Making charcoal

[sherriff Buffoerd pusser]

After run didnt go well last night I couldnt sleep so I made up bunch of Charcoal. Here how I did mine cut white oak stips on table saw about finger size put them with two layers packed vertical in 1 gallon can covered it with foil put small hole in middle of foil then put can on burner and cooked till quit smoking put it in pressure cooker for 20 min and its ready to store or use.

[Husker]

Please explain the "put in pressure cooker for 20 min" statement.

Did you pack the charred strips in a mason jar? Did you simply place the charred sticks loose in a pressure cooker? Also, for what reason? Does it open the pores and make the charcoal "better"?

H.

[sherriff Buffoerd pusser]

I have a plate with 1 inch holes in it about size of cooker just a rack I put water in bottom and charcoal on rack just above water loose.It has almost no dust when it comes out. Old guy at the world famous "purdy store " said thats how he did his I think it opens it up but not sure just followed his direction.

[Hackers]

I wouldn't use the carbon you have "created" for purification. During the manufacture of activated carbon the raw materials such as cocnut shells, cocnut husks, peat or coal are heated to around 1000oC (yes 1000oC), without oxygen to drive off all the unwanted gasses and tars. It is then activated using superheated steam at 130oC.

It is unlikely you have been able to reproduce these conditions at home. Therefore best not waste your time trying. Buying some is cheap enough.

[CoopsOz]

What are you using it for? To remove the off smells in a vodka (ala activated carbon) or trying to replicate an oak barrel? Are you trying to impart the flavour of the oak into your spirit.

If it's for a vodka, I agree with hackers. If it's to age a grain sprit than I think you are on the money.

Just my 2cents worth

[sherriff Buffoerd pusser]

Im going to flavor with it but we also use it to cook ribs and smoke differnt things.

[Uncle Remus]

I've made charcoal the same way you described sherriff. I've tossed a handfull in a gallon of whiskey a time or two. I also filtered a batch of corn whiskey through it (i wasn't happy with the way it turned out) and it took the bitter edge off. I'm sure if you wanted to filter vodka it would work fine as long as you had a long enough filter.

But like some of the otherss said activated carbon is cheap and very effective if you have to filter.

[hornedrhodent]

="sherriff Buffoerd pusser"

After run didnt go well last night I couldnt sleep so I made up bunch of Charcoal. Here how I did mine cut white oak stips on table saw about finger size put them with two layers packed vertical in 1 gallon can covered it with foil put small hole in middle of foil then put can on burner and cooked till quit smoking put it in pressure cooker for 20 min and its ready to store or use.

I made a batch of charcoal yesterday too. Two 44 gal drums worth.

My method is to burn wood in a 44 gol drum with a limited amount of air and watch the smoke to determine what's happening.
The drums have the bottom cut out and retained as a lid for when it's finished. The top is cut out about 2" inside the rim so the bottom can be placed on top as a lid.
Fire is lit, drum is placed over fire and filled to top with wood. Air flow to fire is controlled by sealing the bottom of the drum with dirt but leaving three gaps or grooves in the ground to let air in.
So long as the smoke is coming off white and billowy you're not burning the charcoal - just driving off the volatiles. After a while you need to restrict combustion by partially putting the lid on the drum to prevent the smoke catching fire. Flame should be prevented or supressed by suffocation at all stages.
When the smoke coming off is thin wispy and blue - rather than white or yellow and thick and cloudy - the batch is finished and you are burning charcoal rather than volatiles.
The bottom is sealed by closing the holes in the dirt and the top is sealed by closing the lid completely and using dirt to seal the top of the drum.

8 - 24 hours later you can remove the drum and extract the charcoal.


I use this charcoal for firing my still, boiling water for brewing, adding to garden soil, I plan to use it for making gas to run an engine and power a fridge and have used it, after some cleaning it up, for cleaning up hooch.