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Charcoal

Started by jon12345, February 24, 2006, 01:18:11 AM

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jon12345

After seeing this made on Dirty Jobs, and missing the part where they actually make it, I recently got an 'itch' to make charcoal.  Do any of you make you own and would be willing to detail the process  and results ???
A.A.S. in Forest Technology.....Ironworker

Jeff

I wish I would have got the name of those dudes on that Dirty Job episode. They may very well be the ones that Bro Noble sells his slabs to in Mo.
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

JimBuis

I'll try to attach a PDF file that gives instructions for making your own charcoal.

Jim
Jim Buis                             Peterson 10" WPF swingmill

Captain

I had some steak that was cooked over some REAL HOMEMADE charcoal in Louisiana last week.  As I understood the process, it was essentially take your blocks of wood, and heat them until they no longer smoke in a steel barrel. 


Just add a little fat lighter to start and away you go....good steak, Raymond.  I bet Jimmy agrees...

Captain

Cedarman

When my son Aaron saw that episode on Dirty Jobs, he said those were the guys that pick up our mulch in Alabama and take back to Mo.  They haul the charcoal to Alabama and back haul mulch.  The name of the company is Struemph or a spelling close to that, maybe Streumph Charcoal.
I am in the pink when sawing cedar.

jon12345

The metal drum idea looks like the easiest, all the others I've found involved digging pits or moving a lot of soil and seemed way more complicated.  Now, to find a metal drum  that shouldn't be too hard though.


I checked the dirty jobs website and they don't name the company that did the charcoal, just lists what kind of jobs are on each episode.

I think someone should suggest sawmilling to them, I didn't see it on their list of suggestions.  I would do it but I don't have a mill  :'(             yet
A.A.S. in Forest Technology.....Ironworker

Bro. Noble

I make charcoal everyday and so do lots of you-------in your wood furnace.

To make charcoal,  you just fill a container full of wood and set it afire.  After it is blazing well,  you cut the air off and you end up with charcoal.  You need a fairly airtight container and a little experimenting and practice,  but that's basically what takes place.  Most of the kilns here are masonary,  but some are metal.  About 20 years ago an outfit south of here had six or eight portable metal kilns.  They moved them somewhere to the north of us.  Unfortunately,  there was still some fire in one of them that came alive when the air from moving them got to it.  They set fires for about 100 miles,  including our pine plantation >:(

Everyone notices the difference in the smell of an autdoor wood furnace compared to a fireplace or regular heating stove.  That's the acetone and creasote being produced during the process of destructive distillation that results in charcoal.  If you have a furnace,  you will notice that lots of times when the night has been cold and you stuff the thing full in the morning.  If the day warms up and you go back to fill it later,  it's still full,  but the wood is all black and shrunken-------that's charcoal.  You could pull it out and save it for the grill ;D
milking and logging and sawing and milking

billbobtlh

Making your own charcoal is pretty cool. I started two or three years ago.
That link is what to go by. I started by using wasted scraps under the log splitter.
It did not work very well because the pieces were not all the same size.Too many uncooked,or burned up. So I had to start cutting and splitting just for the charcoal. I usually get about half or more of charcoal from a 55 gal drum.  Man does it smoke while it is being made.I keep the charcoal if two galvanized cans in the garage. I grill at least twice a week and never have to buy charcoal. :D
I am just finishing up the last of a hickory and next going to start on pecan.
After using lump you will never go back to brickets. Here is a link where gus have tested different brands. It seems several brands are made by the same companies.charcoal database

Tom

Why burn wood to have wood to burn?  Why not just burn wood?   I cook on wood.   It seems strange that there would be any heat left in the charcoal.  If there is a lot of smoke produced in its manufacture, is that smoke unburned fuel?   Could you burn it and heat something with it?

billbobtlh

Tom the most effecient makers burn the gasses to get extra heat and less smoke. It wont work like that with the upright barrel.
If I ever get to your side of the state or next tim Dan get over there I will make sure you get some.
Oh also after the water and tars are cooked out the charcoal burns much hotter. And less of it gets on your food when smoking.

TW

Is there any difference between softwood and hardwood for charcoal?
If I get time to repair my portable forge I will need some coal to power it.  They used charcoal in the old days.

Tom

Is one of those "gasification" motors a charcoal maker?

beenthere

Pound for pound, probably very close to the same. However, like a ton of feathers, the softwood likely will be much more bulk volume.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

SwampDonkey

I don't care for softwood smoked meet. Smoke from burning fir makes a good steak taste terrible. Bleck!! It's alright when cooking weenies and marsh mallows over open flame, but if it smokes I don't want to eat it. :D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Bro. Noble

The kilns around here don't buy pine or cedar for charcoal because of the undesirable flavor it imparts.
milking and logging and sawing and milking

SwampDonkey

Western red or yellow cedar wouldn't be too bad, I've tasted smoked pacific salmon done with cedar and it's very good. Those species of wood even have a sweet smell. I wouldn't use eastern white thought, but I like the smell of eastern white used as kindling. ;D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Don P

The original woodgas cars ran on charcoal. The ones that run on wood scraps are really country cousins, avoiding the charcoal making step. I have plans for making a charcoal kiln for one of the early cars. The residue from woodgas production is ash.  The gas the engine is running on is carbon monoxide + oxygen from the intake, as I understand it.
Charcoal is pretty much pure carbon but I do remember that willow was preferred for gunpowder.

Mr. Kingsford was an employee of Henry Ford back in the model T days. Although Ford had designed even shipping crates to be broken down and used in the manufacture of the car, there were leftover wood scraps. Mr Kingsford started making charcoal out of those, introducing us to store bought charcoal brickettes for grilling on.

TW

About softwood or hardwood
The flavour does not matter when heating iron in a forge.
I am not in the business of svallowing swords you see.
If pine or spruce charcoal burns quicker it does not seem to be good for the forge either. Birch is the only hardwood we have.

Abot woodgas cars
there is an excellent site in Swedish: www.gengassidan.nu If you do not understand the text look at the pictures and drawings. There was no gasoline availeable during the world war so all cars run on woodgas. There are still many old lorry drivers around who has used it in their younger days.

Lud

DonP's right.  Kingsford and Ford had a long relationship.   The bags of charcoal were available at the dealerships! :)
Simplicity mill, Ford 1957 Golden Jubilee 841 Powermaster, 40x60 bankbarn, left-handed

shopteacher

Making charcoal is very much like making coke (not the kind you drink or snort).  Coal is loaded into an airtight oven and heated until all the impurities are driven off.  Those impurities are captured to make benzene, ammonia nitrite, coal tar and a host of other products.  The coke is pushed out of the oven red hot and into a quench car (about the size of a boxcar) that is driven into a building with water sprays that quench the coke.  It was then transported to the blast furnace by conveyor belt.  I shoveled a lot of drop off during my first few years in the steel mills.  Moved up to weighing charging the furnace with iron ore, limestone and coke.  Two skips of coke for every two skips of ore.  This created a burning layer between the charges of lime and ore and was suspended in the upper portion of the blast furnace by hot air being piped into the bottom of the furnace. When the ore melted and produced  into a large enough mass it would overcome the blast pressure and drop to the hearth of the furnace.  Every two hours the furnace was tapped and the iron was transported in torpedo cars by rail.
   The very first iron furnaces used charcoal instead of coke to produce pig iron.
Proud owner of a LT40HDSE25, Corley Circle mill, JD 450C, JD 8875, MF 1240E
Tilt Bed Truck  and well equipted wood shop.

Don P

Here's a pic of one of those old furnaces. The virgin forest here became charcoal to feed these furnaces and their forges.



Max sawdust

I have made charcoal.  Steel garbage can with tight lid.  Got wood chunks burning through them in the can and closed the lid.  I used Oak.
My Charcoal came out OK..well not so good ::) still smoked alot when I would cook on it.  Have resorted to buying the hardwood "cowboy" charcoal, as stated in an earlier post once you use it you will never go back to the briquettes.

Stuff is expensive, still waiting for someone to post a fool proof way to make the stuff at home ;D
max
True Timbers
Cedar Products-Log & Timber Frame Building-Milling-Positive Impact Forestscaping-Cut to Order Lumber

Captain

As I understand the barrel technique, heat with the lid off until the wood stops smoking...it is ready...

Captain

jon12345

The file attachment posted in a previous link is very informative.

If you don't have the lid on, it will just burn.  Holes are cut around the bottom of the barrel to allow air for the initial fire, these are later banked with earth. You place the lid on loosely at first, then after the smoke thins out you seal it better.
A.A.S. in Forest Technology.....Ironworker

Max sawdust

Thanks good info on the link.
Too bad I just gave away a 30gal drum >:(
max
True Timbers
Cedar Products-Log & Timber Frame Building-Milling-Positive Impact Forestscaping-Cut to Order Lumber

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