Charcoal Making 2023

[@JM-uo5vp]

Great video

[@Ally-Oop]

There’s a series of very good videos from 12 years ago on the channel ‘thecharcoalburners’ demonstrating an English process. Their comment section is littered with some fairly unfortunate comments, hope you have a better experience. It was an interesting journey seeing the process in another country, the wood vinegar in particular was new to me and it was quite a bit more involved in comparison, thanks for sharing.

[@SegundoMalate]

🎉😢n2n

[@anachronisticon]

Fascinating. This doesn't seem to follow the binchotan style of production (unseasoned wood, no rapid cooling in ashes) but some of the charcoal you've made still has the same metallic ring. There are clearly more kinds of charcoal than I thought existed!

[@okibibrett]

Yes, binchotan is a white charcoal, and has a different production method. The charcoal we make in the video is black charcoal, and still can get very hard and high quality results, particularly with the camellia wood that is abundant around here.

[@vanjosh7763]

@@okibibrettHow long was the number of days it took from firing up the kiln to harvest?

[@ramzeneger]

Thank you and thank you for the video!!!

[@يومياتابواحمد-ل4خ]

Good

[@mhadidsurvival]

👍👍👍👍

[@WinnipegWill]

Thank you for the detailed video, very interesting to see the Japanese way of making charcoal on a small scale. What was your approximate yield of charcoal from this kiln? And what is the watering can used for during charcoal removal process?

[@okibibrett]

Hard to say, have never actually weighed it and it varies from batch to batch. Maybe 150kg or so? The watering can is in case there are any spots where the charcoal has not fully extinguished. When the kiln is opened and oxygen is reintroduced, any hot spots can quickly reignite and you want to be able to put them out quickly.

[@samuelmendoza5986]

So with this kiln, the heat enters near the top, and the chimney is near the bottom. That still forms an updraft through the chimney as the air heats up but leaves all of the hottest air inside to cook the charcoal, is that right?

[@okibibrett]

Yes the idea is to not give the air a straight shot from the entrance to the chimney. The heat should swirl around a bit and have a slow draw.

[@Davidmc23]

Thanks for sharing your method. I was just recently exposed to binchotan and have been learning about it. This helped me put pieces together. Question: How long from the time you light the kiln to its done?

[@okibibrett]

From lighting until extinguishing, anywhere from 45-90 hours. It depends on if the kiln is warmed up, what variety and dryness of wood, etc. Then another two days or so of cooling down before opening the kiln to remove the charcoal.

[@cwujek]

How much wood vinegar did you make? Do you mostly use live green trees for the charcoal or were they dead? Thanks for sharing this info!

[@okibibrett]

Maybe 20 liters or so of wood vinegar. Yes, green trees. Best to season for a month or so, but most often it gets put in the kiln within a few days of cutting down.

[@cwujek]

@@okibibrett Wow thats a lot, any idea what the pH was? I'm new to the concept of wood vinegar and very interested in using it. Why is it only collected between 80-150c? From what I can find online about charcoal burning with greener wood, it is to slow the process down some compared to dry wood. Are their other reasons? Thank you for the knowledge...

[@okibibrett]

it is only collected then because that is the temperature range at which the desired components are available in the smoke. Too early and you get basically water, too late and there is too little moisture.@@cwujek

[@KidVideo4000]

Great video! Ive been interested in building a charcoal kiln for a while. Thanks for the insight. Any chance you could explain the difference in the production methods of binchotan vs your method?

[@okibibrett]

A bit difficult to explain the difference in a comment, but binchotan is a "white" charcoal method, this video is about "black" charcoal. The methods and kilns are a bit different, with white achieving higher temperatures and a different extraction/cooling process.

[@elderkingsley]

Thanks for this. I'd however like to know your firebox design. It lloks like you're shoving in large chunks of wood, but how does it get to the kiln since it seems the Kiln is walled off on all sides?

[@okibibrett]

The kiln and firebox are separate chambers, with a small opening in the upper-rear of the firebox. This allows the heat to flow into the main kiln via the opening, without burning the charcoal making wood there.

[@kaptainkickit7583]

what is the difference between this and binchotan?

[@okibibrett]

Binchotan is a "white" charcoal made with one type of wood. This is "black" charcoal and we use many types of wood. The firing and extinguishing processes are different for black and white charcoal.

[@kaptainkickit7583]

@okibibrett thanks!

[@SoNoFTheMoSt]

Cryptomaria japonica foliage on the top?

[@okibibrett]

Yes, that's right.

[@BernardJustusMuhwezi]

Thank you dear friends at Hironta. That is pretty useful, let us know which is the wall of the kiln container? And how big, width, height and breadth is the firing area below? Where did the vapour gas pass to go to the chimney attached, it looks to be on the side? At what height level from down, is the hole if any at all? Thank you very much, I love Japan, and usually follow your simplified technologies. Be blessed.

[@BernardJustusMuhwezi]

Sorry I meant the thickness of the kiln wall, apologies

[@alfheib]

I'm sorry I don't know what the vinegar is that you have there in use it for so few enlighten me please ... Next question is why you processing this charcoal is there a way that you can process that where you get wood gas off of the kilm.. the couple vehicles have seen on KZbin that uses wood gas to run on uses a similar process to you making your charcoal... Is that something else that you could possibly process off your charcoal is wood gas.. just wondering can't learn if you don't ask.. God bless have a nice day

[@okibibrett]

The wood vinegar is used for a variety of things, but use in gardening/farming as an insect repellent is common. I use it around the house for cleaning, especially the toilet. It has a very nice smoky aroma. I use the charcoal for my everyday cooking and heating needs, it is quite efficient when turned to charcoal. I can get a full year's worth of energy from a single tree. As for wood gas, it it something that has occured to me, but I haven't really explored it. At the small scale I am working with, I don't know that it would be worthwhile.

[@alfheib]

@@okibibrett you for the information.. you said you cook with it.. I'm in the United States and that would be good on salads.. make sense with some nice earthy herbs and other spices it would make a great.. that's for using the bathroom to clean the toilet yeah that would be a nice refreshing smell over the normal stinking in the bathroom.. I imagine it would be good in a meat marinade is well.. thank you for inviting me and God bless

[@okibibrett]

@@alfheib I use the charcoal as a fuel source for cooking. I don't use the wood vinegar with food. Sorry if that was confusing.

[@CA-Official23]

Wood charcoal supply

[@Thinhnguyenpc]

This is binchotan??😊

[@okibibrett]

No, binchotan is made using a different process.

[@S.K_99]

This is just recreate charcoal..not making charcoal...btw its good..cause i always burn the charcoal till it gone..

[@an4165]

Hello, how did the coal become so white?

[@okibibrett]

It is a layer of ash that accumulates on the charcoal

[@an4165]

Does this mean that when burning the wood, a layer of ash should be placed on it and then close the air passage? ​@@okibibrett

[@okibibrett]

No, the ash is from the branches and wood placed at the top of the kiln that turn to ash during the firing process.@@an4165

[@robinjohnson2749]

Have you ever heard of people eating charcoal and coal dust

[@keithdouglas9848]

Yes it's good for your stomach especially if you have food poisoning

[@fernandohermany8322]

E ASSIM VÃO DESMATANDO AS FLORESTAS E MATAS PARA VENDEREM CARVÃO...

[@okibibrett]

Using the surrounding forest and natural resources sustainably for small scale charcoal making for local use does not lead to deforestation. This is how we live in harmony with our surrounding environment, connected to it rather than isolated from it. This is not a video about industrial scale charcoal making. Usar a floresta circundante e os recursos naturais de forma sustentável para a produção de carvão em pequena escala para uso local não leva ao desmatamento. É assim que vivemos em harmonia com o ambiente que nos cerca, conectados a ele em vez de isolados dele. Este não é um vídeo sobre produção de carvão em escala industrial.

[@이영희-w3r]

뭐하는거야! 숯을 만들려고 하나요?

[@okibibrett]

예, 숯 만들기