Making Your Own Charcoal

[smokein'rabbits]

Has anyone done this? I have a lot of scrub oak, walnut, maple, beech, and dead ash that I'd like to try it.

 

[TuckersBarbeque]

I did once for the sake of saying I tried it.
Basically, you need to burn wood to make other wood turn into carbon. A very wasteful process... however if you have to burn the wood to get rid of it anyway it's a pretty cool thing.
Don't use softwood to make grilling briquettes. Softwood is used to make "activated charcoal" and has other uses.

 

[smokein'rabbits]

That's why I want to try it. I have a big sand blow that would be the perfect spot. 'course if you weigh the cost difference between homemade charcoal, store-bought, and firewood sales it's not a very economical venture.

 

[DanMcG]

take a look here;

homemade lump charcoal

I have seen it done on you tube...but has anyone made their own charcoal...I am going to try it this weekend and see what happens. I have a smaller barrel with a lid that I plan in setting into a larger 55 gal barrel . It will be nice if it works and does not take too much time. Lump is...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

 

[TuckersBarbeque]

Yeah, definitely not economical. I'd say it is a skill to have and try at least once...
There are preppers and survivalists out there that tout it as a survival skill. Making activated charcoal can remove toxins and other stuff in your system and has the ability to filter water and such if you put it in a shirt... for example. It can also serve to create an oven without a fire to draw attention and etc...

I'd say go for it to try once. If you have enough wood to keep going, go!

 

[Compressor59]

I've been making lump charcoal to use in my kamado . I use a small drum inside of a 55 gallon drum. I get all the 2x4s for free for cooking the charcoal and use oak and hickory for the charcoal. The key is starting with the right size chunks.

 

[ddufore]

If you have free wood to use it is very economical. I have made charcoal foryears. A 55 gal drum would yield about 25 gals of finished lump charcoal. All it cost me was my time to do it plus a little gas and oil.

 

[smokein'rabbits]

ddufore Thank you. I have tons, literally, of free wood between dead ash, scrub oak, beech, etc.