanny Henson

 

YouTube - The Two-Can Stove http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJfvgyy8Ncs

 

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJfvgyy8Ncs&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJfvgyy8Ncs&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

[Michaelangelica]

There is some info on the biochar list serve

+

English Charcoal, environment, history and woodmanship

 

Felbridge History Group - Charcoal

+

Making Charcoal

+

Charcoal black - history

 

A lot more seem to be appearing / evolving? now on the web

[maikeru]

This just came to the Biochar list;

 

 

Two-Can Stove Making Charcoal

 

I have a new cooking stove design that makes charcoal.

Its best features are, the simplicity of construction, its functionality and its low cost.

It makes charcoal better than my more sophisticated design!…that I have been working on!… for years!…. Ouch!

 

Lanny Henson

 

 

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJfvgyy8Ncs&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJfvgyy8Ncs&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

 

Wonderful clip, Erich.