Making my own charcaol, test batch today!!

Harry Nutczak · Posted: Apr 25 2007 Post subject: Making my own charcaol, test batch today!!

I am using the old "Burn & smother" method on a bunch of Jack-pine today. (it will not be cooked over) to fine-tune my non-retort charcaol making method.

If this turns out, I will then dive into my maple firewood split down farther so i get a good carbonization without many "brands" (brown, uncarbonated chunks)

If this works, I will be building a retort system from either 55 gal drums or some other container and steel pipe to burn off the out-gassing.

Here is my plans, get a $3.00 permit from the DNR, pick up maple slashings from the recently logged area's, make a maple charcoal, an oak charcaol, and a birch charcaol. I'll either use them separately, or find the perfect blend.
Since Maple-leaf is not available, Hopefully I can duplicate their product for the people that would like to try it/

I'll see what blend I like the best, and maybe try to use this for my cooking, If it goes better than expected. maybe I can do some small time supplying for people that want that special bragging right of having their own blend made up for them.

The way I see it costing, is going to be damn near $1.00 a pound. (Ouch)

Will it be better than royal oak? YES!
better than Kingsford char-wood? YES!

if this works out, I will buy ad space on this forum. The only other market I see it going is locally by a buddy selling at flea markets.

I am just bored right now, and finding mindless projects to do until fishing season gets a bit more productive.

I have enough clean food grade drums to build 6 or 7 retort kilns with those in a dirt shelter, and a block roof.
I am in a commercially zoned area, so I am good to go that way, we just need to see what the DNR has to say about it. I bet we get more fireplace emissions in one day, than I will produce in 1 week since I am burning the outgassing from the process.

Anyone care to offer some advice on their past experiences making charcoal? Some do's & don'ts. Experiences either god or bad?
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Just remember that the toes you may step on during your climb to the top will also be attached to the a$$es you'll be forced to kiss on your way back down!

Big Tom · Posted: Apr 26 2007 Post subject:

Sounds like an interesting project.

I would be curious as to how your DNR/EPA handles your request. My understanding is that the EPA reg's really put a hurt'n on the small brand charcoal folks several years ago, eventually driving many out of business or forcing to sell out to some of the big brands.

Keep us posted.
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Big Tom
Pigs-R-Us Cooking Team
Owensboro, KY / Corinth, MS

Hell Fire Grill · Posted: Apr 26 2007 Post subject:

Harry
I got most of my Information from http://www.nakedwhiz.com/makinglump.htm and
http://64.176.180.203/charcoalretort.htm
I tried the burn n smother method first, the one without the can in the can. Just a fire in a barrel and choke it when ya think its done method. The can in a can method probably aint much different if a guy drills holes in the bottom and top of the can in the can, like it says to do on one of those web sites. After trying that I moved onto the retort that I made using a steel tubular kids bed frame and the same barrel from the previous experiment. I dident do the can in a can because I dident wana do all that work for maybe #10 of charcoal.With the burn n smother I got about 1/2 a barrel of charcoal and 10-15% of that was uncarbonized.

With the retort I started a fire under the barrel,as big a fire as i could get, and let'er burn. After about 45 min to an hour the outgassing started. It went for about an hour or so and went out.The next day I checked it out and found that about 15-20% of the wood carbonized so I cleaned it out and recooked the uncarbonized wood. On the next couple of batches I kept a big fire going under the barrel untill outgassing began,then maintained enough fire to keep the outgassing burning. After that I have 0% uncarbonized wood and about 75% or more of a barrel of charcoal when its done.
Heres some pics of the relic

Here it is in action

I dont think $1.00 or more/# is too much to ask for custom charcoal. Some of the folks in competition probably would like a special blend tweeked a little for their Q. There is no question that my coal is at least as good as the easily available brands especially when they keep putin rocks, dirt clods and whatever other garbage they can find in south America in the mix. Although I do have a kink or two to figure out before I am making comp quality coal.
The only thing I can tell you not to do, I know your smart enough to know better, is do not open a retort untill the kiln is completly cool to the touch. You may not have a hair left on your body if it back flashes,according to some character on the internet that tried it.
Let us know how your current/future experiments work out,I could use any info you come up with. Maybe I'll cook up another batch tomarrow. Ask ? if you need to know something I dident include.
Good luck

Harry Nutczak · Posted: Apr 26 2007 Post subject:

I started a retort burn last night at about sunset. I dug a pit, Used a fully sealed barrel with a small burner tube to fuel the wood fire with my out-gassings. and used a huge steel file cabinet as my kiln covering to try & keep the heat in.

I will wander out to see if it is cool yet, and hopefully I have a nice blend of oak, Maple & Birch waiting for me.

I did not get a good seal on my lid, so I had alot of steam leakage at the edges. I am hoping they got filed with tar and eventually sealed. I ended up falling asleep on the couch and woke up with my boots still on. at 8:00 AM

UPDATE!!

Well, this sucks, My plug for the larger bung-hole popped off somehow and I walked outside and saw smoke (Nice blue charcaol smoke) wafting from the bungholes. (it smelled good) so I probably lost most all my product to this mishap!!
_________________
Just remember that the toes you may step on during your climb to the top will also be attached to the a$$es you'll be forced to kiss on your way back down!

BBQMAN · Posted: May 02 2007 Post subject:

Gotta hate it when your bung-hole pops too soon! Shocked

Wow, interesting thread! Very Happy

Keep us posted, and lets see some pics of the finished "product". I would be willing to bet that $1.00 a pound doesn't cover cost's, unless you factor in your time as being a freebie!
_________________
BBQMAN
"I Turned A Hobby Into A Business".
Providing "IMHO" Since 2005.

Harry Nutczak · Posted: May 04 2007 Post subject:

Well see,

More of a "I am bored, I need a project to half finsih" type of thing.

And the coolness factor of cooking over your own home-made charcoal too.

I am using firewood scraps from the summertime splitting for the 5 cords we use anually to heat the house, stuff to small to burn in the stove. so I got to do something with it.

it's not like I am going way out of my way to collect, cut, split wood for this.

we use the DNR permit to collect logger waste,(what they consider waste is anything under 8-foot lengths) and other fresh fallen trees out in the woods, so as long as i am there anyways, I can usually fill the bed of a full size pick-up truck in about 1/2 hour.

and looking for mushrooms, blueberries, raspberries, wild onions, and hazelnuts anyways whie doing this.
_________________
Just remember that the toes you may step on during your climb to the top will also be attached to the a$$es you'll be forced to kiss on your way back down!

BBQMAN · Posted: May 04 2007 Post subject:

Very cool! Very Happy

Sounds like a great country area!
_________________
BBQMAN
"I Turned A Hobby Into A Business".
Providing "IMHO" Since 2005.

Pulled Pig · Joined: 16 Nov 2006 Posts: 22 Location: Northern Virginia

Great thread! I have allways wanter to try a retort system to make charcoal, but like many other projects, I have never gotten around to it.

RANMAN106 · Joined: 28 Apr 2007 Posts: 7 Location: North Carolina