Making Charcoal

[kingchristo]

Just wondered if anyone on here makes there own charcoal. It is quiet expensive here and impossible to get in the winter. Ive watched a few yew tube videos and just wondered if anyone has given it a go

 

[noboundaries]

Lump is relatively easy to make.  Haven't made it but certainly understand the process. 

 

[kingchristo]

I was going to use the barrel with a sealable tin inside process to make the lump wood

 

[Rings Я Us]

You know that's odd, I lived in Germany and they didn't really know what charcoal was.. all they had was small lump stuff. They didn't have the briquettes like here.. I figured UK would have lump too.. Germany had like a lump chip kinda charcoal.

 

[kingchristo]

They do sell lump but in the summer only as they figure no one would BBQ in the cold lol. I can get a supply of free logs so thought it would be something to try

 

[Rings Я Us]

I always thought it was made under some pressure.. not sure why I thought that

 

[daveomak]

Pretty ingenious how they use the gasses, generated by the wood, to heat the drum....  FREE FUEL !!!!!

 

[Rings Я Us]

I'm going to have to stick to my Kroger brand hardwood lump. It's rated pretty high. Lol

 

[Rings Я Us]

I think Royal Oak is doing the Kroger too.

 

[pugetsnd]

kingcristo

I'm sure if you search the web, you will find loads of info on how charcoal is made. Heat wood in a low oxygen environment and after awhile, you will have pure carbon. One way was to start a bonfire on a beach and then cover with sand. The heat burns off the impurities. I've made my own charcoal by taking a hard or fruit wood and starting a big fire in my Weber. Then cover with the upper and lower vents closed. Depending how hot the fire was and the amount of wood, you will eventually end up with charcoal.

"I was going to use the barrel with a sealable tin inside process to make the lump wood"  "TIN"? I would not use anything like that. Tin was used in commercial bottom paints for ships to kill the algae and growth on the hull. Tin is also toxic. It's used in pesticides and wood preservatives as well as many other industrial products. I would not want something like in the charcoal that was near the food I was cooking. Same with Zinc. I've seen folks cooking a pig in an imu (Hawaiian underground oven) wrapped in chain linked fence. The steel links are coated with zinc to prevent rusting. Here in the Pacific Northwest, Zinc powder is spread on roofs to stop the moss from growing. Be careful of the potential toxic metals which may end up in your food.

Good luck.