FREE FUEL for the wood stove (plus biochar!)

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Details:
A reminder again that we aren't suggesting anyone do what we do... That said, here are more details on the process...
The key ingredient is a stainless steel container with a recessed fitting lid. It is critical that no seal or lock or weight is applied as that could be VERY dangerous. What we've worked with now for almost 4 years are "Hotel Pans" also called "Steam Table Pans". They are sturdy, reliable, have shown 0 wear after 1000+ burns each and have been wonderful. Feels like they could last a lifetime... The pans can be purchased with a lid that is flat and rests on top. So long as they are relatively flat in the stove they allow hot gasses out to be combusted but don't let Oxygen in so the material finishes to incredibly high quality charcoal.
We measured the inside of our wood stove and went with a container that took up roughly 50% of the interior. This gives room for wood and coals and adjustments in the stove. We purchased our hotel pan from a local kitchen supply company ( bwsupply.com/ ) and now work with 3 'retorts' that are roughly 6"x10"x13". What we have would be considered a 'half hotel pan' at 6" depth. Reasonable price and there are other options, like 4" or 8" depth for smaller/larger stove interiors. You need a lid for each one you buy. Our cost around $25 and the lid was around $5. The prices are very variable online so look around, and ideally find something local.
Other sources for these could be calls to local hotels or catering companies, maybe contact restaurants. Anyone have unused hotel pans they'd want to sell, or some that are dinged up or stained they've retired? Lastly, of course, you can search online for used or lower cost options from various vendors (other than Amazon :). restaurantsupply.com and webstaurantstore.com both have a wide range of options for low prices (we haven't purchased from them so we can't vouch for quality, but see many options when searching).
Starting with a very small load of offcuts, sawdust, etc in a container with a gentle fire is how we learned the feel of this. Eventually we evolved to having completely filled containers with high density hardwood offcuts filled with sawdust/woodchip in the spaces and get maximum yield this way, but this could be VERY dangerous if someone doesn't know what they are doing.
If any aspect of this seems dangerous or confusing or physically hard to do it should absolutely not be done!
Edible Acres is a full service permaculture nursery located in the Finger Lakes area of NY state. We grow all layers of perennial food forest systems and provide super hardy, edible, useful, medicinal, easy to propagate, perennial plants for sale locally or for shipping around the country…
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Happy growing!

[@edibleacres]

Important reminder that this can be dangerous. So if you aren't going to come at it in a slow, careful, observant and iterative way until you have a feel for the process, don't come at it! Read the description for more details on the 'retort' we use and ideas on how to size and source them.

[@WellnessHero]

Excellent info, well organized and truly amazing practice you have created! Graitude

[@madtho6905]

are there commercially sold heaters like this that reduce the risks and allow for less monitoring, etc?

[@tarinatupanen]

I live in Finland, we have about minus 9 degrees Celsius here right now, that is 15,8 degrees F. We have already had minus 27 C (minus 16,6 F) here this winter. We heat our home mainly with an oven called 'pönttöuuni' in Finnish. We heat it only in the morning right now, twice a day if it gets over minus 15 C. It has been made with bricks and has a metal shell. The bricks keep the warmth in them for hours, so we don't have to heat it constantly. Saves a lot of firewood. You can also buy metal bins that fit inside it from the hardware store, to burn wooden pellets and such in it, quite similar way you do in your oven, but more safely. I recommend googling pönttöuuni, you will get lot of results and pictures.

[@edibleacres]

Looks like a beautiful stove!

[@nicolassanmillan8460]

I’ve been doing this for a couple years now since I saw your other videos on the topic. It’s been working absolutely well for me and it just feels right as it reduces emissions and produces such good charcoal (which btw makes great bedding for the worm bin). I’d say the most dangerous moment is when you pull the tray out while it’s burning hot. I use good gloves and protective glasses since the lid could move a little bit and let the hot gases out. Protect your eyes!

[@edibleacres]

The key is to let the fire settle and relax a bit around the retort before it comes out... That gives it a chance to finalize cooking any last gasses that may be in there as well.. Win win.. So glad you like this technique!

[@fromthehutt9508]

We also use only wood to heat our home and use less than 3 cord of wood per year. Interesting to see a method that could further reduce our consumption and provide charcoal. You do a really great job of using your resources efficiently and reducing your waste stream. Love your ideas, keep up the excellent work.

[@kenyonbissett3512]

Imagine if you could reduce your cord wood down to 2 cords and then burn enough wood chips that the resulting “biochar” pays for the cord wood plus some. Another form of income. Amazing!

[@anonymous-pr2sy]

do you have any issues with creosote buildup in the chimney from running strange fuels in the retort? Ever put pine in the retort?

[@amatagreen8819]

Brilliant! Have you considered drilling a few small holes in the hotel pans to allow the syngas to escape the pan easier? Additionally, if you dump the biochar out while hot (outside in the snow or somewhere safe), and quench it with water/snow, then you are also causing the biochar to open its pores more, which will bring you greater benefit in the soil. You can also use the biochar anywhere you want to reduce smells like manure piles. I assume when you clean the chicken coop you are taking that inoculated biochar straight out to the field--yes? Wonderful video, love what you're doing. :)

[@ericdee2525]

Ive been doing this with the hotel pans since your first video. Its been working well for us. I certainly notice a difference in wood consumption, but getting the char was our main goal. We have been soaking it in worm tea and adding it to our compost. The garden loves it :) Thank you both for the ideas!

[@edibleacres]

So psyched it's been working in good ways for you :)

[@lindamunroe1431]

Add old dog bones. I've been using this method for a few years now. Perth, Western Australia does have some cold nights in winter! Prompted by the opportunity and challenge to prevent tonnes of hardwood floorboard end trimmings from going to landfill. Producing heat from the gases, valuable biochar for the garden and preventing waste Win, win, WIN. I even add the old dog bones to the char pot for conversion to valuable bone char. A fabulous sight and sound to hear the pan gas off and produce a ring of fire. Thanks for sharing your pictures and knowledge.

[@edibleacres]

We do batches with dried bones when we have them. They are so incredibly beautiful once charred, aren't they! Amazing how they keep their shape. I like to add one or two into an otherwise nice carbon rich batch otherwise they don't contribute much heat on their own. Thanks for sharing your experience here Linda.

[@lindaellin559]

Thanks Sean I’ve seen this on a previous video of yours and gave it a go last winter ( summer here in Australia at the moment). Loved the the results - amazing turning bones into charcoal and keeping the same shape. I had fun experimenting with different materials!

[@edibleacres]

It's amazing how things come out perfectly intact. We put in clothing and it comes out where you can see every stitch! Printed paper still has the writing on it, pine cones are a dream :)

[@annehartmann6572]

We tried this after seeing one of your first videos about this - in an old metal pot with a metal lid we didn't use anymore, the lid fits loosely. It is always the last filling of our wood stove each day and we then take it out the next morning, when it is cool to the touch. It is amazing to hear it roaring, while it is heating our home.

[@edibleacres]

Glad it has been working well for you. We don't let it go overnight, I think somehow it feels safest to be in the room or around and awake whenever it is running, but maybe you've figured out a good system that feels reliable and safe for you...

[@bgh8904]

best channel on youtube

[@compostjohn]

This is EXACTLY what I do... I use a Le Creuset cast iron pan, filled with sawdust or nut shells, which when done, goes in my compost. Love the 'Hotel Pan' idea - in the UK we'd call then Bain Marie pans as they sit in hot water to keep food warm in self-serve breakfast bars. I'll see if I can find a small one for our Clearview Vision 500. People need to know this is CARBON SEQUESTRATION, one of the only ways you can reliably take CO2 out of the air 'for ever' if Amazonian 'tera preta' is anything to go by, some is dated at 1000 years old.

[@edibleacres]

Sitting cozy in our living room reading your note while free wood chips provide a ton of heat as they become forever carbon.. . Glad we're on the same page!

[@ammart1987]

I've just just had a 5kw PV5W installed and the largest size pan that fits is 1/3. 1/2 doesn't fit but I find 1/4 leaves enough room around the edges to top up wood on the outside is required.

[@MrCrazyChemist]

I wish everyone knew about this. Thanks for spreading the message.

[@edibleacres]

I have a hope that more folks know they could be making a literal ton of pure carbon to add to the soil each burning season if they use wood heat..

[@Dontreallycare5]

Good tips for getting dual usage out of making biochar, certainly a lot more practical than using the in-ground methodology. Have you considered adding on a catalytic combustor to your stove setup? The secondary combustion area might actually really benefit from the syngas you are creating from the container materials and step up the cleanness of the burn to another level - I know when I finally convinced my grandfather to install one he had much less chimney cleaning to do every spring because of how much more efficient burn it created.

[@edibleacres]

I'd be open to / interested in the catalytic converter idea but I don't know that our older stove would work with iit... Hmmm...

[@anonymous-pr2sy]

@@edibleacres I think you can get one to put at the base of the exhaust pipe, I'm gonna subscribe to your channel. If you experiment with it please post a video!

[@wolfebilt]

Really cool. Many of us make charcoal here, most of us have to heat our homes, I would think it crazy to find a way to do both for free. But here it is, great stuff.

[@edibleacres]

This basic idea works super well for us.

[@florencetomi2223]

We are truly blessed in Nigeria.

[@quitemountainwoman1592]

Love the kitties..... Beautiful.

[@mlindsay527]

Cool to see you are still doing this since the original video!

[@Almeys]

Greetings 👋 thank you for saving the atmosphere and spreading that attitude towards humble and peaceful living ❤️

[@jcor6689]

the first video on stove biochar made so much sense! We use stovepipe retorts. The efficiency- heat produced per amount of scrap material is beyond belief! This current video is important... Be careful- the heat produced can really take you by surprize as you are learning. The power wheelbarrow video is also excellent! Thanks

[@edibleacres]

So cool to hear you've been working with this basic system, sounds like you've got a great system you've evolved... Yeah, we all have to be super careful with this system!

[@rhondamontiel3827]

I never heard of such a thing. What a great idea thanks for sharing

[@edibleacres]

Any time!

[@peteantos-ketcham3493]

So great to see your stove again and learn more about this process.

[@edibleacres]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Brilliant. So simple.

[@chafouincatnip5648]

Good idea to make another video about this, this 'trick' can't ever be shared too much ! - now I need a woodstove-

[@edibleacres]

Glad it doesn't feel as overkill.

[@amandas4913]

I appreciate your Woodstove videos. Stay warm everyone

[@jameskniskern2261]

Another outstanding video in the woodstove biochar series. I try to get the word out to as many wood heat folks as I can. They are usually a bit skeptical until they see it working. But after that... Well, heating your house with free, easy to obtain fuel is pretty impressive.

[@edibleacres]

I'm fully committed to this approach at this point. I always hope folks, if they decide to try it, are very careful and take baby steps, but once you dial in the work flow based on your own stove and charring material, it feels magical how much heat you get for free with all that amazing char to work with!

[@LiveOnWhatYouGrow]

Great video, I send people to it all the time. I use (2) #10 cans that I get from a local restaurant for free, and I use a stovepipe crimping tool on one of the cans so it fits inside the other, and make my "two can" retorts that way. I also make smaller ones out of small soup cans. I've been heating my house with wood chips, (also for free), from the power company for the last 5 years and have made over 2500 lbs of biochar! Keep up the good work!

[@edibleacres]

So super super rad to read, wow! Good for you!!!

[@striperswiper1]

I soak the bio char for a few days in kelp, and molasses. It is serious garden magic!

[@edibleacres]

That is some nice inoculation right there for sure!

[@legrantjorge]

Thank you for the explanation.

[@CairnOfDunnCroftPermaculture]

What an excellent technique!

[@edibleacres]

Glad you like it!

[@tolgaswp]

I already have these dishes. I don't have a fireplace as I live in Dubai but, I did build a pizza oven that I could replicate this in. Plus, any excuse to make pizza 😂. Thanks again. Really, really helpful.

[@denislosieroutdoors]

An idea I've been playing with for grinding charcoal is awhile back I pickup a used kitchen sink with a garberator that I have set up outside for cleaning veggies from garden and grinding kitchen scraps for my chickens been running bio char thru it into 5 gallon bucket so far works great planning on doing a video on it...

[@edibleacres]

Neat idea, if you already have that setup that makes a ton of sense to use for grinding char too. Should be slightly moist I guess so it doesn't make a ton of gnarly black dust.

[@denislosieroutdoors]

@@edibleacres yeah I run little water and kitchen scraps with the charcoal into a bucket then it all goes to the chickens... eventually it all comes back to the garden...

[@fallenangelwi25]

Y'all have such great ideas thank you for sharing them 😊

[@edibleacres]

You are so welcome!

[@anlfrat8411]

Very good multipurposing. Thank you.

[@mikejones3155]

Awesome video..!!

[@schatzihall6572]

I finally set this set up in my wood stove. I’m using a cast iron pot because I had it. I’m looking for used restaurant pans. I’m cutting up hardwood pallets right now for fuel. My soapstone stove has a small firebox so sometimes it’s difficult to keep the fire going. Anyway, thanks. I love your channel. I live in upstate NY, too.

[@edibleacres]

Please be safe and hoping this system provides you a ton of beautiful heat and long lasting charcoal!

[@beebob1279]

Great idea and I never saw this before. I think two concerns I would have are. 1. Make absolutely sure the lid is set so that pressure doesn't build up. 2. Make sure when you take out the biochar to place it somewhere that can't catch fire as it cools.

[@edibleacres]

Great notes of safety... 1) The liid on the hotel pans generally 'rests' in a way that is perfect for this process, so long as it is aligned with no weights or other pressures/etc it works exactly right. 2) Should be put on a metal tray to be taken out to cool . Wearing welding gloves is critical and putting it on a dry surface out of the elements to cool gently is perfect. Concrete slab in a garage is ideal.

[@forestjohnson3937]

We have really been enjoying your video content THANK YOU from Kootenay’s BC Tulip Farm Tons of knowledge dropping, learning, sharing, growth, love your vision fellow humble servant of the earth. PLEASE keep up the great works💚 This video is AWESOME. We’ve been making biochar via small barrel retorts in larger barrel. We heat our home with wood so definitely will be finding one of the serving pans. THANK YOU IN KIND 🙏

[@edibleacres]

Hope this concept acts as a useful seed for you to take and evolve and adapt to your site and conditions. Thanks for all the kind words here

[@NotSureJoeBauers]

I like how you covered the charcoal process in depth. I saw your other wood stove video the popular one and I didn't really understand exactly what was going on

[@edibleacres]

Yeah, that is a popular video and it felt like going deeper on this subject would have value.

[@GardeningintheNorth]

Awesome method! Great video

[@stonemonkey900]

awesome idea

[@edibleacres]

Glad you think so!

[@composthappens1400]

I love this hotel pan method , they last a long time. I used one gallon paint cans they have a short life in the fire. Bagged wood pellets are my preferred fuel, uniform size that doesn’t need crushing. I often use the finished product in potting mix.

[@edibleacres]

The only thing with wood pellets is they cost money and have some sort of glue in them, also the plastic bag.. .Hmmm... Maybe it's worth trying some wood chips or other true waste stream feed stock?

[@composthappens1400]

@@edibleacres Most pellets are simply pressed saw dust no binders are used, I can find them for $5 a bag. The ease of having dry feed stock is worth a fiver IMO. I often use the empty vessel as a can liner. I have massive amounts of trash bags from Starbucks coffee grinds most of the time.

[@manjichromagnon5480]

I'll be thanking you for this over winter. I've used paint cans but this tray fits the bill.

[@edibleacres]

We make charcoal sometimes 4-5 times a day, every single day of the winter heating season in these trays. Some have been in circulation now for 5 years. They are just starting to have a few tiny holes but still function. This is a fundamentally really functional and well tested process for making huge amounts of heat WHILE making really high quality charcoal. I hope it works beautifully for you!

[@alexeidragunov4534]

Hello's from Transylvania>:) awsome info , great content everytime :) , i happy u have a carphatian wallnut , i wish i could share u some seeds , i also have a Wallnut called Ruby( Rubin) because is a red skin wallnut and a variety called "Carpatica" witch makes wallnuts the size of appeles around 9 cm also a black cherry awsome Romanian variety, our National Pride Bistrita Plum, and 3-4 pear varietis and much more :D

[@jcor6689]

What! Do you know Laszlo Gellert? (Jud. Harghita) Provider of seeds?

[@edibleacres]

Sounds like an amazing collection you have been working on out there, wow!

[@mcnam003]

If anyone is looking to buy these, we call these half hotel pans, and are common as 2, 4, or 6 inches, though you can also find 8 inches less regularly.

[@edibleacres]

Great note... . Yeah, this is a 6" deep half hotel pan then I guess. I modified the description to help people hone in better on the option. Thank you!

[@ammart1987]

In the UK they're called gastronorms or bain Marie pans for anyone struggling to find them!

[@bensonboys6609]

What’s really cool is this is very carbon negative and produces a useful product at the end. The trees get there energy from the sun and store it by pulling CO2 out of the air. Instead of the wood decomposing and releasing all that carbon back into the atmosphere when it’s metabolized, you burn it through pyrolysis. This decomposes and burns the lighter organic molecules, but leaves a significant portion of carbon behind. This carbon to my knowledge isn’t readily reintegrated into the ecosystem (a good thing), and remain as a carbon sink for quite some time. Instead of the complicated and expensive process of carbon capture, refining, and sequestration, this does all the same, is cheap, and leaves you with an actually useful product at the end. Good on you!

[@DRAGONJUICE9]

Good Video....keep up the Great Work

[@mjnm5713]

Thank you for sharing your system of heating and creating charcoal.

[@edibleacres]

Any time!

[@luismuniznon-conformistath6623]

This is great. If nothing else this is a nice easy guide to making charcoal. Its nothing to find a word burning stove that you can use in an open field to do this same process. There are other charcoal making methods yes, but I am definitely saving this info away for consideration later. Great video

[@edibleacres]

If you are interested in making charcoal outside... There are WAY better approaches. . We document 'cone kiln' method which is a simple pit that can convert a huge amount of branches into beautiful charcoal. I certainly wouldn't use this method outside, but if we're heating our home with heat anyway this is a lovely additional yield layer for sure.

[@willmcculloch6907]

I do this, thanks to a video of yours from a few years ago. It’s a great system but PLEASE wait until it’s cooled down completely - I veeeery nearly set my house on fire by not doing so. If in doubt: wait and let it cool more.

[@edibleacres]

So important.. The charcoal doesn't get ruined to sit and relax in the container in the stove even for a day or more... When in doubt, let it mellow and settle in temperature before interacting with it.

[@lindamunroe1431]

Ha ha. Yes cool before lifting the lid or you add oxygen. Best to quench with water when hot as that is the moment you can improve the biochar further. Bit tricky though, not for kids.

[@NS-pf2zc]

Oh this is brilliant! So it creates heat as well? And the gasses emitted are hot enough to burn off before going up the chimney? I only ask for the whole emissions/ chimney build up thing. Sorry for all the questions, but I’ve never seen this, and love it.

[@RagbagMcShag]

I think it should be better to make charcoal with those woodchips and integrate them into compost/soil than just straight up burning them (which would release the CO2 much quicker and would probably not burn the stuff as cleanly). The wood-gas thats released from the chips should also burn quickly and relatively cleanly I would assume.

[@edibleacres]

Creates ample ample heat for about 1-2 hours depending on what is in the container. If run correctly every last bit of gas that comes out of the container is caught on fire and cleaned up. For the most part, the whole process sends up the chimney just about 0 smoke (visible smoke that is). When run properly it is super clean and nice and hot..

[@WildflowerFarm417]

Great info. I'm just learning about biochar and will be adding to my garden beds this spring.

[@edibleacres]

Great! Just make sure you inoculate it before you add it to your soil (add urine, compost tea, or other nutrient stream)

[@jameskniskern2261]

@@edibleacres I've been running ours through the entire compost cycle. I have better results that way than just inoculating the char at the end of the compost cycle.

[@pharmerdavid1432]

I just love this channel - it may save many lives by ideas presented, maybe mine..?

[@edibleacres]

Hopefully no one gets hurt from any of the ideas we present!

[@amarodent]

I have been doing this on a small scale using two coffee cans. Most of the time I just screen out leftover bits of charcoal from ash.

[@cholcombe973]

Genius. I love it

[@politicalpartyagnostic268]

Thank you for sharing 🙏🏻🌿🌺

[@andreslucero81]

I love that the KZbin app on my TV shows a loop of the cats above the title “FREE FUEL for the wood stove” 😂

[@edibleacres]

I heard that from someone else... Yikes!

[@AlecMuller]

Great use of wood chips & syngas!

[@edibleacres]

I figure if we were to get one average load of dry/heartwood chips of say something like locust, ash or oak or the like, we could have the syngas from converting them to charcoal provide the actual majority of heat for our home for the winter. It's kind of crazy how nice it works.

[@barnabyvonrudal1]

@@edibleacres With this current system wouldn't the syngas go up the chimney? Or is it burnt in the retort (because the lids on)?

[@beccal7950]

Thank you for posting a follow up video on this! I tried two batches the other week, and before I try again, I would want to devise a foolproof system for taking the finished batch out of the stove. My retort was too hot to be handled with welders gloves alone.

[@edibleacres]

We wear the gloves and put it onto a metal baking sheet and still wear the gloves. . That combo has worked nicely.

[@nymbeats]

brilliant. this turns a chipdrop into a fueldrop. I'm off to buy a hotel pan or two.

[@edibleacres]

Turns out we are using a 'half hotel pan' that is 6" deep. Works wonderfully in our stove. . Roughly $30 between the container and the fitting lid. Starting with 1 is just fine so you can get a feel. If it works well and you want to up the game so that you are constantly charring with one pan, letting one rest and cool and preheating the next in line, then you could go back out and invest in 2 more... But starting with 1 makes sense. We have 3 now but ran 1 for a whole year before we committed.... Enjoy and be safe!

[@nymbeats]

@@edibleacres I'm due for some wood stove maintenance/improvement. I'd like to do as you guys do and feed it air from the outdoors. have you had your chimney swept? we have not since moving into this house and I wonder if we're due.

[@abigailpip112]

Why don't you keep the pan of cooked charcoal in the house while it cools? It would provide extra heat

[@edibleacres]

I understand the reasoning why you'd want to, BUT I would suggest not in case any last gasses haven't finished burning off, and because it would be a potential burning hazard. Not enough heat to warrant the risk I think.

[@rawkrentals]

I’ll have to try the wood chip method. We burn at least seven chords per year. Zone three; frozen solid from December until at least March!

[@edibleacres]

That is a tough, long winter for sure. This could be something to experiment with. Definitely a lot more involvement and stove interacting but in the depth of winter some days it's fun to have the 'task' throughout the day :)

[@PaleGhost69]

I've heard black lotus is a great renewable source of firewood. Do you have any growing and do you know if there is any truth to that?

[@cletushatfield8817]

I'm pretty sure he has it on at least one of his properties (if I've understood him well enough). He seems to be a fan, but I think that assumes that they are managed well. They're prevalent here in the midwest and seem to be universally despised. The two inch thorns are good for flats, not just on trucks/cars but also piercing through the soles of shoes. Osage Orange is similarly hated, but is great for firewood (splitting is a bear) and the thorns, although still basically like nails, aren't quite as bad. I'm not sure why locust gets so much love. It seems to me that "hedge" is better.

[@PaleGhost69]

@@cletushatfield8817 From what I heard, if you coppice it every year it gives you perfect sized logs for firewood and tools.

[@keralee]

Locust? Its a very hard wood. Might be true.

[@edibleacres]

We love black locust. We grow it in a grove at our 6 acre site. When possible, we'd burn black locust as our only firewood! Hoping to collect more from a nearby spot this winter..

[@deecooper1567]

Very resourceful 👍👍👵🏻👩‍🌾❣️

[@tammymccaslin4787]

We heat with a wood stove in a relatively warm climate (Oklahoma) and we go through a ton of firewood because we can’t use the stove at capacity. It’s just not cold enough. So we waste a lot of fuel from inefficient burning. I wish there was a way to burn smaller efficient fires in the stove, especially overnight. When my parents bought the stove they looked at smaller models but the burn time wasn’t very long. They didn’t want to be up every couple hours refilling. But with the small fires, it still works out to about twice a night maintaining the heat.

[@edibleacres]

Thats a tough middle ground.

[@tammymccaslin4787]

@@edibleacres what do you guys do in the transition seasons?

[@spurenzwischenhimmelunderde]

Danke sehr

[@dans3718]

I've been making charcoal in 5-gal steel pails, but they don't last very long and cost as much or more as those pans. Gonna look into those and then I think I will build myself a brick stove outdoors to bar-b-q on and also to burn for making charcoal. Those pans are a great size.

[@edibleacres]

If you are doing outdoor burns there are definitely a lot of other routes you could explore for making charcoal, but fundamentally these stainless steel containers have been incredibly reliable and good to us after these years...

[@composthappens1400]

Has any one else noticed a wonderful blue iridescence from bio charring pistachios?

[@edibleacres]

I've seen it on black walnut shells for sure... Crazy blue/purple shine when the char is done, super beautiful.

[@jameskniskern2261]

I've seen it! Some hardwoods do this too.

[@TheVigilantStewards]

I love this, I came back because I just watched your new wood splitting video and found it. Have you ever thought of other crushing methods or drums to use?

[@edibleacres]

I thought of other systems for crushing but really the bag system does it just fine for us so I don't need to get fancy if it's functional!

[@TheVigilantStewards]

@@edibleacres My issue was getting holes in the bag and it coming un folded on the end so the result would be charcoal dust coming out. I was also doing bigger chunks that I had bought as wood char from the store though

[@barnabyvonrudal1]

Amazing and amazing results, the end result could be artwork, lol. Do you have a stand in the fire (to place the retort on)? Have you ever had any explosions (from inside th retort)? Unfortunately I don't have a fire but if I do I'm definitely going to try this.

[@edibleacres]

No stand in the firebox, just rest the retort on a nice coal bed. No explosions since we never ever seal the lid on the container. It is on, resting in a good way to keep closed but in a relaxed way. Super important to NEVER seal them

[@NnJoGg]

Thanks for going into such great depth on your process. What is your method for drying the wood chips beforehand? They start composting pretty quickly in a pile.

[@edibleacres]

I looked for a particularly dry pile at the woodchip area. Yeah, most chips turn into warm material and compost pretty quickly if in a huge pile. I want to connect with a local arborist and be on the list for a delivery when they chip up a dead standing ash tree or something so it's dry to begin with. I bring crates of chips into the house to pre-dry right now...

[@monicabooth7358]

If you take it out while it's still hot, don't take the lid off. It will burst into flames.

[@edibleacres]

VERY good note, thanks for sharing. We only leave the lid on. Wait until the whole container is completely cool to the touch.

[@Squigggles]

1. Do not handle the pan until it is cold. Be patient. Let it be. 2. Do not cram the pan full. Leave it loose, especially if using material such as dry coffee grounds, which pack pretty tight. Best to leave the material loose so it chars thoroughly. Frustrating to get a batch that only partially "cooks." 3. Question: Do you find you need to leave the stove's air intake wide open for the pan to cook well? Or are you able to throttle it down?

[@edibleacres]

I would encourage you to not use coffee grounds... Whenever you have material that is high in nitrogen it is so much better to feed it directly to your soil or compost... Consider this a tool for making charcoal only from things that are high carbon and quite dry to begin with, it will make the process much nicer. If we have good material in there and a healthy fire it runs hot enough that we have to throttle it down or it can get WAY too hot...

[@Squigggles]

@@edibleacres i appreciate your point about coffee grounds. Thanks for engaging in this way.

[@haidafella8651]

What happens if you leave it too long? Is the charcoal consumed?

[@IndianPaintbrush1992]

Can you share more about the role charcoal plays in systems like compost? I've seen you talk about it a lot, but not why it's part of the system. I'm still learning about composting.

[@edibleacres]

Charcoal is an incredible nutrient holder. It can store/sequester nutrients for use later on, and can adsorb a huge amount so there is less overall leaching.

[@IndianPaintbrush1992]

@@edibleacres ah! So it’s like a “super carbon” for balancing out the nitrogen sources? Thank you! 🙏

[@sandrabrown4993]

Do you think this could be done in a small outdoor chiminea? I live in Florida so no need for a woodburning stove. Of course it would have to be a small pan to fit inside.

[@edibleacres]

I believe so... Please be safe

[@chrismunro4385]

What kind of cloths do you burn?

[@jim2498]

I would recommend you turn on your backup heat source at least once year. Because it's not good for any system to be off for years and to make sure it works. But I like your video.

[@edibleacres]

Good note, thakn you.

[@HAYChloeDevon]

How are you starting them in the fire? Are you building a fire first and then placing the retort in?

[@edibleacres]

Yes, the retort gets put into an existing fire. Takes practice but I find a 'medium' strength fire with small wood available to keep things going is the perfect time to add a retort. . When in doubt, go with very little material in the container the first few times so it is safer and a shorter run.

[@HAYChloeDevon]

@@edibleacres thank you! I always really appreciate your videos and ingenuity!

[@christianlandmark2461]

hey just wondering what material you are burning underneath the hotel pans to ignite whats inside, it looks like hot charcoals

[@edibleacres]

The charcoal making process is driven by standard firewood. If you watch the video closely it is basically a standard fire with the hotel pan on top

[@Indeewoods]

Nice! Where is your air damper setting on the stove while doing this ? I have a Super 27 as well ( great stove) and wondering if you are dampered right low or med or high while burning these.

[@edibleacres]

When we are running the stove with a charcoal retort in there we like to keep it 'open' to get it up to speed and running strong and then throttle the air intake down so that it doesn't get too hot. CRITICAL that you don't add a ton of wood around the retort at first, have a slightly filled container and a gentle fire and learn before you go full on

[@kimlougheed6642]

Is moderation the key factor in keeping the retort from warping or is the construction and gauge of SS metal inherently resistant to distortion? Are there choices ? Meaning is the 6 inch tall more durable or just better for increased volume?

[@edibleacres]

I think it is better to be safe any way and running it hot but not screaming hot has value for safety of the home, etc... The warping we've experienced with the container comes almost entirely from it being 'shocked' by coming out of the stove and going directly onto a very cold surface like the concrete in the garage. Now we put it on a metal tray near the wood stove to release the heat and slowly cool and that seems good. 4+ years with the original containers and they are still intact.

[@donatolepore3520]

Charcol also taps carbon until it is burned if left in the soil it is just taking carbon from the atmosphere.

[@4.43acrehomestead]

Thank you for sharing! What brand is your stove? We recently purchased one that looks similar (we got ot from a friend for $25!) but doesn't have the door.

[@edibleacres]

This is a Pacific Energy Super Series stove.

[@kerem7546]

what do you mean by "creating" syngas? Are you just describing a clean combustion?

[@edibleacres]

The wood inside the container is being pyrolysized, as in letting go of all volatile gasses contained. That gas is then hitting the main open flame of the stove and combusting in a super clean way... So it is both of what you are describing if that makes sense.

[@kerem7546]

@@edibleacres woh!!! that is so rad!! glad I asked :)

[@13ccasto]

Hey Sean- thanks for the update on this! How do you know when the pan is "done" in the wood stove?

[@edibleacres]

I mention it briefly in the video, but if I think it's done, I can 'test' by opening the wood stove and using a metal tool to lift the containers lid just a little. If I see ANY smoke or any flame come out I know it still has a way to go. Then I would add a little more wood around it to keep it going. Not super complex and once one gets a feel for it is pretty straightforward.

[@13ccasto]

@@edibleacres Very good to know - thank you!!

[@Squigggles]

Another suggestion: Use only a steel pan. Aluminum will melt. Been there.

[@JanColdwater]

Do you build a fire until it produces coals, add more wood to the sides and place the covered pan in the middle?

[@edibleacres]

I'd say there is an art to it, something that needs practice based on each stove and material being charred... That said... A healthy bed of coals, one or two smaller pieces of firewood on top and the container slid onto the firewood is a reasonable place to start. A container only filled a little the first few times reduces risk and stress. I can always add a bit more small firewood next to it as needed, way safer than overstuffing!

[@JanColdwater]

@@edibleacres Thank you! I think this is better than doing it in the yard for sure!

[@bigal7713]

how long does it take to dry the wood chips and would you recommend using choosing the freshest ones or those aged a bit that already have leaves/needles decomposed?

[@edibleacres]

Ideal is to have a dump load of woodchips from a dead standing and dry tree, sometime in summer, and store them protected from any rain, out of contact with the ground and with air flow. That is ideal! You definitely want to avoid decomposing chips, those are most best in the garden, big, chunky, dry wood chips are the best.

[@Amoondar]

So you just add the container with unlit fuel into the already lit fire?

[@edibleacres]

The container is filled with carbon rich, dry material to undergo pyrolysis with heat contained in the wood stove and turned into charcoal

[@Amoondar]

@@edibleacres so amazing! Thank you!

[@annwithaplan9766]

Good idea. So, the stuff on the inside of the pan never catches on fire? Thanks.

[@edibleacres]

It never fully combusts. It goes through pyrolysis at a nice high, clean temperature and all the gasses that have energy stored in it are burnt in the main fire. We normally get near 100% clean charcoal from this.

[@annwithaplan9766]

@@edibleacres - Interesting. I'll have to remember that for when I get a wood stove of my own. Thanks.

[@heihei4478]

Can the biochar uses as charcoal to do the barbecue grill? I am sorry English is not my first language an couldn’t get “ can “ or “ can’t”

[@edibleacres]

Yes, you could make the charcoal with larger chunks and use them as charcoal for a BBQ if that is what you wanted to do.

[@heihei4478]

@@edibleacres Thanks a lot. Great information.😀

[@mlindsay527]

I love the simplicity, but how cool would a special made stove be that uses the least amount possible of bio gas to start/maintain the wood gas process, sensors to let you know when it is done and ready for refilling! Design it to hold 8 hours of fuel. Add a bunch of thermal mass and insulation so you don’t have to run it at night.

[@edibleacres]

It would be amazing for sure, but I also deeply deeply appreciate that this solution can be done with more or less any stove and with components that are easy to get and already exist :)

[@zachlloyd9392]

I wonder if that would work in an open fireplace? Or would that leave the off gassing to possibly come into the home? Se get really good drafting up the chimney and have never had issues with it wafting out into the room.

[@edibleacres]

I think it is quite reasonable to experiment with that, with a very small 'load' at first to get a feel, but the basic premise is sound. There was a product called 'biocharlie' that was meant for fireplaces. It was basically a section of 6" stovepipe with two ends and just a few holes drilled in. You may want to look at photos for ideas. Be safe!

[@zachlloyd9392]

@@edibleacres Awesome, thanks for the info. I'll look into it more, definaty do not want to blow anything up lol. I might look into a way to extract the gas as well and store for cook tops. Like they do with biogas.

[@zachlloyd9392]

@@edibleacres Well, I tested it with a tin can from dinner, put in a few thin slices of wood, placed the lid cutout down onto the wood, and put it in the fireplace, was amazing to see the gas being burned off coming around the lid in the can, turned out great, I quenched it a bit with some water then overturned the can to cut off oxygen. Only a handful of it was made, but the experiment worked, I could see the flame etc being drawn up the chimney flue. We have carbon monoxide detectors etc in the house so I don't think anything was making it into the house. Now to have everyone over for a big chilli or bean dinner, and I can use the can from the large beans next, or maybe go middle of the road and only go up to a 30oz can next. If we are going to use the fireplace, there is no reason NOT to make some extra. Right now what I have made is going into our compost bin. My wife hasn't complained about the compost since I added it.

[@barrypetejr5655]

Asking because I don't know.....so wood burnt all the way to ash....ash does not have the same effect as the charcoal ?? I know a fine layer of ash is very beneficial to the garden.....

[@edibleacres]

Good question. Ash is nice in small doses in the garden to add minerals and change pH. Well made charcoal doesn't change pH much at all and persists as a super nutrient sponge for 100s if not 1000s of years! Well worth searching about 'biochar' to learn more...

[@Beehashe]

Can you use a small cast iron Dutch oven?

[@edibleacres]

I suppose so, but I haven't tried so I can't say for sure. I would suspect it would hold onto the heat incredibly thoroughly so it would need to be handled and placed very carefully.

[@Beehashe]

@@edibleacres thanks👍

[@danweinshenker]

My experience is that they will soon crack, from the heat stress. Stainless steel hotel food service pans are ideal.

[@Lauradicus]

Hmmm, have you even sketched with it? If so do you have an approximate black rating?

[@edibleacres]

I haven't worked with it much, but it is not 'greasy' at all so whatever that would mean as far as use. If you ran a lower heat fire to make it I bet you could modify the finished char to be more 'crispy/dry' (hotter) or 'greasy' (cooler)...

[@Lauradicus]

@@edibleacres thanks Sean.

[@RagbagMcShag]

Not sure if I like a video called "FREE FUEL..." which has your cats in the preview xDD Can you make a follow up video on a run where you charcoal nut shells? It would be interesting to see what they turn into

[@kenyonbissett3512]

😆😂🤣🤣😂😆 I just could never think of cats as fuel. It took me a minute to go there. But you are right, there are those whose first thought would be using cats to fuel the burn. My youngest cat still has the zoomies, she run like the hounds of hell are chasing her up 3 flights of stairs then back down. Up and down, down and up. Okay at 10am, less welcome at 3am.

[@edibleacres]

I looked into it and it seems I can't edit or disable that.... Yikes! If there is enough interest I may do a follow up video where I go way deeper into how we run these bioichar sessions and what different feedstocks turn into.

[@mourlyvold64]

@@edibleacres "If there is enough interest I may do a follow up video..." Well, may I express my interest? Greetings from the Netherlands.

[@sandrastratton6964]

can I go ahead and make my own charcoal briquettes from the char?

[@edibleacres]

You could. If you used larger chunks or branches in the container the finished charcoal is large, chunky and super clean.

[@sandrastratton6964]

@@edibleacres but can I hen burn the charcoal again for heat or cooking?

[@michaelwallis2184]

🌱

[@johnjoseph7490]

Any reason why you can’t use the charcoal in the wood stove?

[@edibleacres]

You could but it would defeat the purpose.... . The point here is to have a very clean, high value product at the end of the process of heating your home. Biochar is super valuable for the soil.

[@GetNewGames.com-FREE]

what i don't understand is why you don't use this charcoal back in the stove to burn it and use it all the way????????????????? plz someone explain

[@edibleacres]

Search 'biochar' and read up on it's properties as a soil amendment... That is the highest value I could imagine using it for, personally.

[@GetNewGames.com-FREE]

@@edibleacres thank you for the reply, I'm sure biochar can be great for soil, but I am still left wondering if you can use this biochar back in the oven to burn it all the way? is it not like regular charcoal