[TheForge] Making a Charcoal Kiln

[northwoods]

> >>> "Jeff Harding" <jharding@kconline.com> 02/06/02 06:03PM >>>
> I have plans to make a charcoal kiln also. I intend to place a steel
> drum on it's side in a cradle, I can get drums with removable heads.
> Take the head off and stack it about half full of cut hard wood or
> sticks and twigs broken to straight.  Start a fire under it and roll
> it over once in a while. If you can keep the smoke coming from the
> barrel directed into the fire, it will burn, it may sustain a flame on
> it's on out of an orifice.
>    Keep the fire going until no smoke is coming out, cap the drum and
> let it cool off... should be full of high quality charcoal.
>   Anyone ever tried something like this?


I don't think you need to be rolling it around to much. Historically wood
was simply placed in an airtight environment, and a small amount of air was
permitted to enter and exit for the correct amount of time. It all turns to
charcoal eventually without any agitation. I use a 250 gallon fuel oil tank
when making charcoal. Historically softwood was used, and makes the best
charcoal.
You also mentioned that you would fill your drum half full of wood, and when
done it should be full of high quality charcoal. How is that possible? You
wouldn't get very much charcoal by using a 55 gallon drum. It wouldn't make
enough to even be worth the effort in my opinion.

T. Clark
Mountain, WI