How to make coffee logs

[@littlefootinalaska6253]

Really enjoyed your video, thank you for posting. It just so happens where i live in Alaska, i have access to sawdust from cutting wood for our heat and cooking. I also have access to shredded paper from my work. To top it off my family and I drink tons of coffee. It will only cost me my labor. The benefit could reduce the amount waste going into our landfil, which is over priced and an hour away, and could potentially increase our heat production when the temperature drops below negative 55! If nothing else, it will be interesting and fun! Like making fire starters out of old discarded candle wax and sawdust! Hey, maybe i will add some coffee grounds to my firestarters.....

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Thanks that comment made my day. Just make sure they dry out fine before burning in -55c . I have a few burning vids so you can see what to expect... i also am about to test 40% coffee/sawdust mox when it gets below about 13 degrees here. So its still warm!

[@johndemore6402]

Hey Mr frugal you know if you stop by coffee shops Or any places that serve coffee you give them a bucket they'll give you the grinds just gotta ask

[@RobTheFrugalist]

totally! Thats exactly what I did to get enough coffee for the 40% coffee coffee logs, which I have yet to burn, video coming as soon as it gets cold here... (in a month or so). They upturned this giant tube thing and semi warm fresh grounds just filled up my carrier bag @@johndemore6402

[@ire1398]

That’s flammable too.

[@michaelkeefe2715]

This may be a stupid question, but why coffee grounds? The paper and saw dust are pretty obvious choices, but I don't understand the benefit of the coffee.

[@paanne1013]

I first thought you were making these to make coffee, which I thought was odd, but to turn coffee grinds into a log to burn is genius.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Thanks 😊 That would indeed have been strange.

[@cptcosmo]

I've seen wood pulp logs made before, but I think your process has to be the most elegant. Well done!

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Thanks thats very kind of you to say.( I am sure there are better out there though)

[@EURIPODES]

I think we got a different idea of what a coffee log is. For me in the morning, coffee goes in and logs come out. That's coffee logs.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Ha ha well quite! I took the name from something I saw for sale in a supermarket. That opens a number of more worrying questions...

[@johndemore6402]

I thought a cake roll Flavor with extra strong coffee creme filling yum

[@Lieze-nz]

​@@johndemore6402 me too ..though this seem interesting too

[@relbourn1]

@@Lieze-nz ​ @johndemore6402 ah I see ! Like the old chocolate logs. Swiss roll style! hah! You don't want to be eating this!

[@michaelleigh6228]

Aye

[@rustyaxelrod]

I think I enjoyed your responses to the negative comments more than the log making. KZbin can be a snarky place and you handle it quite well. We burn a fireplace through our short winters, the central system could handle the heating just fine but a fire is quite comforting. I do woodworking, my wife and I both drink coffee daily and she has an obsession with the shredder I bought her a couple years ago so the ingredients are here, I do think the press could use a lever to remove a little more water and reduce drying time. In my case I could just build a small set-up against a fence post in the back yard. Clever idea! 👍

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Thanks I try my best. Let us know how you get on. Drying time in a few weeks isn't too bad (compared with seasoning) but Id love to squeeze a bit more out... let me know if you come up with something. Trying to think of ideas that everyone can do and that will last...

[@oakmaiden2133]

No snarky intended, but this isn’t practical at all, better to put those grounds, sawdust into a compost pile and use the water there as well.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

I currently have enough compost, I could enrich it yes. But I cannot burn compost to heat the house. Every minute those logs burn is a minute not burning natural gas. Incidentally taking pressure off the supply we get from Russia.@@oakmaiden2133

[@VitorMadeira]

Fantastic idea. I love repurposing and/or reusing materials that otherwise would be sent to the landfill. Thank you and greetings from Portugal.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Great to hear! You might not need these so much with the Portuguese climate! I love Pastéis de Nata/ Belém

[@Katesharpandvoice]

Waste not, want not. Great use for junk mail too!

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Yup

[@shaneyule3484]

That's a great idea! I think you could use these logs to grow mushrooms as well.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Oh wow tell me more? Is this a thing you do?

[@ollvebranch]

I guess you’d drill holes in your logs, pour the mushroom mycelium, (probably oyster mushrooms work best), into said holes, seal with melted beeswax or whatnot and place in a shady corner of the garden - log pile like - and water. However as you said they not very solid so an alternative would be to use as a medium for growing wine caps. You’d build it like a lasagne - choosing a shady area to layer the mushroom mycelium in between the coffee/paper/wood chip mixture and then wait and see. I’m gonna try next year with wine caps after the last frost has gone in the UK. Super helpful video btw. I love a good winter wood fire! I make A LOT of grounds and there’s only so much fertiliser/compost I can use in my super small garden.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Amazing. I'd love to see one of your mycological manifestations!

[@ThomasGrillo]

That's awesome! So, instead of sending paper out to the curb, you shred it, and turn it, along with coffee grounds, and sawdust, into fuel. Brilliant! :)

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Thats exactly right. Now we do recycle paper. But that still takes energy and is inefficient. We are getting the fuel from a replenishable source in favour of usung natural gas (fossil fuel) which is less easily replacable . Thanks :)

[@Deontjie]

Can you do this without coffee?

[@RobTheFrugalist]

@@Deontjie yes.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

I actually have a video in the making of this except I wanted to include the burning.. so its in hold til it gets cold

[@ThomasGrillo]

@@RobTheFrugalist Ah, ok. Looking forward to that.

[@regwatson2017]

Many thanks for the useful video - retired safety officer here with just a warning to you and viewers that when you were picking out the pieces of paper from the drill mixer attachment with your fingers it was still attached to the "live-power" drill. I know your hand wasn't on the trigger but if anything accidentally bumps or presses on that drill button whilst you are doing it you run the risk of broken or severely injured fingers. Always power drill off first - preferably remove the attachment completely to be sure.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Wise words take heed everyone.

[@williamwhitney6473]

One distracted monent can mess up your live. Many people have lost hands and other parts from careless use of power tools.

[@polerin]

This makes me super glad I always take the battery out of my trim router before farting with the spinny hell beast

[@lyndseyanne4022]

I really want to give this a go. All the other videos id seen in the past used molasses. I bought a bag of molasses but it seemed like a false economy doing that. Here all the ingredients can be used from waste products alone. Great!! My coffee also went mouldy when i was saving it. 😬

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Exactly. Molasses/wax etc.. all false economy. If you cannot keep the coffee grounds dry (i have had this problem too and had to chuck it after the familiar green/blue aspergillus like mould appearing). Try sticking it in a bag in the freezer if you have a chest freezer shouldnt cost significantly. Shouldn't matter when it comes to mixing either.

[@antiquejean]

I thought the recipes with molasses made it more expensive than just buying a log. Glad I found yours. I’ve wanted to add my shredded mail as well.

[@lisarainbow9703]

When I dry my coffee grounds, I set them up on pie tins in front of the heat vent on my floor, they dry completely within a few days in the winter, with the heat going. I then transfer the dried grounds into a bucket for storage.

[@danbev8542]

Coffe grounds are really good for garden soil! They are slightly acidic so are ideal for most trees, and foundation plants.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Yes indeed they are. I have used this in my compost too.

[@cerissemincey1763]

I scatter them on my garden and plants.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

@cerissemincey1763 if i threw mine on the grass my dog would be after them! Lol. Sounds like it works well for you!

[@stringlarson1247]

I compose all of my coffee grounds as well. I'm going to make some of these later this summer, and the residual water will go in the compost unless I use bleached/printed paper. I save up my hardwood ash to make lye for soap. We'll have to see how ash from these do for that.

[@twcmaker]

Hi Rob. I used to make very similar to this. If you add weight to the top off the logs, they won't release that much from the initial compression. More weight on top means less air and will burn longer. Found you because viewers of my Coffee logs video watched your video too. I know part compost and every briquette (smaller than yours) burns over 2 hours. Hope this helps. Jamie

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Thanks for this! They dont tend to decompress too much. Maybe 5%. Not too sure why. Thanks for the tip. I do wonder if a more compressed log burns longer/slower. Thats answered that. :)

[@RobTheFrugalist]

your channel looks interesting! Subscribed

[@capn_chris]

You used to be able to buy square presses for making brick sized logs from newspaper & water which had a lever system for compression, easier than a tube and a post! I used to add charcoal dust from the barbeque, never had sawdust or coffee grounds. Just soak the newspaper for a day or so and it turns to mush, probably because its unglazed but yours is a useful way of disposing of shreddings. The newspaper "logs" did not burn very hot and produced a great deal of ash (in an open fire) but did keep it going if you were out of the room for a while.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

I have seen those. I have heard they can bend and be flimsy. I'll eventually try one. If you get a more solid or cast iron one though I'll bet its brilliant. Is yours quite strong?

[@capn_chris]

Mine is quite solid (chaeper ones are not) and you do need something to push the "brick" out as it's quite dry. I dry my "bricks" on a corrugated iron roof in summer onlt takes a couple of days! @@RobTheFrugalist

[@RobTheFrugalist]

@@capn_chris nice. Where did you (or can you still?) Get it from?

[@anthonym.pacelli1960]

This is a new one on me, excellent video thanks for posting !

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@chickenmaster1355]

I love this. Thank you for such an informative video. Love,prayers, and peace from Wyoming, usa❤❤❤

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Glad you liked it. Blessings from London!

[@literarynick]

Your Nostromo shirt is fantastic.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Thanks. More will appear.

[@alannakennedy5273]

Great idea...thank you for sharing. This video will help alot of people.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Glad it was helpful!

[@craigpage1261]

They look delicious.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Haha thanks

[@stringlarson1247]

This is great. I've got all the pieces around here. Need so make a screen. Nicely done. I was going to make a press for doing bricks, but this will be less fabrication. I have plenty of other projects :)

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Go for it!

[@mikek.3965]

Clever idea. Thanks!

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Glad you liked it!

[@davidcrocombe1322]

Can you have a 3rd bucket to put the “waste” water in so it can be reused?

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Totally possible. For me water isnt a scarcity i have an overflowing waterbutt for example. For others it may be a great idea.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

It might also interest you that I recycled my old wheelie bin to act as a waterbutt too here's how : kzbin.info/www/bejne/bImTd3lnh9Znfbssi=L9y8J-hOsCKW7PiE

[@christinemcdermott4772]

Brilliant video, thank you for sharing.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@ajalicea1091]

We burn wood for heat every year. This would make a great addition to use. Recycle & enjoyable scent.😊 I can use these along with the cedar twigs and essential oils.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Let us know how you get on.

[@dmann1209]

Excellent!

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@richierich4810]

Good ideas, you should insulate them pipes though as in the winter they will freeze & break & your have a water leak.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Thats ok it never gets that cold here!

[@wholefoodplantbasedmama5398]

I watched another similar channel and he let the pulp and coffee sit in the bucket for 2 months. He said that the end result was a much harder better burning brick/log. He said he had experimented extensively.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Sounds interesting. Though I have not the space nor time to participate in that particular experiment.

[@totherarf]

I used to make my own, in a similar way! The key difference was pressure. I found that I could not push hard enough to force enough water out. I am also an honorary Yorkshireman so am allergic to buying a "professional" press. I compromised by using a 4 x 2 as a lever. I drilled an anchor bolt into the wall and this stops the 4 x 2 going up as i put my full weight on the far end with the piston at a suitable distance between. You can get an amazing amount of pressure before you can split a 4 x 2 and I found the "logs" were fairly dry, and certainly solid enough to stack for drying! The only reason I stopped was that the logs when burned produce too much ash! I can burn a good 18 hrs before needing to empty my ash pan but not so with the logs (I would need to empty after every nights burn! The only good aspect was that the ash when applied with a wet rag is a great cleaner for the window on my stove ;o)

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Interesting regarding ash! Love the description of your setup. Wonder if too much paper involved? It will certainly have a bit more ash than a log. Did a video on cleaning glass with ash too (though not do be done with coal ash)

[@totherarf]

@@RobTheFrugalist You may be right. It might be worth dusting the gear down out of the shed and giving it another go!

[@seancolledge918]

Thank you take care.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Thanks, you too!

[@pugsmom1]

Very interesting. Thank you.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@podcastforfreedom5784]

excellent work my friend! tell us more! peace Valerie

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Welcome. More to come plus some burning vids already out!

[@toastoftowne1076]

Good show! Thanks aloha

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Pleasure

[@85tv12]

Great idea!

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Thanks!

[@nathanmciver6496]

Wow, you are awesome!!!!!! Coffee logs!

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Thanks!

[@paulmckellar1254]

Great video Rob, I’ll be trying it out when I’ve got enough coffee grounds 🤟

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Thanks. Do make sure you keep those grounds dry in storage else they will get mouldy. Break them up if in "pucks" even store in oven after use can work (switched off!!)

[@Horrorcubus]

Good call mixing the paper pulp before adding the wood, but I think the fibre of the wood would be much easier to compress and bind if you soak it for 2 days or even longer. But your results are awsome so if it´s not necessary you can save the time... maybe next batch leave enough for 1 brick lying around for a few days and see the difference? I´m all out of sawdust so I can´t make more this year.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Great idea

[@jackjanssendc1241]

Do you have any idea what the proportion or ratio of paper to sawdust to coffee grounds is? or is it just a matter of use what ou have and divvy it up??

[@RobTheFrugalist]

You want a porridge like consistency at the end. Shredded paper is light, but takes up higher volume than the sawdust. All the paper needs to do is act as a binding agent. So by weight 25% but by volume it was about 50%. The coffee was about 15-20% by weight. And sawdust the rest. I have some which is more like 40% coffee but will burn that later next month. Will record the effect/difference then.

[@GladiatorReid]

Enjoyed your video, I've made logs before but not with coffee grounds. If you decide to use cardboard instead of paper, after soaking add 2 zip ties to mixing attachment & cut diagonal to cut it up better.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Great tip!

[@michaelmello9510]

Nice work

[@mellis966]

I bet Coffee Grounds, Cocoa Shell Mulch, and a bit of maple syrup would smell fantastic! Maybe use an old wall paper mix of 350 g Wheat Flour (or just 1 1/2 cups), 120 g Sugar (or just 1/2 cup), 1 tablespoon Alum Powder ... Maybe a bit of charcoal dust.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

I'd have to think about the residue left up the chimney from burning that sugar. 🤔

[@ghart91]

Nice video Rob. Do you get a coffee aroma when you burn the logs? That would be nice. Love the smell of coffee.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

I also love the smell of coffee. When its drying out theres a bit of a smell but its not the rich good smell we love. But when burning for real sadly not expeirenced it yet. When I try my 40% coffee logs I'll check again, however I don't think there will be a smell. Mainly because the coffee grounds are used.

[@theemmanuelswife]

Brilliant!

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Cheers!

[@captaincrustyradio]

Rob this is great!

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Thanks! Glad you like it.

[@balthizarlucienclan]

You might be able to make denser logs if you change over to using two, three, or four threaded rods and nuts with washers to push the plunger down tighter whilst the material is wet. Ideally you want to compress the material until 99% of the water is out of it. More pressure = denser logs = longer burn times 😅

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Curious ... how would I attach them? I am concerned it might break somewhere or slow down the process... but it's worth a thought. I have considered a bottlejack but dont have one and the goal is to use the tools and materials at my disposal (as it becomes less frugal then... a different (but valid tho) kind of challenge. Looking forwards to your thoughts...

[@balthizarlucienclan]

@@RobTheFrugalist you could mount the pipe to the base in a way that is removable, place the threaded rods around the pipe, add a flange to the press which also has holes, then simply fill the pipe and tighten the nuts on the flange until you can’t anymore. This should provide plenty of force. The idea of a bottle Jack could also work, depending on how it was deployed

[@RobTheFrugalist]

@@balthizarlucienclan I think I see, nice idea. Though I dont have the bits for it at the mo. Thanks for the idea!💡

[@chadnietzscheback5636]

Was thinking a bottle jack press.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

@chadnietzscheback5636 i have seen those but dont have one.

[@pawjeppesen-ifttttricks605]

I’m thinking of using old oil from the deep fryer and cooking oil?

[@RobTheFrugalist]

I'd avoid that because of the rancid risk, however if you think firelighters..then you are well on your way. I have a vid on that one kzbin.info/www/bejne/kHOmfqKeZ7KspLcsi=gUMfwSH7HRIqfK22

[@tooshieg2059]

other than a nice smell, what benefit is the coffee? Seems like the paper and sawdustwould do the job.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Sadly no nice smell when burning. Paper and sawdust definitely does a job. Coffee also does a job, I am about to measure whether coffee logs burn longer than just sawdust and paper on their own. Not much difference in my other video comparing them. Its a nice way to reuse rather than throw away the coffee or just compost it. I am about to try about 40% coffee to see if it makes a difference once it gets cold enough.

[@frankrosebrock4424]

@@RobTheFrugalist Composting coffee would benefit your plants and would preserve the minerals and vitamins instead of burning them.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

@@frankrosebrock4424 yup, and as well as too. I do both. Als the ash from the fire I used for my tomatoes this year :)

[@ellens2476]

just curious what your motivation is? - No cheap/free access to fire wood - using up waste resources? - good fire starter burns? If you could occasionally gather free firewood would you still do it?

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Yeah great question. Original motivation was I had dwindling wood supplies and had left over sawdust and coffee grounds. (I figured that coffee was basically wood ie. carbon stuff and previously seen some for sale in a supermarket at an extortionate cost...) So yes ..How can I use them? Free firewood beats this everyday, but it's not always possible. The video motivation was from people asking me how I did it and wanting to help others and also anything to reduce the demand on natural gas from Russia given the war in Ukraine.

[@miketripp8673]

Hello, just discovered your ideal for coffee logs, another way to recycle used coffee grinds. Wondering if you combined different elements with-in the coffee logs which might increased burn time or intensity? ratio of charcol to coffee, paper, sawdust, particularly Fatwood or pine byproducts. I am going to try coffee grinds and wax in empty tuna cans vs cardboard and wax.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Let me know how you get on! I did start playing with ratios here kzbin.info/www/bejne/n2GlhaN9i8ZkatEsi=1koxetgHVNH0uEvX but not tried different types of sawdust as its simply my sawdust byproducts which I don't have a choice with. Charcoal I tend to put straight on the fire. Wax I am not a fan of. Especially if it costs. But dont want wax on the inside of my flu could he asking for trouble (but perhaps its fine though I just think of the insides of old churches and candles)

[@ronyerke9250]

Cardboard box manufacturers use corn starch as a binding agent. Perhaps a few grams of that added to your mix will be a nice addition for solid logs.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Great idea! I'll bet that would help.

[@quadritech]

I have seen someone a long time ago that cracked an egg or two into his to help them bind better and be less fragile.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

That sounds crazy. Did it work? Sounds almost like you needed to cook them in the oven to be set. Fortunately these dry hard despite being a little fragile early on...

[@ellentau427]

Awesome , now how about making and selling the post that makes those beautiful logs on Amazon !😀

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Haha fab. I might do one showing how to make it in more detail one day. I think it's just a pipe, a jigsaw. A drill. A plank a bit of sandpaper and an old fence post and you are off to the races!

[@amphidory7600]

what is the ratio of paperto sawdust to coffee? equal parts of each or?

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Probably 2 sawdust to 1 coffee however i am trying a higher coffee shortly. Ready to test. (40-45% coffee the rest sawdust/paper)

[@ollvebranch]

How do you dry your coffee grounds?

[@RobTheFrugalist]

I currently leave them in an open container with the pucks broken up. And then if the oven has been on I'll store it in that residual heat. I jave also left it outside in the sun on a hot day. A better solution may be to just freeze them in a bag in the chest freezer.

[@ollvebranch]

Thank-you! I have been saving coffee grounds recently and use them mixed into my general fertiliser and soil improver, but seem to make more grounds than I can use! (My garden is a bit too small for a regular size compost at the mo’). I’m going to try this method as a cheap alternative to buying logs for the fire pit, which seem to be getting more expensive each year. I’ll find your video on how well they burn. I live in a built up area, so I’m hoping the less smoke the better. !😅

[@RobTheFrugalist]

fantastic, let us know how it goes@@ollvebranch I must admit I am not sure how well they would go in a firepit, curious to know.

[@pertzian.sounds]

Hi Rob, what is the weight ratio of sawdust, coffee and paper in those briquettes?

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Roughly 15% -20% coffee, 25% paper (guess as its quite a lot of volume) the rest sawdust which didn't look much but weighed greatest.

[@barnabyvonrudal1]

Cool and interesting use of coffee grounds! What's your technique/method for drying out the coffee grounds?

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Currently dry it in the garage. Near some warm pipes, (check the later part of the video) the moisture content goes to easily

[@barnabyvonrudal1]

@@RobTheFrugalist I was referring to the coffee grounds, not the logs. I did see the part at the end for drying the logs (near the warm pipes). I dry used tea leaves and some coffee grounds for other purposes. No fire in my current setup

[@RobTheFrugalist]

@barnabyvonrudal1 I apologise I misread your post. That is a little trickier. I was going to do a vid on it. But in short, its a little hit and miss. Leave it for a few days all clumped up and it soon gets mouldy which isnt good. So I store my grounds in a metal tray which I keep open. Any lumps I break up. I also store it in the oven (very dry), but not while its actively on. I will slot them back in the oven while the ovens still hot. I have also left it out in the sun too. However as soon as you forget about it... it will turn green.( As all those secondary metabolites that keep microbes off the beans are killed off during the espresso making.) I have had to chuck some coffee grounds as they got too mouldy. Possibly the best idea is to store them in the freezer and take out when you need them. This I havent suggested to my wife yet for reasons of life preservation and platonic harmony. :)

[@zatoichi3652]

Star wars fan! Nice!

[@hiroyopoetker]

Spectacular ideas

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Thank you! 😊

[@hiroyopoetker]

@@RobTheFrugalist This winter will be fun trying to make some for the first time! Thank you!

[@llwellynantel3932]

What do you use coffee logs for

[@RobTheFrugalist]

They go in the log burner check out kzbin.info/www/bejne/iWOboJeGZZ2onacsi=JxYN8lAWfMj8pGbA

[@tomlawrence1552]

Nice! Thanks for this. Do you need to worry about the proportions of each mixture, or can you eye ball it? I don't drink coffee, so wouldn't have as many left over grounds...!

[@RobTheFrugalist]

In short - eyeball it is fine. The proportions are something I am experimenting with. For the (yellow) bucket that size (40 Litres) I would be using about 25-30L (or two baskets of shredded paper), that with water added is much smaller, and then about 2-3KG of dried coffee grounds. The rest of the bulk is sieved sawdust to make a loose porridge consistency. I would aim to use all the coffee grounds up as your constraining factor. 25% coffee is a good target to aim for. But if you drink tea that will burn too, (which would also need drying out). If there are any mammoth tea drinkers who want to experiment with that then let me know how you get on...

[@LaineyBug2020]

You could ask some local coffee shops for their spent grounds, they usually give them to you for free so they don't have to pay to have them trashed.

[@chadnietzscheback5636]

Now I'm wondering if loose tea might work as well.

[@janew5351]

Star bucks will give you coffee grounds for your composter so use it to make bricks as well!

[@jpvoodoo5522]

You are still providing wood. It seems like a big hassle. How much does it cost per log to produce? Most people don't have sawdust on hand. I haven't figured out why the coffee is necessary either if you are including sawdust and paper. I am also wondering whether any ink on the paper could cause respiratory problems. If I had to buy clean paper, I am not sure this is money saving. What exactly are the benefits?

[@RobTheFrugalist]

All made from waste from having logs to cut and a chainsaw etc... so you are right. The cost is only my time. The coffee again is a side /waste product. The coffee effect thing I am investigating myself as part of an experiment (see other videos)

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Benefits are free heat for a bit of manual labour out of stuff you already have. Also I try to avoid glossy or heavily inked paper. Some of which is unavoidable but use a logburner so minimal leakage back into the room. I have asthma and its not affected.

[@jpvoodoo5522]

@@RobTheFrugalist , Yes I see. I'm sorry if I sounded like a downer. This is a great idea if you already have some of the ingredients anyway. Say, if you were a woodworker who could collect sawdust. Coffee is just plant waste. it might smell good too. I would need to cut wood to get the sawdust. But if I had the wood, I would probably just use the wood. It also made me miss newspapers You used to be able to roll them up for logs. I am in Florida, so not much need for heat. But these logs might be a good backup fuel for hurricane season

[@RobTheFrugalist]

@jpvoodoo5522 thats ok. I quickly understood your context. KZbin seems to be sharing my vids a bit more (in case people are interested -rather than deliberately searching me out..) a lot of the paper I used would be recycled anyway so why not convert it to heat (kindling or coffee logs) without transporting it to a center. I have yet to try burning rolled papers. I know you can get a metal device to hold it together but I have heard it produces excess ash. Still heat is heat...

[@BlackTownie999]

water =money, recycle your water from the pressings into your next batch, and to further improve on your pressings building some sort of lever system to put more pressure on the pressed logs will help put more material into them and thus longer burns from each log. And thanks for the idea of the coffee, my household drinks a lot of coffee and tea so adding that into the mix means less waste!

[@RobTheFrugalist]

If needed I can get the water from my waterbutt from a recycled bin ♻️ kzbin.info/www/bejne/bImTd3lnh9Znfbssi=-zO6vA2C2ECRl0H6

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Dont have the materials to hand for the lever system but good idea

[@LAStars-sratS]

Use the surplus water on the lawn, trees, garden, compost, etc.

[@jesserivchin8163]

Do you have to have saw dust in there or can it be just the coffee and paper?

[@RobTheFrugalist]

I think it could definitely work with coffee and paper.I've t tried it. But check out my latest vid just doing paper kzbin.info/www/bejne/qZDOh4ytiaeKqKcsi=H3OS7oiaGGfwQVk9 and that works.. so dont see why not... try it and let us know how you get on!

[@mattsanchez4893]

Not sure why this was recommended for me as I don’t have a fireplace or drink coffee…regardless I gad to check it out purely out of curiosity for what are and what does on do with coffee logs?! Now I know!

[@rty1955]

Brillinat idea! I would like suggest making a sturdy horizontal frame and placing the forming device into the frame and use a simple hydralic bottle jack to compresses the mixture even further. I suggest horizontal so the water can escape easier when its inder pressure. You can make it vertical with a long lever to compress it, but the water will still stay at the bottom of the log even if you have holes all the way down. You can make longer logs this way too for even longer burning. You should also reuse the waster water as well. Just my $0.02USD

[@RobTheFrugalist]

I may do that in the future when budget allows. My goal here was to do it from stuff I have laying around with zero expense. Watch this space.

[@ollvebranch]

I was thinking the same thing re: the waste water. I’d just add it to my watering can or 5L bottle and use diluted direct on my shrubs. I think they’d like the acidity. I like his simple method though. Most people have this stuff lying around and can put it together. A great way to recycle what would otherwise end up at landfill.

[@narref04]

Do they light fairly easily? And how hot do they get? Would having a center hole punched out have any benefit to the burn temp/time?

[@RobTheFrugalist]

They have no problem in getting on fire. The hole would probably make them burn faster (hotter) but also dry faster. Without the hole they'd last longer ...

[@tishrodriguez293]

Great idea ,, thanks 👍👍👍

[@jonclark4547]

Hi, great video, can you tell me how you dry your coffee granules

[@RobTheFrugalist]

The coffee granules tend to already be dry enough for use . To avoid mould or rot I tend to break them up a bit and I have stored them in a cold oven which is low in humidity. However best thing to do (after months of experimenting) is freeze them if you have a chest freezer and then defrost the day before you mix

[@jonclark4547]

Many thanks, looking forward to making the logs 👍👍👍

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Let us know how you get on!

[@jonclark4547]

@@RobTheFrugalist will do, thanks

[@AwakenTheWildSoul]

Great vid! Definitely going to try this out! 🙂

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Awesome let us know how you get on!

[@pubcollize]

Maybe set the sprayer to Mist and wetten the sawdust, and later the coffee, before mixing - it should be very effective in preventing dust from kicking up back at you. You could compensate by starting with less water but what I'm suggesting probably won't be even an extra liter of water so it's going to be insignificant compared to what you already use.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Thanks for the idea

[@werewolf74]

what do they smell like when they burn?

[@RobTheFrugalist]

They do not have a noticeable odour in a log burner

[@NA-su3jk]

Does coffee ground burning make/have a coffee smell? Thank you

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Sadly not. Only when it's drying, and its not the best smell then...

[@hyprdermic]

How did you dry the coffee grounds? Oven?

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Usually left it in the oven whilst it wasn't on. But tried leaving it in the sun. Eventually it will go mouldy though. I have recently taken to stashing it in the chest freezer. Not sure on the results yet but wont mould rhere.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Additionally I wouldn't fire up the oven to dry the grounds that would be economically counter productive. So if the oven was already being used then once the food is out the grounds go in and residual heat dries.

[@hyprdermic]

@@RobTheFrugalistgood point! Freezing until you’re prepared to dry and slow and easy to preserve the positive qualities.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

@hyprdermic you dont even need to dry if you are about to mix so if you freeze just chuck straight in

[@JaneWillow12]

How long of a burn do you get from a log?...what do you think your cost / labor / benefit looks like? I refuse all 3 of the items your using Coffee to garden Sawdust to bed animals n soil Paper to compost n firebox My goal is to use " waste" with as little Reprocessing energy as possible ... How did your coffee logs pan out for you?

[@RobTheFrugalist]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/iWOboJeGZZ2onac

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Well its an occasional toil every now and then rather than a primary industry. I also recycle my ash. Its a job I do but i get more energy. Say 2 hours effor gets rid of the waste makes 15 logs.

[@JaneWillow12]

@@RobTheFrugalist that you enjoy it and it keeps your Frugality momentum going is probably reward enough... Not every action needs to be evaluated by cost benefit analysis... I pet my cat frequently...there's no material benefit to it... it's just pleasing to us both... And keeps the connection going... Good on you Frugal...I appreciate your mind to be creative and respectful.

[@ryanblystone5153]

Thank you

[@RobTheFrugalist]

You're welcome

[@MeMe-cd1wy]

You said when they are drying, they can fall apart. What about when they are completely dried?

[@RobTheFrugalist]

They are solid as a rock. Think paper mache, when wet paper mache will fall apart but when dry its pretty firm.. When wet you just need to keep them together. So if you picked one up from the top it might pull apart a bit. So use both hands.

[@dasfreakster]

Alien is my all-time favorite movie!

[@RobTheFrugalist]

I used to prefer aliens but alien got better over time, even with the old monitors (3270?) Just add to it.

[@bobpiec]

You are adding water while you have an AC drill ar your feet! Do you feel a tingle.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

I always feel a tingle. Or as my old chemistry teacher used to say... learn to pour. So much at stake.

[@yesyes_uk]

Hi. Probably a silly question, but what is the coffee grounds for? Can I do this without the coffee? I hate to admit it here, but we only drink instant coffee ;-)

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Never a silly question. I was in a supermarket where I saw they sold "coffee logs" proclaiming better burn rate by 20%. It got me thinking about it... so for the purpose of this its just burnable waste. You could just use sawdust and paper or even paper on its own (but theres more ash with the paper and it compresses to almost nothing). The coffee logs look a bit cooler and might burn a bit longer, the jury is out on that though. I suspect it does but its not massively noticable...

[@twcmaker]

Rob, what are those 4 spodges on the wall in your thumbnail? I thought they were charts plotting something. Jamie

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Hoth power generators. After I painted the inside of my garage I gave it an Empire Strikes Back feel. Theres a few AT-ATs, and other things from the movie too. (Probe droid/snow speeder etc...)

[@cazzag8254]

What are the ratios water/paper/shavings/coffee?

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Roughly 15% -20% coffee, 25% paper (guess as its quite a lot of volume) the rest sawdust which didn't look much but weighed greatest.

[@davewithers9206]

Could you just use paper and the coffee, as I don't have any sawdust lying around?

[@RobTheFrugalist]

You can do just paper... this is what I did with just that... kzbin.info/www/bejne/qZDOh4ytiaeKqKcsi=kv-gK8B7uq2d9DxM I also I tried paper with lots of coffee but it was harder. Probably worth doing, this is what I found with lots of coffee and paper kzbin.info/www/bejne/n2GlhaN9i8ZkatEsi=swRRSg8Lu6UFxPXR

[@RayneHellfire]

Coffee logs? COGS?! I saw this home remedy type thing that says burning coffee grounds and cloves will repel mosquitoes. Worth a try?

[@RobTheFrugalist]

We dont tend to get mosqjitoes too badly here. Also this is for the log burner. I'd dare say it will work though expecially in a firepit. Maybe even better with unused grounds too.

[@Shaw2shoreCo]

Hi Rob...thank you for making this video. Could you tell me the reason why you add coffee waste. We dont drink Coffee, but my wifes mother does...but I would sacrifice the coffee grinds to avoid her, as she looks uncannily like a gargoyle. Im heading over to your other video where I see these bad boys burn! Thank you again

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Totally and love the question. Two reasons : 1) I have a big coffee habit and I really dont like waste 2) I saw coffee logs on sale somewhere, professing to burn 20% better or longer than regular wood. Sounded like it could work and also I could try it out. I am still experimenting with it and have some dense coffee logs ready to test when it gets cold enough. I'd like to be scientific and pragmatic about it. Will see how it goes. Thanks for subscribing 😀

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Ps. Hope your mother-in-law doesn't read that 😉

[@brentrowan2794]

That is cool. More astonishing is the fact that people live so damn close to each other that if they fart it’s on the neighbors property.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Welcome to suburban England.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Just dont ask how much one of these tiny half houses cost.

[@salilsahani2721]

Thank you :)

[@RobTheFrugalist]

You're welcome!

[@freeforester1717]

Given the expense of the mixer, the time and labour, including the cleanup time, the water and electricity, etc., might you and the environment not be better off just buying logs to burn on your fire, and using the shredded paper and coffee grounds in your garden?

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Labour is free. (Opportunity cost is tv, so I am not taking a day off work to do it). Mixer is a one time cheap purchase and good for other DIY things too. I have logs I get for free. The price of logs these days its cheaper to turn on the gas boiler.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Good point re garden. So I dont use all my coffee grounds for logs. Some goes in the garden too

[@harrymingelickr883]

I think it's a cool idea. I just make myself feel better by finding fault with everything. I Love the Environment, I'm driving My Car to Rally to protest FOSSIL FUEL.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Lol.

[@johnbeal839]

What about paper makes it a binding agent?

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Paper has previously been made to a pulp in its creative process so it returns to near pulp with water. When it dries it hardens again so sticks together and anything around it... Very much the same effect as paper mache

[@bruceglisson1720]

It amazes me the trouble and effort the people go too, to make fire. I personally like good old wood.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Well I'd agree if wood was universally available 100%. If you are in or near a city however its a little trickier.

[@ericswain4177]

Just what I want Bernt Coffee smell !

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Cough *roasted* coffee smell.... (actually there is no smell, and if there was a smell then there's another problem if it's a log burner as the smokes going the wrong way!)

[@opey956]

Is the coffee doing anything different than other briquettes that’s just use cardboard/paper and sawdust? Seem unnecessary, but maybe I’m missing why you would add the coffee?

[@RobTheFrugalist]

It's less about adding the coffee more about burning the coffee. So you are adding carbon. Is it massively different? (if thats your question...) then I don't think so no. Aside from looking nice aesthetics etc.. and also not wasting the coffee grounds

[@chrisgriffith1573]

Good lord that is a lot of work.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Haha! Similar to cooking a large roast. Ymmv.

[@chrisgriffith1573]

Yeah, but I don't need to make logs, and making food is essential and a roast tastes great!@@RobTheFrugalist

[@RobTheFrugalist]

@@chrisgriffith1573 hah 🤣

[@belindachizek1396]

What exactly do you use these for?

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Heating the house and saving on bills... using a log burner. You can see how they burn here... kzbin.info/www/bejne/iWOboJeGZZ2onac

[@221b-Maker-Street]

Juggling. 😆

[@RobTheFrugalist]

@@221b-Maker-Street 😄 haha

[@RobTheFrugalist]

@@221b-Maker-Street whilst on fire naturally

[@JBBK1416]

Do they smell like coffee??

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Sadly not when burning but when drying yes.

[@cruzl2977]

I'd just use scrap wood, but I do like the recycling idea

[@RobTheFrugalist]

The scrappy pieces of wood (that dont compress like sawdust) I tend to use as kindling.

[@KitaraKaori]

once a rebel..always a rebel😉

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Ahsoka! Just watched the episode with that reference 😂

[@JasonWasdin]

Im from a small town in South Georgia. i don’t understand the allure of living in a place where you can’t bend over between you and your neighbors house.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Hello to South Georgia. Totally get you! The proximity to London and gainful employment. I cannot yet afford a larger piece of land I am about a million short!

[@morgan1719]

The line at the coffee shop was so long. Told the guy in front of me, "coffee must be good huh?". He said he was just there for free coffee grounds. I ended up buying a 5 dollar coffee, but they gave me the grounds they used to brew my coffee, so I tipped them a buck. Win-Win right? For $6 I got a cup of coffee and enough fuel to heat a tissue box for about a minute. But the whole process gave me a wonderful opportunity to kill a few hours.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Was it a good coffee?

[@ladavis1959]

Was that fresh coffee or dry spent coffee?

[@RobTheFrugalist]

dry spent coffee. (I am not a monster ;-) )

[@ladavis1959]

@@RobTheFrugalist One can never quite tell these days . I’m relieved it wasn’t fresh coffee .😂

[@RobTheFrugalist]

you were right to check, I could have been a deranged coffee waster.... kudos!@@ladavis1959

[@ladavis1959]

@@RobTheFrugalist 🤣🤣🤣You never can be too careful these days

[@1firstchef]

Why don't you reuse the water instead of pouring it down the drain??

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Good idea. Water isnt really a scarcity here. And I have a large waterbutt that is excess to my requirements.

[@deborahpadgett2417]

I thought that maybe it was a new way to store coffee for camping. 😀😃😄😁😆😅😂🤣

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Haha