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Post by stovol on Dec 28, 2011 17:57:33 GMT -8
Hey fellas, has anyone here experimented with making biochar? I want to incorporate a bunch into my garden .. Would like to build something like a tlud with a retort .. You know, where you take a small pipe at the top of your char chamber and route it back down under the chamber to be lit? What is the ideal temp? Will a rocket stove be too hot? Can I insulate the outer chamber with kastolite? Thanks
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Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2011 0:29:49 GMT -8
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Post by Donkey on Dec 29, 2011 14:33:53 GMT -8
I built a charcoal maker here for my forge.
Somebody who came for a workshop left a tiny tin can TLUD for me to play with. After a little experimentation, I managed to size up to a 30 gallon barrel. The great thing about TLUDs is that you get TWO heats for the price of one fuel. The first is woodgas during the pyrolysis/charcoal making process. It produces a VERY hot, quite clean flame that is perfect for cooking with a wok. The second heat, of course, comes from the charcoal itself (that's just me, I use it in the forge).
I'll try to remember to take a pic and post it here soon.
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Post by Dan (Upstate NY, USA) on Jan 2, 2012 2:17:46 GMT -8
I cut down an old hollowed out ash tree on my property and made bio char out of the thin branches all summer long. I took a 55 gallon barrel, with a top that could come on and off and drilled some holes down one side. Then I stuffed it with branches, sealed it and put it a foot off the ground with some concrete blocks. With the holes facing down. Put some branches under it and lit them up. When the insides of the barrel got hot enough the woodgas came shooting out the bottom and the reaction finished cooking itself. (This is dangerous if you don't have enough holes!!! The barrel can explode or shoot out 10 foot flames  ) One stuffed barrel would yield about a foot to 6 inches of hardwood charcoal in the bottom of the barrel. Before you put it in the garden make sure to "charge" it or it will take nutrients out before it will supply them to the garden. Remember biochar is just a nitrogen battery, it is not a nutrient itself. Putting it alone into the garden is like putting dead batteries into a flashlight. PS my way was not the most efficient method to do this I had too much waste wood to get rid of and not enough time or material or money to make a good biochar kiln. |
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Post by Donkey on Jan 2, 2012 9:36:26 GMT -8
Here's my TLUD. (Finally got the camera working, now I can't FTP to my website..  ) |
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Post by Donkey on Jan 2, 2012 9:40:07 GMT -8
Top, sans chimney.
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Post by Donkey on Jan 2, 2012 9:42:20 GMT -8
Bottom.
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Post by Donkey on Jan 2, 2012 9:44:55 GMT -8
Chimney. Fits into the top part of the barrel and hangs on a welded on lip.
The top is castellated so I can put my wok on it.
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Post by pyromania on Jan 3, 2012 14:51:22 GMT -8
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Post by pyromania on Jan 3, 2012 15:07:49 GMT -8
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Post by stovol on Apr 10, 2012 21:27:44 GMT -8
I've built prob 35 different versions of tlud and wood gas stoves since the op. I made one from a 55 gal str8 tlud.. Now I'm going to nest a 30 gallon in side a 55 and make a wood gas stove. My gallon or number 10 cans wood gas stoves with a 55 oz can inside will burn an hour and a half easy with wood pellets. My toucan stove based off a guy on you tube jw397 I think, burnt two hours and the char was still warm 13 hours later (wood pellets) times are 45 min to an hour with broken twigs.
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