Making Charcoal the KCS way: August 2014

I was not aware how easy it is to make your own charcoal. So anybody who has access to any old trees that have fallen or just old branches that are taking up space. Why not turn them into charcoal.
The idea was given to try by my brother who experimented himself. I do have access to a lot of timber, removing invader trees being a recreation of mine. Not do I only get exercise but do something useful for the environment.

At the moment I am using dry timber as it is available and burns fast enough that the charcoal is ready in approximately 24 hours.

Lets go through the process and the way I learnt. I did look on the internet for an idea and have adapted it to suit myself.

1/ You will need a drum or metal container in which to put your wood for burning.
2/ You will need enough open space so that you do not burn/singe anything that does not need to burn.
3/ You will need the timber to burn
4/ Matches, paper and small twigs to start the fire will be necessary.
5/ You might want to let your neighbors know what you intend doing.
6/ I have been told that you can make it indoors but have as yet to attempt that because I do not think you could make too much at a time. You will have to do it in a fire place so the smoke has an outlet.
7/ It would also be wise to have gloves and a dust mask handy for when choking the flames and for when removing the coals. The smoke can be very acrid, depending on what timber you are burning.

The Method.

1/ Place the paper and twigs in your container ready for lighting. (I have holes in the bottom of my container which makes for easier lighting as the fire takes quickly but they can be a nuisance when you come to the end of the process).

My first experiment with the fire almost ready to be choked

2/ Light the fire and as with any braai or barbecue, add larger logs as it settles down. Dry, natural wood is preferred by me as it makes less smoke and settles down quicker. If a wood has preservatives etc imbedded then the fumes in burning could be rather toxic and it is NOT recommended..
3/ When you are able, place the biggest logs you can on the fire and let them burn down until there are little o

Fire ready to be sealed off. Note I put the container on bricks which I no longer do

r no flames left.
4/ Now be careful because you have to cover and seal the container so the wood no longer gets oxygen and therefore chokes.

Sealed off waiting to cool

Charcoal ready to be bagged. I think this was the first time I succeeded.

The method I now use with charcoal bits and dust left at the bottom of the container

5/ If there are holes in the bottom of your container these must now be sealed to stop any air getting in. In my case the bottom of my container (which is the stainless steel top of an old cream separator) is slightly rounded so I sealed the edges by putting sand around the edges to seal it. Now I leave a little charcoal dust in the bottom to block the holes. It is harder to get the fire going but still works quite well.)

I use wood that is not really good for the fireplace.

Burning nicely. Can you see the fire Angel.

Ready for sealing

Sealed and waiting to cool

Coals ready for bagging. The smallest coals sometimes have a lot of dust so I sieve these to remove it..

In the bag

6/ Make sure there is no smoke exiting anywhere as this is a sign that your container is not sealed properly.
7/ There is a short cut to the last step which I do not do and that is you can actually wet the coals to kill the fire and then let them dry off.
My method is to leave the container until it is COMPLETELY COOL. This is very important because if there is any heat left when you open it, it will relight itself and in the end all you will be left with is charcoal dust. I learnt this the hard way and lost a couple of batches because of it.
8/ If it is completely cool you are ready to remove the charcoal for storage so you can use it later.

It is a very simple process the way I do it. Just remember you will not be able to compete with the "big boys" but if you have enough timber available you can make enough to give or sell to friends and neighbors.
You will be surprised as to how many of the smaller branches and twigs become charcoal.

Good Luck with your attempts.

30/8/2014 UPDATE

It has been a while and I have learnt quite a bit since the above information.

Below are photos of the way I now go about things.
Firstly I have found that I can put a lot more wood on the fire and use bigger logs. This is a huge help because not only do I get more charcoal but can use wood that is too big for the fireplace as well. They break down as they burn and as soon as they have settled into the container I then choke it.

I also found out a reason for wearing gloves other than keeping your hands clean. The charcoal dries out your skin...

Ok below are newer photos.

My latest batch. The logs which have not burnt properly get put back into the next batch.

I now sieve the smaller pieces as I understand the powder can be used to make incense. I have as yet to try that. The smaller pieces I put back into the fire. They really do make it burn more more intensely.

The latest batch produced two buckets of charcoal. The rake I use to rake the smaller pieces for sieving. At the back you can just see one of the logs which did not burn properly and will be re burnt.