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Post by raymondo on Oct 11, 2013 15:00:40 GMT -5
Does the longer chimney improve the burn T?
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Post by templeton on Oct 11, 2013 16:48:42 GMT -5
Does the longer chimney improve the burn T? It draws better,and less disturbing columns of flame shooting out the top. I've just done another mod - cut some bigger holes in the 'afterburner' - .The little slots and drill holes didn't let in quite enough air for a smooth burn, and it would 'choof', and puff smoke back out the air holes when it was really cooking, esp on nice dry Euc leaves. I've just done a burn using dry prunings from around the yard, some a couple of inches in diameter, and not a problem, just a longer burn. I did pack round the sticks with wood chips to give it a more even pack. Nothing left to burn in the yard! And the neighbours haven't complained yet. Tho some initial lighting problems did result in a fair bit of smoke until it started burning properly, and her fresh washing was on the line - lets hope she puts her smokey washing down to fuel reduction burns  T |
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Post by mnjrutherford on Oct 11, 2013 18:30:54 GMT -5
My brains are a churning mass of desire.... for over sized tin cans! I like your description! I DO understand it (miracle right there ). That's one heck of a chimney, I must say! What are the benefits of having it that tall? |
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Post by mnjrutherford on Oct 11, 2013 18:33:21 GMT -5
Ah! Didn't see this bit about the chimney till I posted... "choof" huh? I had that problem with my little burner.
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Post by templeton on Oct 11, 2013 21:06:07 GMT -5
My brains are a churning mass of desire.... for over sized tin cans! I like your description! I DO understand it (miracle right there ). That's one heck of a chimney, I must say! What are the benefits of having it that tall? Jo, I got mine from an automotive supplier. Although they are replacing them with plastic, a large automotive shop should have some - or be able to tell you where to get some. The local printing works has both 20 and 200 litre steel cans for sale, but they did have some nasty chemicals in them. I figure if I burn them off, they shouldn't be a problem, but then i'm not after clean and green certification. T |
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Post by mnjrutherford on Oct 12, 2013 9:57:43 GMT -5
Good tips there! Thanks, I know right where to go.
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Post by oxbowfarm on Oct 13, 2013 8:57:51 GMT -5
I've done some research into biochar, I've also experimented with charcoal making for supporting an amateur blacksmithing habit. I've noticed that the permaculture crowd in particular have fallen in love with the biochar idea and have instantly gone about over-complicating it IMO. The level of sophisticated construction in biochar retorts is getting pretty ridiculous. There seems to be this almost instant desire to find a way to harness the excess heat, collect the syngas/wood vinegar, and try and make the process as efficient as possible. The result is some pretty rube-goldbergian retorts Jolly Rogers, Hornitos, the top-secret Adams retort, etc.
My conclusion as far as the best way to make bio-char is to make a bonfire, as soon as it's burned down to coals, spray it with a garden hose till it stops steaming.
This produces lots of biochar with minimal labor and no tedious sheet-metal work. It isn't the best most perfect bio-char with included volatiles from low temperature pyrolysis and blah blah blah. The easiest, cheapest way to get low temp pyrolysis biochar is to make charcoal the old fashioned way with a big charcoal clamp. I'm betting that's how the Amazonians did it. You don't see many permaculture biochar enthusiasts recommending that method because its labor intensive and disgusting due to the foul smoke the clamp produces for days. In my personal opinion high temp char from an open fire is easier to deal with because its so light and friable. It's easy to crush into workable sizes and incorporate it into compost.
I've mostly been using my biochar as fines that I spread on the surface as an albedo paint for winter hoophouse and low tunnel growing for warming the soil.
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Post by steev on Oct 13, 2013 22:54:15 GMT -5
I thought about folks in the jungle doing biochar, and I think they built their fire in the morning, to be drenched by the PM tropical storm.
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Post by steev on Oct 30, 2013 0:05:08 GMT -5
It occurs to me that if I get a rotary plow (not pluff, ploo, nor plo), I could go west/east, then east/west, thereby making a good ditch. Then I could fork trash from my tree-lanes into the ditch, torch it, and then bury it by running the rotary plow (you know) appropriatively along the ditch, thereby smothering the fire and making biochar in situ.
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Post by templeton on Oct 30, 2013 14:43:40 GMT -5
Reckon that would work. The trick will be timing it right so theres not lots of unburned wood, and not just white ash.
I've been firing up the drums every chance I get - lick finger and test the wind, check next door for washing on the line, then stoke her up with stolen woodchips and leaf litter from round the yard. Good for eliminating untidy bits and pieces, old corn cobs, intransigent stalks, prunings from my very thorny sylvanberries, and the somewhat worrying leaflitter from the pittosporum and Eucalypts round the yard (fire risk). I'm preparing my spring beds, and I'm getting about 4 litres of nice charcoal from each 20 litre drum firing. Not getting anywhere near the suggested charcoal soil densities, but I figure every bit counts.
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Post by steev on Oct 30, 2013 19:01:11 GMT -5
I don't think I'd have an unburned wood problem; I'd be using mostly dry brome and star-thistle. I think the bulk of charcoal material would be star-thistle seed-heads, as they seem to be very long-burning.
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Post by MikeH on Oct 31, 2013 2:49:03 GMT -5
Slick idea. Anything left unburned becomes slow release compost. If you're using deciduous branches, they're ramial which is also good.
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Post by littleminnie on Sept 7, 2014 18:44:06 GMT -5
I am thinking about 2 piles of old bamboo poles and a whole bunch of large sunflower plants. I can't get the notion out of my head to dig a trench in the whole bed and dump this stuff in, start burning, cover and plant berries there next year. I am not educated on this stuff though.
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Post by flowerweaver on Sept 7, 2014 20:02:45 GMT -5
I like what oxbowfarm has to say about simplicity in making biochar. Here, we build a small bonfire in our fire pit and then when it dies down with some embers we dump a load of used chicken bedding (wood shavings) on top. It's usually moist enough, but sometimes we wet it down. It smoulders for days and usually produces some charcoal and some ash. We used it this year in the new fields and after one season already see improvement. It's also a good way to get rid of bedding which usually takes a long time to compost in our arid conditions. |
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Post by DiggingDogFarm on Sept 8, 2014 3:29:17 GMT -5
Here are some biochar pictures from back in 2008, unfortunately they're not the best quality.... Yeah, I make biochar in a commonly available charcoal starting chimney.....  $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. It's by far the easiest way to make 'char. Because the combustion zone and greater part of the heat is above the material, you're assured low-temperature 'char. I'd also argue that it's just as efficient as the indirect method if you consider the total amount of material used in both methods. Especially if you're mindful of technique. I've found that you get a more even, complete, faster and much more efficient 'burn' if the material is stood up vertical and is of roughly the same diameter. I make charcoal the same way, but scaled up. Crushed and sifted 'char pics! 'Char needs to be moist when crushed and sifted to avoid a black dust cloud!! LOL  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. ~Martin |
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