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Post by woodyz on Mar 23, 2018 20:19:10 GMT -7
I packed a 30 gallon drum as full as I could get it with 4" to 2" pecan wood
sealed it good with just a few holes in the bottom
put it inside a 55 gallon burn barrel and packed all around the sides and top with left over 2x4 pieces, other scrap wood and tree branches knocked down recent
set it on fire and after about an hour the wood in the little barrel was pushing burning wood gas out the holes like a blow torch.
we left it over night and this morning got about 25 # of great pecan lump charcoal to BBQ with.
I got some apple and some bois d'arc/Osage orange, and lots of oak so I am going to do another batch tomorrow. Then I have some hickory I need to see how dried out it is and do a couple of loads of it.
Then I will have lots of good lump charcoal and all it cost me was some time.
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Post by olebama on Mar 23, 2018 20:38:32 GMT -7
nice. Now, let me understand. only holes in the bottom of the 30 gallon drum?
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Post by thywar on Mar 23, 2018 20:38:48 GMT -7
That's pretty cool. But these days I cringe when I hear someone is burning pecan etc. It's like 'was that turning wood?' Lol
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Post by crashdive123 on Mar 24, 2018 2:57:59 GMT -7
Or knife scales.
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Post by woodyz on Mar 24, 2018 22:02:22 GMT -7
If I use pecan the lump charcoal, smells good when its cooking and puts some pecan flavor into the meat.
I like to cook with Hickory the best, apple, cherry, whatever all changes the taste.
The pecan I used was from a table that was beyond use, the legs were 4" sq and the table top was 2" thick, and some of the braces and things were 2x2 and 2x4.
I did the apple and osage today so will see how it did tomorrow or Monday.
Then I am going to do 3 or 4 loads of hickory.
You want to keep the air out of the smaller barrel, you only want it to out gas the moisture and woodgasses the holes in the top or bottom will let it do that with out sucking air in.
Make sure the wood to be put in the little barrel is dry. Wet wood will build up steam and split the side of the barrel or throw off the lid.
if you have all or a lot of ash in with your charcoal the barrel got air into it.
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Post by thywar on Mar 25, 2018 6:22:36 GMT -7
4". Perfect for lidded boxes. 2" thick slab? Oh the platters you burned up. I'm sad now. Lol
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Post by woodyz on Mar 25, 2018 11:07:55 GMT -7
This part of the country is full of pecan and walnut groves i'm sure i could find turning wood
the question would be is it worth the shipping cost
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Post by thywar on Mar 25, 2018 16:06:14 GMT -7
Nope it's not. But it might be worth the drive.
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Post by woodyz on Mar 25, 2018 20:08:57 GMT -7
Then I will work on finding some "trunk" & larger limb pieces that won't/can't be used for boards/tables and such an stock them up.
I was due to go to the middle of AK this April and thought I might push on into OK but my eye has postponed that trip for another time.
Wanted to take the Grandkids to the Crater of Diamonds State Park, they have been to ruby and emerald mines in NC and panned for gold in TN. They usually find things they want to keep and they enjoy the experience.
But I can't climb out of this coastal plain we are in until I get this bubble and cataract out of my eye. No elevation changes.
Later in the year its too hot to rummage around in a volcanic mud pit so that is off until another year.
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Post by woodyz on Mar 27, 2018 14:06:36 GMT -7
sorry olebama
yes holes only in one end, bottom or top so the steam and gases created by the wood in the smaller barrel can escape, but let as little o2 in as possible.
I tried to take some pictures but found my camera with out a memory card again
everytime I let someone borrow it it comes back without a card or with a crap card
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Post by woodyz on Sept 23, 2018 17:24:58 GMT -7
So I know I can make charcoal without any problems but I have a friend who wanted me to make some so he could use it to enrich his clay soil and put on his orchard(biochar)and I wanted to add some to my fruit trees/vines this fall.
So I made a batch using oak and hickory and it was really hard (mentally) to just crush up all of that cooking charcoal. So I was walking around looking for limbs that may have been weakened by the wind last week and it hit me.
Pine Cones
I live in a pine forest and there are truckloads of pine cones around here. I don't want to cook with or use pine in a stove or fireplace, but would they make charcoal.
YEP!
I did a load of pine cones and even used some pine cones to cook the charcoal. They are easy to smash up and I don't feel like I am wasting good cooking charcoal.
So all my pine cones on the ground right now are being turned into charcoal for biochar, just pack the barrels, get it burning bank it and leave it over night the dump out 30# of charcoal and start over.
I wish I had thought of it years ago
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Post by woodyz on Sept 23, 2018 17:40:10 GMT -7
So watching some ones video on making charcoal I saw them make pine tar/oil at the same time. A little harder to set up my barrels and get the drain holes line up, I'm using 55 gallon with 30 gallon inside, but it worked out. My fatwood is lob-lolly pine, but I have a lot of it. I was a little concerned the pine tar would just burn off so I did it during the day time so I could watch it. And I used a five gallon bucket to collect the tar/oil. I got charcoal but it smells some what like turpentine so I'm not sure what to use it for. And I got a good gallon of tar/oil www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Homemade+Charcoal+from+pine+cones&&view=detail&mid=476C22CF12A67F04A86E476C22CF12A67F04A86E&&FORM=VRDGAR
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Post by woodyz on Sept 23, 2018 17:46:34 GMT -7
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Post by cajunlady87 on Sept 28, 2018 11:30:23 GMT -7
You're the bomb my friend. I hope one day I get to me your old genius self plus a few others like yourself.
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Post by fireoflife on Sept 28, 2018 20:03:44 GMT -7
I packed a 30 gallon drum as full as I could get it with 4" to 2" pecan wood sealed it good with just a few holes in the bottom put it inside a 55 gallon burn barrel and packed all around the sides and top with left over 2x4 pieces, other scrap wood and tree branches knocked down recent set it on fire and after about an hour the wood in the little barrel was pushing burning wood gas out the holes like a blow torch. we left it over night and this morning got about 25 # of great pecan lump charcoal to BBQ with. I got some apple and some bois d'arc/Osage orange, and lots of oak so I am going to do another batch tomorrow. Then I have some hickory I need to see how dried out it is and do a couple of loads of it. Then I will have lots of good lump charcoal and all it cost me was some time. I used a railroad bucket that spikes come in, just loaded it up then put the lid on. No holes was needed as the bucket wasn't air tight made a nice mess of coals for my home made forage.
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