Traditional Charcoal Making

Рет қаралды 712

6 ай бұрын

Creating an earth burn to make charcoal. This is a small version of the traditional method of making charcoal.
Charcoal has a variety of uses from being used in a furnace due to burning hotter and longer than wood to being used as toothpaste for its alkaline properties or as biochar or water filter due to it having small gaps which can trap minerals or impurities.
In this video I attempt to make charcoal and share my progress.

Пікірлер: 37

@samueldougoud3289 6 ай бұрын

Cool attempt ! The risk of failure was high but on the other hand you had little to lose. Thanks for sharing !

@iboughtafield 6 ай бұрын

Thank you :)

@wedruskimistrz5122 3 ай бұрын

I Felt I was the only One doing this Natural Char Method of old Mayas in the Amazonian!!! Glad You are performing the very same, neatly effective and productive approach!!!

@iboughtafield 3 ай бұрын

I think I need a bit more practise are judging the time and heat of the stack, but really enjoyed giving it a go. Thank you for watching :)

@tjimicole2677 6 ай бұрын

Fantastic video. The Algorithm may have recommended you to me for your scythe video a few months back (which was good of course). In doing so they introduced me to you and all your other marvellous stuff as well. This really feels like what KZbin was all about 10 or so years ago. Keep up the great work.

@iboughtafield 6 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching and your kind comments :)

@Imustscream 6 ай бұрын

I love this kind of content. Thanks for sharing!

@iboughtafield 6 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching and for the comment :)

@VH-ew7oq 6 ай бұрын

Primitive Technology here on youtube has made charcoal tons of times in many of his videos. He typically makes one time use ovens by hand out of clay. I love what you're doing here btw. Living with and stewarding the land is one of mans purposes.

@iboughtafield 6 ай бұрын

Thank you, I will have to have a look. I have wanted to also makie an oven out of clay!

@MAGurue Ай бұрын

Amazing video ! I am doing my PhD about charcoal production in Mozambique and its impacts on land cover. I really really enjoyed watching and listening to your description of the process.

@MAGurue Ай бұрын

These 2 videos from Spain (select ENG subtitles) are instructive and a delight to watch: Huesca kzbin.info/www/bejne/hX6pmqqgbpx2oJYsi=CCDqYr5-DwlGbTHN Cáceres kzbin.info/www/bejne/goHdYYOVhLyVZposi=rqf1UxcpsaDuEAwo

@riverrunpastadamandsteve 6 ай бұрын

This is a really cool video in my opinion

@iboughtafield 6 ай бұрын

Thank you :) I really appreciate the feedback

@bigboss-tl2xr 15 күн бұрын

Nice! I think I'll give it a try this winter. Full on fire season in Oregon right now.

@iboughtafield 15 күн бұрын

Let me know how it goes when you have a go :)

@SoulkNoxH 6 ай бұрын

I just love how peaceful this channel is, even the commentary section. Keep on working hard like you do!

@iboughtafield 6 ай бұрын

Thank you :)

@Ed_Contiello 6 ай бұрын

My man not only knows how to maintain a field but also knows how to draw, beautiful tree you make there

@iboughtafield 6 ай бұрын

Thank you. I think you are being more complimentary than I deserve but it is much appreciated :)

@martindavids2510 4 ай бұрын

Great video, thanks for sharing!

@iboughtafield 4 ай бұрын

Thank you :)

@AggelosKyriou 6 ай бұрын

Hi, I've been making charcoal with the steel barrel method. Contain the wood in an overturned steel barrel with some ventilation holes in the barrel bottom. The barrel is covered with earth but the barrel ensures limited oxygen supply and non-contamination of the final product. Also, a metal bucket in pit under the barrel allows for the collection of tar if suitable wood is used. Each barrel lasts for several burns. I've never tried the earth-covered heap method but the best explanation of the method I've seen so far is a documentary from Spain directed by Eugenio Monesma (available on YT) and another from Italy which I can't find at the moment. In my understanding, the way the earth is stacked around the heap makes a world of difference. Covering with sods/turfs in as large bits as possible followed by clayey earth in clods with looser earth as a final cover seems to be the most common way to do it.

@iboughtafield 6 ай бұрын

Thank you, I am sure I let too much air into mine. I am hoping to have another go and so I may look into these. I think I need to research into the different colours of the smoke which will make it easier to know if itis burning the charcoal. Have you managed to tell the difference in the colours or have you found it easier testing the steel barrel method?

@AggelosKyriou 6 ай бұрын

@@iboughtafield I've been making charcoal out of Mediterranean pine (which also gives a lot of tar) and holly wood and buckthorn (both hardwood). I can't say I can tell apart the smoke color but the fact that there are holes on top which show whether there is live flame inside make's the barrel method almost foolproof. The barrel needs to rest in a 1 foot deep pit, be as well packed with wood as possible and the sides covered with earth (loose or dense makes little difference in this case) up to the brim leaving the top uncovered. I start to plug the holes one by one (3 in total, one every ten minutes) with stones and mud, smothering the live flame after half an hour of yellow live flame. After another 30 minutes, I bury the top of the barrel as well. Pine and buckthorn give consistently good results if the pieces are of relatively even thickness. Holly wood is trickier. I think you should try that as it's so much easier to unpack and separate the charcoal after it's done.

@iboughtafield 6 ай бұрын

@@AggelosKyriou Thank you, I did think about doing the barrel method and bought a barrel to try it out, but int he end decided to do the earth burn as I wanted to see how it was traditionally made. I could try doing a barrel method as you have described to get some practise before trying another earth burn. From what I have read, earth burns are always less efficient then the modern methods, even when doing perfectly.

@AggelosKyriou 6 ай бұрын

@@iboughtafield Makes sense. There are crazily efficient systems using retorts that use the wood gas as fuel for the burn etc. Not something you can do with just earth stones and sod. In some places in Greece, people also did charcoal burns for small batches in bread ovens but alas, I've never seen anyone do it or know how to do it anymore. But anyway local woods have local peculiarities. Hardwoods should give better yields but seem trickier to get right. Some of the locals should know the tricks.

@iboughtafield 6 ай бұрын

@@AggelosKyriou I must have a look at this and have another go with some of these techniques. I have some more hawthorn to prune and so many try after that has seasoned. Thank you for all your comments, it is interesting to understand more about the process and other options to try.

@sowgroweat6987 6 ай бұрын

Well that was 100% interesting as both a learning experience and as entertainment. Very nicely produced and very interesting, thank you for making this and sharing with us. Sadly smoke sets off my Asthma so I cannot try this myself, but does not mean I find it any less interesting.

@iboughtafield 6 ай бұрын

Thank you Mike :) I'm also enjoying your excellent channel.