Biochar burner.........

woodchuck grub Posts: 51	Biochar burner......... Jan 19, 2009 13:43:52 GMT -5 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by woodchuck on Jan 19, 2009 13:43:52 GMT -5 Fast and furious biochar with a commonly available off-the-shelf charcoal chimney..... If anyone is further interested, I can post some more pics..... <Woodchuck>

grungy Homegrown Seed Development and Project Coordinator Gardening for the taste, texture and the future Posts: 1,435	Biochar burner......... Jan 19, 2009 15:11:04 GMT -5 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by grungy on Jan 19, 2009 15:11:04 GMT -5 Please do.
	grungy'sgarden.blogspot.com - small acreage, elevation 800 M.,zones 5b/6a Canadian - 6b/7a USA. lake bottom soil silty sand and rocks with added humus, raised beds approximate 3500 square feet,

Alan Administrator Homegrown Administrator Posts: 3,578	Biochar burner......... Jan 19, 2009 18:11:08 GMT -5 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by Alan on Jan 19, 2009 18:11:08 GMT -5 I second the motion!
	Just a farmer/gardener with a message board! homegrowngoodness.blogspot.com Average last frost May 10, First Frost October 15'th. Hot and Humid Summers. Full sun plots, rolling hills, plots planted on southern and south western facing slopes. Greenhouses kept at 70 Degrees F.

ottawagardener Homegrown Seed Development and Project Coordinator I'm lazy that's why I work with nature. Posts: 3,507	Biochar burner......... Jan 25, 2009 9:53:02 GMT -5 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by ottawagardener on Jan 25, 2009 9:53:02 GMT -5 Would you believe that Mother Earth had an article on biochar this month! It's hit mainstream folks.
	Garden is a clearing in the woods grading from shallow, rocky soil supporting a maple bush to a pine forest planted on sandy soil and a clay bottomland with spruce and tamarack.

Jim Homegrown Guru Sam and Cooper's Daddy...Jim to everyone else Posts: 1,051	Biochar burner......... Jan 25, 2009 14:08:51 GMT -5 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by Jim on Jan 25, 2009 14:08:51 GMT -5 more please
	Hip-Gnosis Seed Development Staff

grunt
Homegrown Seed Development and Project Coordinator

Posts: 1,139

Biochar burner......... Jan 26, 2009 8:01:47 GMT -5

Quote

Post by grunt on Jan 26, 2009 8:01:47 GMT -5

Here's a simple one from a quick search on biochar www.holon.se/folke/carbon/simplechar/simplechar.shtml It was the first link I clicked on.
And here's a page with a lot of links to various ways to make charcoal. There's even a link to the above site here. terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/makingcharcoal

Always pay it forward.
grungysgarden.blogspot.com/
I am located about 10 miles. north of the Idaho panhandle and just below Kootenay Lake.
The property lies in a small microclimate that gives me a zone 5/6 Canadian version or 6/7 US version. One acre of land at an elevation of 1770', just off the edge of a flood plain. Sandy loam soil, hot days and cool nights (55F).

woodchuck grub Posts: 51	Biochar burner......... Jan 26, 2009 21:46:10 GMT -5 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by woodchuck on Jan 26, 2009 21:46:10 GMT -5 Sorry i haven't posted more pics.... The memory card in my camera went bad and I lost the pics I'd already taken. I bought a new card today and I'll take some new pics in a day or two. <Woodchuck>

grungy Homegrown Seed Development and Project Coordinator Gardening for the taste, texture and the future Posts: 1,435	Biochar burner......... Jan 27, 2009 2:34:12 GMT -5 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by grungy on Jan 27, 2009 2:34:12 GMT -5 Looking forward to it.
	grungy'sgarden.blogspot.com - small acreage, elevation 800 M.,zones 5b/6a Canadian - 6b/7a USA. lake bottom soil silty sand and rocks with added humus, raised beds approximate 3500 square feet,

canadamike Homegrown Guru Hip-Gnosis Seed Development Project Coordinator GARDENING FOR TASTE Posts: 3,336	Biochar burner......... Jan 27, 2009 2:36:50 GMT -5 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by canadamike on Jan 27, 2009 2:36:50 GMT -5 Grunt, check the whole site and blog of this guy, a systems biologist from Sweden. A permaculture guy too. We need his expertise here, it is amazing....
	Finally gardening on sandy loam

grunt Homegrown Seed Development and Project Coordinator Posts: 1,139	Biochar burner......... Jan 27, 2009 8:07:16 GMT -5 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by grunt on Jan 27, 2009 8:07:16 GMT -5 Mike: Already did. Lots of good stuff on his site, even the untranslated pages. I'll see if he wants to come and play.
	Always pay it forward. grungysgarden.blogspot.com/ I am located about 10 miles. north of the Idaho panhandle and just below Kootenay Lake. The property lies in a small microclimate that gives me a zone 5/6 Canadian version or 6/7 US version. One acre of land at an elevation of 1770', just off the edge of a flood plain. Sandy loam soil, hot days and cool nights (55F).

canadamike Homegrown Guru Hip-Gnosis Seed Development Project Coordinator GARDENING FOR TASTE Posts: 3,336	Biochar burner......... Jan 30, 2009 0:50:23 GMT -5 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by canadamike on Jan 30, 2009 0:50:23 GMT -5 Dominique from Kokopelli told me they used biochar with phenomenal success in their project in India.
	Finally gardening on sandy loam

Wrennie gopher Posts: 12	Biochar burner......... Jan 30, 2009 9:03:28 GMT -5 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by Wrennie on Jan 30, 2009 9:03:28 GMT -5 Heres a link to M.E.N's article www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/Make-Biochar-To-Improve-Your-Soil.aspx

woodchuck
grub

Posts: 51

Biochar burner......... Mar 3, 2009 19:03:38 GMT -5

Quote

Post by woodchuck on Mar 3, 2009 19:03:38 GMT -5

I finally have some more pics to post. ;D

$6-$10 Charcoal Starting chimney with the addition of a piece of hardware cloth on the bottom to contain small pieces of charcoal.
Pieces of wood should be of roughly the same thickness for even burning.

Fire is started at the top with newspaper and a bit of used cooking oil so the fire spreads across the top of the wood evenly.

Fire started.

Beginning to gasify.

Gasifying.

When the fire dies down, douse with water to complete the process. The charcoal is now done.

On to crushing and sifting.......

<Woodchuck>

Last Edit: Mar 3, 2009 19:33:07 GMT -5 by woodchuck

woodchuck
grub

Posts: 51

Biochar burner......... Mar 12, 2009 23:06:19 GMT -5

Quote

Post by woodchuck on Mar 12, 2009 23:06:19 GMT -5

Crushed and sifted 'char pics!
'Char needs to be moist when crushed and sifted to avoid a black dust cloud!! LOL ;D

Larger 'char for use in my raised beds (1/2-3/4inch).

Smaller 'char for use as a perlite replacement in seed starting, etc. (1/8-3/16 inch)

The above burner may be small, but I can make a surprising amount of 'char in an hour or so alternating back and forth between two burners.