OT - Video -- Lump Charcoal is not just for Cooking

mahenryak

Dorset company in England sells some of its lump to cosmetic companies.  It's the video that interests me.  It's from 2011 but I enjoy this type of stuff.  It's how they produce their lump charcoal out in the forest.  Does this method yield quality lump charcoal?  I have no earthly idea.  I'll leave that to our resident expert @stlcharcoal if he'd care to weigh in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDH6mt_vsto

P.S.
When I searched the site to see if this video had already been posted I did come across some older threads of fellow Eggers that were from Dorset, England.  

stlcharcoal

Yeah on that small of a scale it's going to be good stuff.......moreover because those guys know what they're doing.  Knowing when to stop the fire, and the cooling process is just as important if not more than the burn.  Look like that thing holds about a cord or not much more.  A concrete Missouri kiln holds about 75.  Then it cooks down to about 1/6.  So that one shot where he's hand picking pieces is about all that's left.  One cord makes about 1 pallet of 20# bags (30 bags to a pallet).  So you'll get about one truckload out of a Missouri kiln.

One thing to notice is the amount of smoke coming off that thing.  In the US, all of that smoke would need to be captured and burned at 1500F to remove any particulate......so it came off the stack clear.

mahenryak

I was hoping you might take the time to weigh in on the process.  The EPA concern did enter my mind but I wasn't sure how you'd go about addressing that challenge.  Also, nice to get a sense of size and scale of both the beginning and end of the whole process.   Great to get a glimpse at things through an expert's eyes every now and then.  Thank you.  

stlcharcoal

mahenryak said:

I was hoping you might take the time to weigh in on the process.  The EPA concern did enter my mind but I wasn't sure how you'd go about addressing that challenge.  Also, nice to get a sense of size and scale of both the beginning and end of the whole process.   Great to get a glimpse at things through an expert's eyes every now and then.  Thank you.  

There's really not much more to it.  Stack seasoned wood into a kiln, light it on fire, stop the fire before you start burning the carbon, and then let it slowly cool.  It's important that the kilns be as tight as possible, otherwise killing the fire will never happen if it can still suck O2 from somewhere.  It's really no different than a kamado.

Canugghead

Neat!
Here's another good one worth watching, my bad if it has already been posted.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFhp2eg7f1Y

FarmingPhD

@stlcharcoal what’s the scientific/chemical process called for making charcoal?  We used to do some work in torrefaction, but was all biomass materials readily produced in the corn belt for feedstock and we wanted to produce small particles for later pelletizing or briquetting.  It was an interesting process and interesting results as you varied time and temp in inert environment.  Also work next door to some folks who do pyrolysis to make oil/tar which is pretty cool but a different process.  

stlcharcoal

Pyrolysis......some use retort, but it doesn't work near as well.

mahenryak

Wow! @Canugghead that is one cool video.  Thank you.