Easy Method for Making DIY Charcoal

Store out of charcoal? No problem, we'll show you how we make charcoal using wood and a couple barrels. It's an easy outdoor DIY project that produces a charcoal that burns hot and clean.
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[@dwyanejetersr6470]

Enjoyed watching & learning from you sir, beautiful grandkids. It was my honor! Ex Veteran😊

[@GardenHands]

Thanks for watching and for your service. Very kind comment!

[@joeltower5964]

Awesome! Thank you for this vid!

[@GardenHands]

Glad you liked it!

[@andisuprapto839]

Good idea, the method is quite easy and inspiring. I appreciate you and warm greetings from Indonesia.

[@GardenHands]

Thank you for watching. Greetings from USA!

[@angelwithbrokenwings2456]

I burn lots of scrap in clearing land etc. producing lots of ask and a little charcoal! This helped find toon my efforts in the future. I tried the closed barrel which took large amounts of wood. This is natural and get the carbon to your garden instead of the atmosphere! Thanks!!

[@GardenHands]

You're welcome! Glad we had a tip or two that helped!

[@peetsnort]

I am in England and this winter was hell. All charcoal is very seasonal. You can get it very expensively online. You've encouraged me to invest in a barrel like yours

[@GardenHands]

A viewer from England! Thanks for watching. Let us know if you try making your own and what works for you!

[@peetsnort]

@@GardenHands the funny thing is that I was born in zambia and I remember the locals in zambia used to make charcoal in the bush. Driving along the road you would see the high mounds of smoking soil. I never gave it much thought But charcoal is an intrinsic part of cooking meat for me. I just used some yesterday to cook some Greek style pork souvlaki. It was so simple and compared to pan roasting it was so much better tasting. I don't know what science is going on between the hot charcoal and the meat but it's just so much nicer. I will ask a friend who has the space on his small holding if I can do it there. I live in a built up area so it's unsociable to be smoking the place out. Thanks for the video

[@koltoncrane3099]

Peetsnort Don’t forget. You can use charcoal for bbq but you can also use it in your garden so it’s good to try in the garden

[@frankwice4864]

Great video just what I have been looking for. Lump charcoal in Ontario is $20.00 for a 20 pound bag so this will really help

[@GardenHands]

Good luck!

[@chipwright6193]

I definitely want to give this a try! My wife doesn't like the charcoal briquettes from the store.

[@GardenHands]

There's good motivation! Let us know if you give it a try and how it goes.

[@mikekrutza9322]

Fascinating for the casual learner...nice job

[@GardenHands]

Thanks Mike , it was a cool process to watch....and even better to enjoy later 😃

[@johnf321]

Excellent job great idea.

[@GardenHands]

Thank you very much!

[@96oldsmobile]

You did great explaining this! Thanks for the lesson.❤

[@GardenHands]

Thanks for watching! Appreciate it.

[@koltoncrane3099]

One nice thing when you make charcoal when I made it in a trench or a barrel is if you’re using charcoal for a garden you can just fill the barrel clear full of water or crush it up first into quarter inch sizes and then fill it with water. Add one or two five gallon buckets of chicken manure then let it sit to be inoculated or the charcoal to absorb nutrients and then you can add it tk your garden or in the bottom of the holes before you plant your plants. But ya I’ll have to try your method cause I could use the not completely done stuff for cooking.

[@GardenHands]

That's a great idea that we haven't tried yet. Thanks for sharing it, we may have to try that out the next time he gets chickens!

[@Reziac]

I have a huge pile of tree scraps I've been wondering if would be better as charcoal. I'll have to try this, it seems to make a better product than the single-barrel method.

[@GardenHands]

Yah, give it a try and let us know how it goes. We haven't tried a single barrel before.

[@alanhiebert]

Thanks from Canada

[@GardenHands]

Thanks for tuning from Canada!

[@ess2607]

Shout out to the orange hat dance crew in the background! If you have "crumbly bits" that won't work with BBQ, chuck them into your compost, esp. if it's raw. Super charges the compost. Great info.

[@GardenHands]

They'll love the shout out! Great tip on adding the crumbly bits to compost. I'm not sure if he's done that, but I could definitely use it to super charge my pile. Thanks for watching!

[@ess2607]

@@GardenHands Pre-Pan fun I went to a Biochar workshop - and making char, the same way your dad does here, was step one. My boss got 8-9 pound turnips from the area where he put that compost on.

[@vinhtruongbuiduy4817]

Good video, wish you have a good day, Mr.

[@GardenHands]

Thanks for watching. Have a great day too!

[@aleksandrsmirnof4859]

Thanks from Russia

[@americansfirst1095]

Thanks from Ohio

[@GardenHands]

You're welcome from Wisconsin :)

[@victormanuelluna4098]

Ok

[@user-oo3qk2de3m]

Never throw part charred pieces out !! Simply put them back into the next burn,its not as if they will overburn. When you open the drum after a burn, if there is creosote internally lining the drum,put lid back on and reburn some more as its not fully done.If the drum is lined with soot then it should all be done. I can turn 20cm/8 inch diameter pieces into charcoal this way.

[@GardenHands]

Great tip.

[@steveaw5895]

That's a good system you made. I've got basically the same set up. One thing I learned is lump charcoal lights faster in a chimney starter than briquets. Went out to lay the fire in the grill and the chimney starter was empty.

[@GardenHands]

That's an unpleasant surprise to find an empty chimney! It does seem to produce a hot fire - works great for steaks. Thanks for watching.

[@peetsnort]

Charcoal is the best. ABSOLUTELY civilized. Just look at the Japanese

[@habsishpeeweed6562]

So easy to dig a small pit. Size depends on how much wood you have. Start a nice small hot fire on the base of the pit and put logs in when it is burning well. Nice and neat let’s you get a lot of wood in. When burning away well, with little or no smoke appearing put a sheet of corrugated iron over it and put soil over the top to seal it. Go away and come back a couple of days and excavate the charcoal.

[@GardenHands]

Thanks for sharing another method! Might have to try that too.

[@Reziac]

That's essentially the medieval method, tho they just piled it on the ground and covered it with dirt.

[@walyauladavid2021]

Design of burner charcoal drum

[@user-jo8bd1pm8p]

Great video. Thank you. My only question, is there no danger of the inner barrel exploding? I visualize possible explosive gases forming.

[@mtlefty8687]

Good question. I believe the inner barrel lid was on quite loosely (not air tight) so there would be no chance of gas pressure building up.

[@GardenHands]

Agree with @mtlefty8687, no there is not a chance of gas pressure building up.

[@user-zm4yf2ro8l]

❤❤❤❤

[@andrewbratos6907]

I save all my kitty litter buckets

[@GardenHands]

Great tip for reusing those kitty litter containers!

[@dennisurabe6696]

How do you know when to cover the holes?

[@GardenHands]

We cover the holes after about 2 hours of burn time. Once you cover the holes the heat is retained and keeps heating it for a while. Once it cools down for at least 12 hours you check it and if it needs to burn more, you restart it. Make sure you cover the holes really well, pushing dirt against them. Good luck!

[@kriswilkens9461]

Great idea, the cost of charcoal has gone up.

[@GardenHands]

True...and it's another excuse to spend time outdoors! Hopefully next time it'll be a bit warmer though.

[@user-hg1il6yu2c]

One of your sons looked really bored, get them involved more. Otherwise nice job and very informative. Thank you!!

[@GardenHands]

The grandsons had a long day before the video and following the camera crew around wasn't the most fun for them. They much prefer running around in the woods collecting sap. Thanks for watching.

[@isaacbundy5081]

Mind your own business otherwise nice comment

[@jayway8612]

im more curious how you farmers afford semi-trucks, trailers and tractors/heavy equipment