Building a small charcoal retort part 1

[@RecipesOfHope]

Thanks brother, charcoal is always so expensive when we feed the Homeless. Always good to see good men showing others their ideas and the fact you came back and showed us how you noticed how to improve as well.

[@danielsanford4109]

Thank you for your honesty. My wife and I learned much by your sharing of your mistakes. Trial and error is how we learn.

[@michaelprue9024]

Thank you for making this video. I’ve been considering making a charcoal retort myself, and in my research so far, I think this is the best design. It’s all self contained and when built correctly is the fastest and most efficient design. I think having more holes in the chimmeny and the addition of an insulation wrap around the barrel itself would drastically improve your chances of success. I am going to build a retort out of a 55 gallon drum and 6” pipe. Again, thank you for the advices

[@TheRealKitWalker]

Your honest acceptance of mistakes, spot on error analysis and transparency is commendable my friend. Keep it up!! Loved the video. Subscribed!

[@Goodellsam]

It's absolutely crazy to think you could do that in your house.

[@SupSimba]

best working idea iv seen so far...has some kinks to work out but great information...Thank you!!!

[@shishkabobby]

I am quite impressed. I especially like the wheel converted into you lower chamber. The retort is robust and effective.

[@diegobadillagonzalez2492]

Thanks

[@isaac8334]

Nice video well done for teaching people some good information,

[@fabianbanda9800]

heart of a researcher...never give up, great vid Diego

[@mericagunsfreedomandlove.8985]

Very intresting design, props to you.

[@kensmapleleafretirement]

I love your attitude, giver a try and see if you can make it work, love it... I roll the same way....

[@billlyell8322]

Nice video. I would suggest you make this a rocket stove instead for the following reasons. 1. You will get a hotter fire with less wood. 2. Easier to feed fuel in the air/fuel feed. 3. You can capture the gas and use it for cooking or running a generator. 4. You can insulate the outer barrel to retain more heat.

[@greggriggs3913]

It is funny. I had just watched this process done on the beach with dry corn stalks and the smoke from that was incredible and when you lighted your retort in what looked like your garage I thought, Oh no... It's going to smoke too much and then the next thing you said was that you had to move it to your back yard. Good decision there. We all live and learn right? Very nice design by the way. You understand the basic principles of turning scrap (or bio mass) into carbon. It's a great thing to know, even in our modern society. This technology is being used in India with Pine Needles which actually helps home owners clear away the very thing that burns down their houses every year. Now, instead of watching their surroundings burn, they are using that "Fuel" to cook with. Nice. Thanks for sharing your process of making charcoal. A very very nice design.

[@diegobadillagonzalez2492]

Thanks👍😁

[@Polamish]

great experiment. all good projects have room for improvement. Keep on plugging away my friend. Thank you

[@muthuiahkandan7897]

Thank you for your experiments

[@MrSIXGUNZ]

what a great idea you had !!! feeding through the top is a amazing idea and easy as well. Thanks much and Blessings !!

[@davymwansa4834]

This is an interesting machine Diego. Keep it up, so simple to make. I will make it for my farm project.

[@MayankKumar-xp7vf]

✈️ in i ✈️7

[@stuffbywoody5497]

Keep the pipe, just make the holes bigger and ad a few. And a bigger fire pit so the wood cooks from the outside of the drum as well. I suggest maybe putting your drum inside a bigger steel barrel.

[@bayareasparky9180]

Good start. You'll get it dialed in.

[@tonywalker8030]

Excellent, the tire rim is pure genius.

[@jantonio991]

great job

[@glennmartin6492]

I'd suggest having the removable lid and handles at the top to make loading and moving easier.

[@JOSHUA8CS]

Good job and a good plan for your future build!!

[@JohnDoe-ki6fm]

Oh my gosh... As you were putting the paper and wood in the wheel, I'm thinking to myself... "Hang on.... you're going to move that outside first, right?" As you were lighting that up right there, I was thinking "Oh, no! That's nuts!" Very lucky you only had some smoke to deal with. This is the sort of silliness that leads people to lose their homes. An open fire in your workshop is not wise. Think. Be safe.

[@richardatkinson3743]

Nice setup, I don't think a bigger pipe is needed. If the outside of the barrel was thermally insulated ( glass fibre matting?) and you made the burn box bigger you should be able to get a more stable temperature and more even gasification.

[@besty319]

Waw thank you for the video, pls I want u to teach me how i can make such barrel for burning or cooking sawdust to make charcoal briquettes

[@noneedtoknow6098]

Thank you for sharing !!!

[@Rahimking81]

How many hours does it take to get my charcoal totally cooked in this barrel

[@rossnoodles1293]

For that to be a retort you need a pipe running from inside the barrel to the fire below, so the gases from the heated wood becomes fuel for the fire. What you have there isn't a retort, so you may wish to amend your video title. Would've been good to see you welding too!

[@poginglamig6202]

gawa din aq nyan pag uwi ng simara island romblon...

[@moo76man]

You need to insulate the barrel to keep it hot inside.

[@mattshibu]

Moral boosting vedio

[@randythomas3478]

Good video! Thank you, man!

[@billwoehl3051]

Surprised that you didn't burn the house down, if that would have gone into afterburner mode, you would have, be thankful for the smoke chasing you out of the house, a slightly taller chimney will help burn the smoke cleaner. Otherwise you got the rest, as you said, bigger diameter chimney and more holes, she'll burn more efficiently, and make a proper firebox, those concrete blocks will crumble quickly.

[@fio5972]

Excellent Diego important recomendations

[@abhapandey5281]

Can’t we burn the wood directly on fire to get the charcoal. Pls reply.

[@DrNicemoney]

Of course not there will be no charcoal lol

[@triggerhappycustoms8960]

thanks for the vid but please don't burn your house down

[@aaronwood3540]

You never got hot enough. You didn't even burn the paint off your barrel. Never light anything like that in your house.

[@doughboybellmore2347]

You are sporting Combat boots from my era of Service an BDU's (I served with OD Green), did you serve also ?

[@dLimboStick]

9:14 LMFAO anyone could see that coming.

[@mistawess]

dLimboStick stop right there. Lol

[@jerifw1476]

LOL 😂

[@abeltoranzo2077]

@@mistawess muy bueno hasta pronto abraso

[@cjgreen3836]

Surely common sense tells you that you should never light a wood fire in an enclosed space, especially if it is your house and the fact that this process tends to give off bad fumes. However, a good video in the end :)

[@cjgreen3836]

Multiple smaller pipes may do the trick ;)

[@vincediesel307]

Looks like an awful lot of work sticking little pieces of wood down that square tube. Would it be easier just to have holes in the bottom of the barrel and keep the fire going underneath between The cinderblocks?

[@diegobadillagonzalez2492]

You are right, i fixed that problem doing some improvements later. Thanks

[@nicewhenearnedrudemostlyel489]

yes to the first, no to the rest. easier work, maybe, but harder work ultimately. open holes, above a flame... that would turn the wood into ash, unless my chemistry is off today. i mean, if you wanted ash that might work great.

[@diegobadillagonzalez2492]

It worked 👍😁

[@orettepalmer1512]

Hey Diego, awesome video... can you let us know where you acquired the Barrel?

[@nicholecrouch311]

Google search steel container suppliers in your city, or check local Craigslist ads for the steel drums, that's what I've done and found a local steel drum supplier, also you can check metal recycling facilities and ask the management there they normally sell them for cheaper but the condition of the drums vary and recyclers usually crush the lids to conserve space but you could get lucky and get one before they crush the lids that day

[@zanzibarwotoshi8248]

Pipe the smoke into a smoker rack & you will get to enjoy delicious smoked food. Or maybe you can even harness the wasted thermal energy for heating water.

[@SOLDOZER]

That smoke is creosote would would make your food taste like shit.

[@patrickmihajlovic4112]

Sooo... i've learned what NOT to do !?? 😨

[@Imwright720]

Very nice but all the smoke means it’s not burning efficiently. Slight design change and it will burn cleaner creating less pollution

[@diegobadillagonzalez2492]

Thanks. Already did some modifications. There is another video on my channel with the changes. 👍😁

[@mistawess]

Gene Miller probably allow in more air for combustion.

[@teraverde5535]

El reactor del biochar , no debería votar humo , por que el tuyo vota demasiado humo?

[@STIZEN9]

Diego I like your attitude. where are you from sir?

[@diegobadillagonzalez2492]

Hello and thanks, I am Costa Rican.

[@josephaboud4832]

Diago, can I have your email address .

[@joshnengi]

JOSEPH ABOUD I would like to have it too. If it is Ok? Thanks

[@lethaldriver]

how much wood do you have to burn to make a certain amount of charcoal?

[@jonmo2694]

That's probably enough for one or two burns

[@teerachai87]

Hi Diego,how long you fire until wood gas happen?

[@Razorslash312]

you can typically hear the wood gas burning. Sounds similar to a blowtorch and will happen soon after the smoke starts to die down a bit.

[@chrisblack5795]

You burn from the top down...this should be a double barrel...it Will.then burn all smoke...the final product was incomplete and when burning top down...there is no need to resupply the wood for burning. It's a walk away until it's completed. A great try...but fail sadly. Great welding.

[@americanwolfke5sqb916]

good learning video

[@diegobadillagonzalez2492]

Thanks 😁👍

[@aaronwood3540]

Holy shit I thought he was lighting that in his house. Wtf!!!!??? I thought he has no idea how much smoke he's about to make.

[@JaimeLopez-up1lf]

Busca Como aser carbon en mexico

[@abdelamersid7294]

nice

[@Kijazi1132]

Thanks brother

[@maitlandmoore6426]

The wife again. We know thanks for the video

[@NevesProjects]

Hi Diego, Can't you put the bottom of drum on the rim, why turn it upside down with the lid on the rim wouldn"t that ruin the lid ?

[@diegobadillagonzalez2492]

Bottom of drum and lid are made of same steel, and both will get damaged with time. Its easier to change the lid, than fix the drum.

[@NevesProjects]

Ok I get that, I was just wondering why turn it upside down I thought there was another reason, cheers

[@mrod4864]

carbon monoxide.... Tell me Mr.bay Do you shoot your own special affects in that green room?

[@diegobadillagonzalez2492]

+M Rod Jajaja not really. That was my girlfriend's room. I was just filming there that day. But you give me a good idea for shooting special effects. Thanks.🖒😆

[@billwilson3665]

Nice

[@diegobadillagonzalez2492]

Thanks 👍😁

[@beetender9009]

c'mon guys, no fires in garages --

[@suhayl5157]

good try. better luck next time. p.s. feeding the fire from top was not a great idea.

[@markymark4049]

I think you were lucky you didn’t burn your house down!! Anyway thanks for showing me how NOT to build a charcoal burner and good luck with the next one.

[@johnconner5693]

Great design, but shouldn't a guy smart enough to make this know enough not to light it in his house?

[@michaelsorrell601]

I THOUGHT YOU SET THAT SHOP ON FIRE, LOOKED LIKE A PLYWOOD FLOOR YOU STARTED FIRE ON TOP OF. DON'T LAUGH, ITS HAPPEND BEFORE IM SURE.

[@zero-waste]

Smart simple construction, but you can easily improve it. Instead of the wheel rim, use any kind of steel bucket as fire chamber, about the similar size of the steel bucket that you are using as retort chamber. Discard the lid. Then cut a 25cm wide and 20cm high hole in one side near the bottom. This enables you to add more fuel when needed. It will perform as a rocket stove, and it keeps the ash inside in windy days. You can now virtually burn 10m long pieces of wood, just push them a little further into the fire chamber when they have burned for a while; no need to cut them in small pieces! To get full carbonization of the wood inside you need to get the temperature up. Take a 55 gal. drum, cut a hole in the top for the chimney, cut a hole, the same size as in the fire chamber, near the bottom in one side, and finally cut out the entire bottom. You then place this barrel upside down on top of your retort when everything else have been prepared for a burn. The air in the large barrel covering your entire construction will keep the heat inside, thus raise the temperature in the pyrolyzation chamber. The steel bucket underneath must be trimmed in length to make the whole construction fit in length within the large outer drum, otherwise the construction might be both unstable and unnecessary high. Instead of holes inside the chimney for the wood gases, you can also improve the system by drilling two holes near the outer edge of the retort bucket and weld on two steel pipes, reaching 4/5 up into the retort chamber. They must be placed so that they protrude 2cm out of the bottom as well and point directly near the opening of the fire chamber, thus the wood gases are led into the airstream just in front of the burning wood underneath. This gives additional heat under the reaction chamber insted of burning halfway up the chimney, and thereby eliminating the problem with only partially carbonized wood on the bottom of your pyrolyzation chamber. I have a slightly more sophisticated rocket stove unit with a square fire chamber made of 4mm stainless steel that is fully insulated with Perlite, built into the lower 1/3 part of a cut off 55 gal drum, fitted with air regulation, and the upper 2/3 part of the same drum is likewise fully insulated with Kaowool, so is the lid. The retort chamber is made of a 60 liter water tank, and has a charging door sealed with ceramic fiber fire proof door seal rope; completely gastight. It becomes tremendously hot! Happy burns to you.

[@diegobadillagonzalez2492]

+superdream58 I was thinking on improve it a little bit. Will take some of your advise. Thanks.

[@imhardatwork]

Hi , Don't worry about changing anything with the build until you wrap up the outside of the barrel with a insulation blanket , just try it with insulation you will see the difference straight away .

[@diegobadillagonzalez2492]

+imhardatwork,Thanks, I was accually thinking on some inprovements. But minor changes, just a little bit.

[@greenwood4020]

I agree with "imhardwork" about insulating the outside of the drum. The paint hasn't even discolored so it hasn't got very hot that is why the wood hasn't turned into charcoal. If you look at your video when you open the drum the wood on the right is brown where it was against the cold side of drum and black nearer your fire pipe. Otherwise the design is ok but better to put in bigger pipe and holes for the gas. Though you could try putting holes in the "lid" about an inch from the outside as the gas would come out there and burn and heat the bottom b4 being sucked up the chimney

[@alistairkambobe9179]

I am interested in making on commercial basis. any help superdream58? [e-mail]

[@62CHRIS99]

No bean bag do it in the bathroom just turn the fan on lmao

[@c50ge]

I TRIED THIS IN MY BASEMENT NOW I HAVE NO HOME! BUT I HAVE A LOT OF CHARCOAL.

[@bluegoldysupport5446]

I was waiting to see how u weld but u missed that

[@17hmr243]

Dont like eating zink fumes in my charcoal, and food grade wood

[@Lovehandle1339]

For the amount of time and effort you spend to make charcoal you are better off buy it at store and spend your time in making something more worthy.

[@josephaboud4832]

Hoi Diego, Can I have your email address, i need to sen you some pictures for a reactor i Have , see if i can use it for charcoal.

[@crocsonletsgo9665]

no need for apologies, you should never watch a video of somebody welding.

[@bradkvanbek7148]

Video does not reproduce the harmful light.

[@crocsonletsgo9665]

@@bradkvanbek7148 good to know. i guess it's just annoying to me. thanks.

[@zararalte9475]

you burned your house, you can make air polution

[@gedbob1]

What did your wife say ?

[@WaschyNumber1]

I hope it's not galvanized steel 🤔 Do this outside 🤬 so many saefty issues 🤬 in the future no house anymore and suffocated. Common sense, bloddy hell, no wonder this days are so many diapers wearer all over the place.

[@BeyondBiochar]

i gave it a thumbs down for trying this IN THE HOUSE !

[@SAGAWISIW30]

😂😂😂😂😂😂 you almost burned your house😁😁😁😁😁

[@MikeJones-yf2xx]

You sound like speedy Gonzalez

[@diegobadillagonzalez2492]

Jajaja, make me laugh 👍😁

[@jwlee6107]

Tu inglés me hace daño en las orejas

[@asdercks]

lol!!!!!

[@blb7130]

งึด

[@chananontkumor8361]

์์์์No good

[@joelbacala1992]

Hahaha faild

[@WaMor]

Do not retort