charcoal retort

[vince smith]

My retort is not original but I think I have simplified it a little and it works great.

Its a Tlud. ( top lit up draft )

Uses 3 concrete blocks 8" sq.
2 oil drums 44 gallon aust 55 gal usa.
1 gal reducing bush 2" to 1.1/4"
1 gal. cap 1.1/4"
2 pieces of 1" x 1/8" galv. flat mild steel.
and a bucket of clay to seal the drum from air in the extinguished stage.
Take one end out of the drum to be used as a retort leaving the bung end intact.
Take both ends out of the other drum to be used as an afterburner.

One plain end will be used as a lid in the extinguished stage.
the other plain end has tabs cut to form legs and is used as a baffle so as
charcoal (or ash) doesn't block the bottom air vent.

To use. load the retort with wood ( small bung in , reducing bush and bend installed, no cap yet.)

Once the fire is going lay the strips of flat mild steel across the top of retort and place the second endless dum on top ( afterburner )

The air is sucked in through the gap and helps burn the gasses from the smoke.

My burn time is 3 hours then I fit the cap, push the afterburner off and seal retort with lid. I leacve it overnight and unload next day.

Regards Vince.

 

[Snaker]

I have never heard of a retort. Best guess is that your making charcoal? If so, then what do you do with it, personal use or for sale? How about a little retort education.

 

[CBW1999]

Sometimes "Retort" is used when talking about cremation units- although, I don't believe this is what he built.

I am curious myself- incinerator perhaps?

 

[Perplexed]

The retort I know of is the one used in a chemistry lab to distill an evaporate I'm guessing he is indeed producing charcoal.

 

[vince smith]

Hello Snaker and CBW1999.

Yes I'm making charcoal, Its wonderfull stuff with many many uses.

I make it for my garden but hope to sell some soon.
It is great for carbon capture used this way.

I tend to waffle a bit so best look up Terra Preta for a history and uses.

I forgot to list the 1.1/4" bend on my parts list.

A retort burns timber ( or whatever ) in an oxygen deprived state.

I will attach a few pics, of the baffle, starting the burn and my first batch.

Regards Vince.

 

[Egon]

You gotta put a hot smoking unit on the end of that system and fully utilize the waste heat:thumbsup:

 

[vince smith]

Hello Egon, Your correct, there is a LOT of waste heat.
I've been looking at ways to use it ( that don't cost a lot.)

What is a hot smoking unit ?

Some places distill out elements from the smoke to make plant growth boosters and pest prevention liquids.

Regards Vince.

 

[Bill 55]

You need someplace to put a large piece of dead pig in that thing to utilize the excess heat

 

[Egon]

Yup, a place where your avatar hangings can get done up proper for the neighbours coming over. :thumbsup:

 

[Baby Grand]

Eric Sloane wrote about the importance of the charcoal makers to America's early history. It was used as a food preservative, filtration media, even toothpaste ...

Charcoal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[pickstock]

very interesting, im trying to adapt an old bread crop to produce 'BIOCHAR' for very small scale, i just cant get my head around the way yours works

 

[vince smith]

Hello pickstock, Google " puffergas" by Gary Gilmore as thats where I started he has some good instructions and pictures. He also has lots of information on different aspects of charcoal even into how they powered cars. I just made mine without having to cut holes in the drums and my way makes sealing the drums easier. Good luck.

Regards Vince Smith.

 

[vince smith]

Hello Igalaxy1372 which planet are you from ?..... Sorry, couldn't help having a joke.

Sorry mate but but I think it is exactly the opposite. It may well be the best carbon capture system available to mankind. If you mean the dust being harmfull, sure, I'm mindfull of any dust but it doesn't take much to work safely.

OLD, its old technology ( but improved ) I don't see that as sufficient reason to abandon it especially in favor of letting trees rot on the ground giving off gasses for years and years.

I see from your signature your not against cutting down trees and I would agree there are more knoble ways to use timber but this remains a very good use for otherwise worthless timber or for that matter any disgarded vegetable matter.

Regards Vince Smith.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

I spent some time in Thailand. I recall every little farming villiage had at least one guy that made charcoal. They would stack the wood all pretty like, light it on fire, and then bury it with dirt. I remember thinking at the time that there had to be a better way.

Now I know what a better way looks like.

Satay just never tastes the same if it's not cooked over homemade charcoal in a clay pot.

 

[desertmike345]

I made charcoal awhile back. Did some research and found a good post from my BBQ forum. Heres my burn.:licking:
Mike

The Smoke Ring :: View topic - HOMEMADE CHARCOAL

 

[tcreeley]

Re charcoal: North of me (Katahdin Ironworks) there is an old ironworks. Iron ore was mined and smelted into pig iron billets. The smelting was done with charcoal. The charcoal was made in large bee hive ovens with a vented top (stone etc), A smoldering fire was lit in the hardwood stacked inside and allowed to burn until it went out- several days. The result was charcoal that could burn hot enough to melt the iron out of the ore. This continued I think until the 1920's.

"Eric Sloane wrote about the importance of the charcoal makers to America's early history."
He did and made excellent drawings of old wrought iron tools. The colonial blacksmiths hand forged these tools, hammering them out on the anvil. Plows, carriage axles, pitch forks, hinges, kitchen utensils, etc. were all made using by blacksmiths using charcoal (home made) for fuel, with a bellows, forge, and anvil. As America became industrialized, soft bituminous coal (not the hard anthracite used for heat) was mined and replaced charcoal- efficient. I used to buy Pocahontas Pea coal, and Soule soft coal from West Virginia for forging. Great for forge welding. I've tried charcoal- works fine as well. (When the coals are glowing in the woodstove- that's the heat you want for forgework.)
The charcoal/soft coal imparts carbon to the wrought iron - giving rise to carbon steel and fancy damascus steel blades.
Charcoal is great stuff - but I prefer mine in the form of charred toast edges - gives it a certain taste- and if it is too charred- I just tell myself it's healthy!

Coke- is what you get when you use the same type of process in burning wood, but with coal. The impurities burn off and the coal cokes up. It is this coke that burns hot when you forge. As it is coking- there is a stickiness to the coal. This happens quickly with soft coal. It used to be that you could buy 2"-3" chunks of coke 1950's, 1960's made from anthracite by the ton. -Not so good for forging (really need a super blower), but fine for industrial types of use (smelting/drop forging).
Beehive kiln to make charcoal below - the smelter is to the left in distance (packed with charcoal and ore- melted iron ran out below.)

 

[pickstock]

Sorry mate but but I think it is exactly the opposite. It may well be the best carbon capture system available to mankind. If you mean the dust being harmfull, sure, I'm mindfull of any dust but it doesn't take much to work safely.

OLD, its old technology ( but improved ) I don't see that as sufficient reason to abandon it especially in favor of letting trees rot on the ground giving off gasses for years and years.

Regards Vince Smith.

charcoal or BIO-CHAR is considered one of the best ways for carbon sequestation, also it is wonderfull for the garden and feilds.

once a tree has been chopped down, converted to charcoal more trees can be grown to take in more CO2

and yes i belive global warming is happening and theres nothing anyone can say that will change my mind

 

[vince smith]

Hello all, Thanks for some interesting posts.

My post no 13 might not seem to make a lot of sense as the post I responded to dissapeared,and it sender it seems.

# tcreeley, yes as kids in the 50's Mum served up a lot of that sort of toast.
thank god we don't have to watch the toasters anymore.

# pickstock, I think the arguments to use it in gardens etc are compelling enough even for those that are not convinced about global warming.
(me included) I did some trials with home made bio char and chook poo and was happy with the results.

Regards Vince Smith.

P.S. bed B has bio char, bed e is the control.

 

[Egon]

Used to scrape the charcoal off of the remains of burnt wood from the smokehouse back when I was younger. Used it to make gunpowder.:thumbsup:

 

[pickstock]

Used to scrape the charcoal off of the remains of burnt wood from the smokehouse back when I was younger. Used it to make gunpowder.:thumbsup:

oh how i wish it was legal to make gun powder in australia hahah