To the many people out there who will ask: “what do you use the charcoal for?” -I use it mainly to light the various coals and coke that I burn in my forge, a good portion of it goes to my carburizing services, and all the fines and dust left over after classifying go into my gardens. -yes you can use it for cooking. However be cognizant that not all woods will give you a good flavor. Most cooking charcoals are made from fruit and nut woods. -yes you can use it as the charcoal in your water purifying contraption. Use the fines or break it up to increase the surface area.
@@typical947 I would, but there are many videos out there that I cannot possibly do better myself. Personally I recommend this channel: ua-cam.com/users/LeahCHarris
The genuine, friendly nature of these two men, coupled with the concise, practical, and educational information in this video, makes it a 10/10 Thank you most kindly, gentlemen. 🙏🏻
I am very very poor, I have been trying to gather up the materials and tools needed to build a retort. This is very cheap, even I can come up with the money to buy a barrel. I am on the quest to make terra preta in my garden beds and I need a ton of charcoal to do it. I love to grill and charcoal is expensive, this is a huge money saver. Thanks for sharing!
All you need is to dig a hole get a fire started then Smother it with compost I like to use small material so I don't have to crush It up found pinecones are best
if you are wood rich and cash poor buy a shovel. dig a pit build a fire in the pit. when you have a good bed of coals in the pit either hit it with a hose or shovel the dirt over the fire. those coals are charcoal. the retort is for people who are wood poor. you can convert nearly 100% of your good wood into lump charcoal using trash combustibles like paper, grass and brush. for your purposes though carbonized twigs are just fine. so there seems to be no advantage to retorts.
@@anuragsood7997 Free phones with monthly data limits exist, it's the only way I could make calls or do anything on the internet for a few years as a full time, very poor (sleeping in a friend's car and eating one meal a day) student. These days, even homeless people are capable of getting phones and using the internet, the phone might not be the best thing on earth but when something is free it's hard to complain about it.
Nice! Clean Charcoal too! The process is called a reduction atmosphere. Or fuel rich and low oxygen but hot enough that the burning wood has to grab oxygen from within it's own molecular bonds thus leaving carbon behind.
What a weird recommendation from UA-cam. I watched the whole thing and really enjoyed. I don't think I will ever make charcoal but if the time ever comes I have the knowledge in my bony head. Thank you for the great content.
Guess again with what the globalists want to do to the world taking us all back to the 1800s. I am here based upon an intentional search and suggestion from a water filter video. God bless and prepare!
This magnificent video proves that you cannot judge people just by looking at them outwardly. One might initially judge these men to be rubes or hillbillies, yet they are wonderfully intelligent, articulate , clear, and knowledgeable. Not only that, but they are so cheery, and courteous. Let this be a lesson for all humanity.
Subscribed, enjoyed the lesson of course but the main reason is because of how polite, friendly, and good natured you all are. Very nice to see in a world that is definitely lacking in the area.
Hundreds of years ago, there were groups of men who traveled across Europe making charcoal. They were known as the Carbonari / Charcoal makers. The Carbonari were actually a guild and a secret society who brought news from other lands . They were sought by kings, queens, royalty and wealthy people for their information of other lands and countries. When the formula for gunpowder was introduced to Europe , The Carbonari were also named the Nitre men. They manufactured Potassium Nitrate from collected sources of manure and soil. Thanks for your most informative video and all the best in all future endeavors.
Excellent! I've watched so many vids that get too technical for less yield than this. I grow willow and want to turn the waste into biochar, and your simplicity is the best. Multiple thumbs up!
I couldn't say it as good as you did. you rank me. Thank you for saying it right. I am so sick of lies. But I never get tired of the truth. It rings like a bell. Let Freedom And Truth ring! Thanks Niall !
You know how to make a concise, clear info dense video. I've been struggling for years with labor intensive/mediocre results . Your method will work for me ! Thanks
I haven't seen it done this way. This is way easier than the other ways I've seen. This only takes a little more observing during the process. I will start my charcoal bin this way. Thanks fellas. From Australia🇭🇲!
i came upon this video on making charcoal from discarded almond branches from nearby orchard. great video showing how to start and adding to build the fire. that's where i need to know. i have a 55 gal steel drum. good tip on drilling holes at the barrel bottom for oxygen enter at the bottom. thanks and learned a lot from you two. Bob
This is great! Thanks so much for the information and the presence of you two legends. I’ve recently gotten into cooking over charcoal, and now I’m going to make my own. For some bizarre reason, this has made me a bit emotional. Not at all what I was expecting. You guys rock.
I make charcoal in Thailand. We have the holes in the bottom of the barrel. We fill the barrel completely, kindling at the bottom then any size wood that will fit. We dig a small trench about six inches wide and a foot longer than the barrel diameter. I put kindling in the trench, out the barrel over the trench and light the kindling in the trench. Otherwise very similar to your way but it can all be prepared ahead of time.
@@pappawheely Yes exactly, most of the kindling is under the barrel. Plus if needed you can keep pushing more kindling and larger piece of wood into the trench under the barrel. So there is very little kindling and starter wood in the barrel when you start. Also there is nothing stopping you from adding more wood into the barrel once it is alight.
Thanks for the video. Looks like something I can give a crack at it. Times are getting really tough here in the Pacific islands, we have to prepare ourselves to be self sustainable when things get much worse. We used to make enough charcoal waay back then before electricity was a common thing, but we've been enjoying modernization and relatively affordable goods, those days are gone now as gas is $6.33 a gallon, pork is at an average of $4.45 per lbs, running AC at home is a luxury now due to the new electric rates. I'm saving this video so I can come back and review again. Greetings from the tiny islands of Palau!
@@kotyarapuzo6909 Конечно. только надо мелко размалывать. Уголь абсорбирует полезные вещества и медленно отдает растениям. В нем отлично развиваются полезные бактерии. Но это не самый лучший способ увеличить плодородие
I used this method to make barbacoa in the ground years ago, taught to me by my father-in-law, an old farmer/rancher from Mexico. Wrapped the spiced meat and heads in banana leaves then put in a wet burlap bean sack on top of a piece of 11ga. sheet metal placed on the fire. Covered pit with anothe piece of metal and sealed the edges with dirt. The meat came out fantastic the next morning. Sounds like a lot to do but it was fun with a few beers and a buddy. Tacos for weeks.
When we hosted a Mexican who was attending our local University to learn English as a second language a few years back, his Mexican friends hosted a pig roast around Christmas time. It was done as you stated....They built a fire in a pit in the ground, covered the fire with a piece of sheet metal, then laid on a half a pig, then covered with another piece of sheet metal, and filled in the hole to reduce the oxygen access, making the cooking low and slow. The next day at the party, all the men dug out the pig and it was served right on the bottom sheet of metal, set on a table. The meat was so tender it was just pulled off the bones! I guess that is where pulled pork came from! Absolutely delicious! And when they served everyone Margaritas I found out they used Sam's Margareta Mix! HA HA With a good quality Mexican Tequila!
This is a good video. If you burn wood in a barrel stove, you can make charcoal in it much the same way...just get a real good bed of coals and then pack it completely full, gasket the door, close the damper and let it cook for 16 to 20 hours. Do not open the door of the stove while in process as you can get a flamethrower effect from the wood gases that shoot out the door ....you can literally set your self on fire if you are in the way lol!
Great video guys!! Very well explained demonstrated and easy to follow! I made a batch of this by accident a few years ago in an old metal dustbin with a lid! Was burning a tree u cut down breaking and cutting it up adding to bin, once got too late I just added a bit of water to die the flames down and stuck the lid on it with was pretty tight good fit! Came back next day and had half a bin full of charcoal! Lol 😂🤣 I inadvertently pretty much followed your method without realising it! Anyhow cheers from London England 👍😎🏴
Thanks man I definitely want to try this out, I made a crucible out of an old steel fire extinguisher that I melt cans in for scrap thanks for the lesson man! Stay safe
Great informative video love it was going to build a retort before i saw this and I think it's well worth a try. I lived in Jamaica for a few years and was always fascinated watching them make charcoal on the ground covering strictly piled wood, of all sizes and varieties, hardwood of course, covering the pile with green growth, banana leaves, grass etc, then the pile was covered completely with earth and ignited. The whole area would smell of creosote for quite q distance, after 2 days or so depending on the size pile, the dirt was removed, and any glowing wood/charcoal was extinguished. Anyway, it was a time-consuming task that was extremely dirty and dusty, but it was a source of money for those willing to do the work.
You Texans are doing a really good job explaining the process. Years ago my father and older brothers had a charcoal pit which worked on this same principle. For years I would dig up some of the old charcoal ashes and soil for my vegetable garden. The one thing that you don't mention is the type or types of wood you are using. Some of the best charcoal I ever had was made from hickory and mesquite, not together, just both were from Texas and it was homemade.
I see this video getting a TON of views. Lots of folks starting out, with fuel (bituminous coal, coke and propane) issues. This, will be most helpful. Well done guys! 👍⚒️🔥🇺🇸🙏
This is a great method, single barrel, no retort. I use a similar method that allows you to do other things while it burns. It is called the "haitian single barrel method" and is nearly identical to this method. Stack the barrel full of raw wood, heaped up on top. Light it on top. Go about your work (you should never leave fire unattended of course) doing other things. Check periodically. When the wood is burned down in and there is no more yellow flame, clamp on the lid and seal the bottom holes.
Thank you, gentlemen, I am the type of guy who would go straight to the retort. I have always wanted to make my own charcoal. I am a cook, but your video is also helpful if I ever get back into ceramics. You have a subscriber. Greetings from the state of Maine.
Awesome video guys , I used to make charcoal the retort method and never could understand it even being worth while useing twice as much wood to get only half the charcoal , this method will be my way of doing it from now on , I have seen other methods being done using clay clover wood piles then undug when it was finished, being lit from the top so it burn down instead of burning up .....thumbs up. 👍
Lovely video to watch, felt like I was home from the very first moment. Also like that this method doesn't require you to quench the charcoal - but rather uses the residual heat to carbonize the last wood into charcoal. I've now seen people use drums with holes in the bottom, and people using drums without holes in the bottom - and they both seem to work well.
One benefit of using a retort is you can fill it with your good charcoal wood and burn junk on the outside. You don't have to worry about the wood as much and you don't have to watch it much. Great video, keep up the good work.
I dont know if you are referring to actual junk or junky wood. I throw in everything: hardwood, softwood, punky wood, half green wood, rotting wood et cetera. It all charcoals the same, in my experience.
@@veteranironoutdoors8320 I get scrap wood from a cabinet shop and fill my barrel with that. The wood I use to burn is mostly particle board and pallets full of nails.i used that kinda stuff in my first batch and fought clinker from all the nails in it. I get so much wood from one cabinet shop that it takes me months to turn it all into charcoal. My retort is 4 drums welded together with a top like yours and I leave the bungs out of the bottom, it's laying on it's side and I load it with 10ft long lengths of wood and start a fire on both sides of the can and let it burn. Depending on how big the fire is on the outside it'll take 4 to 6 hours to turn all 4 barrels to char and I only have to check the fire once in a while and add some more wood.
@@Carterironworks yeah that sounds like a good deal you got going. I definitely wouldnt try to charcoal particle board, OSB, or plywood. (Though I have tossed in chunks here and there, admittedly) and if you break down pallet wood charcoal into chunks, (I do it while its on the ground with the shovel, before classifying) you can pass a magnet on a stick over it and pick up the majority of nails.
Nice way of making charcoal, I do almost the same except I prepare all the wood for the bin beforehand, never during. Very good information and explanation.
@@veteranironoutdoors8320 It is great to have help for these jobs. With a couple of friends we make charcoal every few years or so. It's just a great job making charcoal, such a simple job sitting around with a couple of beers and friends while the wood does its job. The people who have never been involved are amazed at the simplicity of making a fuel for the BBQ. We generally use oak cut into 4 inch thick rings from 4-8 diameter logs, then split with hand axes as a group exercise and store for two years to dry before making the charcoal. Making charcoal from the felling of couple of small oak trees to logging it up and splitting to the final burn is a truly enjoyable thing to do as a small group. Food is always better done on a BBQ with charcoal made by ourselves. Cheers, John.
Thank you. It depends on how well you run the burn. Ive got it to the point where I get an almost perfect 1:1 ratio. The weight differs of course because we are burning a bunch of stuff out of the wood leaving behind only carbon.
The biggest effect of the ratio I have found is the dryness of the wood, wet wood needs far more sacrificial wood for the conversion. Always use the driest wood available.
I use a barrel with no holes. Fill it up with the brush I am disposing of then light the top. Keep piling it on top of the barrel as it burns down and pick up that that falls off and stick it back in the barrel. Even works with green wood and freshly cut brush. I just stick long pieces in the barrel till it is too full of charcoal then stack across the top of the barrel till all is cleaned up. Once the top starts having an ash layer I fill it up with water. I usually get 3/4 barrel of good charcoal.
I am going to try that using a hole in clay soil I have already dug. It's about a foot deep and three feet long. Just throw my brush and wood in there until it is full. When you say brush, do you mean branches with leaves? Green leaves? That is what I have this time of year.
Awesome. Thanks so much. I was wondering how it is done. I have an Oklahoma Joe’s offset smoker: I do use fruit wood but times charcoal to finish cooking. This will save me some money doing myself plus just learned new skill.
l make lump charcoal for grilling. l have made it in pits, in a pit & barrel retort & a 2 barrel retort. None of these were as easy & as quick as your method. Your method produces 60 to 75lbs.of lump char in less than 24hrs., from a 55gal drum. It takes 7hrs to burn & cools overnight.. There is no scrounging for scrap wood to burn as in the 2 barrel retort method. Scrounging for scrap wood is labor intensive & the scrap does not produce a final usable product. People using a barrel retort also waste time building unneeded elaborate metal chimneys. Pit firing, unless on a massive scale, is too labor intensive & results in soil contamination of the final product. Yours is the simplest, easiest, most productive & economical way to produce lump charcoal. You are a Vet, so thank you for Your Service & sound advise.
This is why people need to get out of the suburbs. What a cool simple video of two guys living a simple life and are probably are happier than most. Great video fellas
No they need to stay right where they are. We’ve just had a pair of urbanites move into our village and they’ve clashed with everyone from day 1. Thats why I (and most other residents) own three properties here. To keep them out.
@@veteranironoutdoors8320 . I guess you’re right but you’ll never win an election or get to do anything you want because all these idiots are gonna control your lives.
I use a very similar method to make bio char( tiny charcoal bits ) for my garden and charcoal for cooking.. The ash and dust isn't real good in the grill. I save the large chunks for the grill and the rest gets tilled into my soil.
I’ve watched a few videos on building smokeless biochar burners, looked complicated, requiring metal fabrication and too much unnecessary effort. The end results were a total fail, no biochar just white ash at bottom of drum. They forgot to seal off all oxygen feed which left him scratching his head wondering what went wrong. I totally lost it, it was hilarious and definitely an important detail o would have overlooked myself. your video came up so I thought let’s watch this… fingers crossed. You explained little details that were necessary. Hands down easier in an open drum than worrying about a little smoke. The set up was basically child’s play which I loved, no fabricating required, wood size in stages, layering crisscross after each blackened layer started to silver, then seal once at the top. So basic but I wouldn’t have realised. Thank you! 🙏 appreciated your wealth of knowledge
I've dabbled in making black powder and I was using the paint can in the fire method. Certainly works but it takes several runs to get a decent amount. I've heard alot about the TLUD cookers but have yet to get around trying it. This method I actually expected more ash content in the end but it actually looks like you've got a very nice usable yield there. Certainly might end up trying this method. Thanks for the educational video!
Cool! You watch Cody's Lab! Nice method, fairly simple; All methods work the same way. High heat, oxygen limited atmosphere. Everything will carbonize as long as the heat is maintained. In modern houses, with tight insulation, sometimes fires that would otherwise burn a home to the ground become oxygen starved and aren't found until everything has cooled. The interior contents will have a layer of pyrolyzed carbon. Triple pane windows and similar don't always completely fail so, like your barrel, a house can act in a similar manner. I think I will use this barrel concept to teach the new firefighters...
i saw this video to see which method is easier and get better result. you mentioned the retort wood burning which require two barrels, smaller one fills with wood and insert into the larger barrel and place wood around the smaller barrel. the inner barrel topside is turned toward the larger barrel bottom then place woods around the inner barrel. you are right about wasting woods when burning the outer wood around the inner the inner just to cook the wood inside the smaller barrel. beside who would have two barrels for this method. i will use your idea first, even though i have a smaller barrel that will fit inside the 55 gal steel drum. thanks a lot guys, Bob
This is so neat. Is the wood supposed to be totally dried out before you make it into charcoalumps or can you use fresh cut wood? I'm sure people think that's a stupid question but if I knew the answer I wouldn't have asked
The only stupid questions are ones that are not asked. If you are anything like me, I frankly don't care if people think I am stupid, I just ask away without hesitation and I end up getting much more done that way. Don't be shy.
Ive already answered this in another comment, but I use it to start my forge, I powder it for pack carburizing my tools and knives, and use it as a forge fuel for when I need a clean forging.
@@veteranironoutdoors8320 Thanks for the response. I read a bunch of the comments but I didn't see that. I tuned in because I was thinking about making lump for my smoker. I've got a bunch of oak that I can turn into charcoal and was looking at how to do it. I thought I'd watch a video or two and be all set and then I found myself a couple of hours later still watching them. Damn UA-cam rabbit hole. 🤣
Awesome stuff 😎👍👍 Thank You very much for the most convenient way of doing this!! I used to watch the old charcoal burner men in the Forest near where I grew up!! They'd build up a Big free standing fire pit,,,then put turf on the top!! Yes, I Am Getting Older!! New Sub Here!!👍👍 And a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟star review for you as well!! Andrea and Critters. ..XxX...
You can also dig a large hole with a bulldozer and a buggy. Use an excavator to pile trees as high as you can above the top of the hole, light it up and wait for the coals to be level with the surface of the ground, then start burying it. Wait a few months until the ground is no longer warm to the touch and dig it back up.
To the many people out there who will ask: “what do you use the charcoal for?”
-I use it mainly to light the various coals and coke that I burn in my forge, a good portion of it goes to my carburizing services, and all the fines and dust left over after classifying go into my gardens.
-yes you can use it for cooking. However be cognizant that not all woods will give you a good flavor. Most cooking charcoals are made from fruit and nut woods.
-yes you can use it as the charcoal in your water purifying contraption. Use the fines or break it up to increase the surface area.
I use it to make a substance youtube doesn't like me saying
@@typical947 I would, but there are many videos out there that I cannot possibly do better myself. Personally I recommend this channel: ua-cam.com/users/LeahCHarris
@@typical947 I think Cody's Lab monetisation got busted a couple years ago for reasons tied to this.
@@docolemnsx im not monetized nor will I ever be.
Use the fine stuff too improve soil helps chemical fertilizers work better amongst other thing!
The genuine, friendly nature of these two men, coupled with the concise, practical, and educational information in this video, makes it a 10/10
Thank you most kindly, gentlemen. 🙏🏻
I am very very poor, I have been trying to gather up the materials and tools needed to build a retort. This is very cheap, even I can come up with the money to buy a barrel. I am on the quest to make terra preta in my garden beds and I need a ton of charcoal to do it. I love to grill and charcoal is expensive, this is a huge money saver. Thanks for sharing!
I have seen some of his stuff. I am working on tera preta also.
All you need is to dig a hole get a fire started then Smother it with compost I like to use small material so I don't have to crush It up found pinecones are best
if you are wood rich and cash poor buy a shovel. dig a pit build a fire in the pit. when you have a good bed of coals in the pit either hit it with a hose or shovel the dirt over the fire. those coals are charcoal.
the retort is for people who are wood poor. you can convert nearly 100% of your good wood into lump charcoal using trash combustibles like paper, grass and brush. for your purposes though carbonized twigs are just fine. so there seems to be no advantage to retorts.
@@anuragsood7997 Free phones with monthly data limits exist, it's the only way I could make calls or do anything on the internet for a few years as a full time, very poor (sleeping in a friend's car and eating one meal a day) student. These days, even homeless people are capable of getting phones and using the internet, the phone might not be the best thing on earth but when something is free it's hard to complain about it.
i found two dryers on the side of the road and took them apart, there is a nice drum inside. with two you basically have a burn barrell
Nice! Clean Charcoal too! The process is called a reduction atmosphere. Or fuel rich and low oxygen but hot enough that the burning wood has to grab oxygen from within it's own molecular bonds thus leaving carbon behind.
My grandpa used to make charcoal to sell for bbq. This is the same way he did it and now I want to do it too. Thank you for sharing. Take care
What a weird recommendation from UA-cam. I watched the whole thing and really enjoyed.
I don't think I will ever make charcoal but if the time ever comes I have the knowledge in my bony head.
Thank you for the great content.
The algorithm gods have smiled greatly upon this video, thats for sure 😂
Guess again with what the globalists want to do to the world taking us all back to the 1800s. I am here based upon an intentional search and suggestion from a water filter video. God bless and prepare!
This magnificent video proves that you cannot judge people just by looking at them outwardly. One might initially judge these men to be rubes or hillbillies, yet they are wonderfully intelligent, articulate , clear, and knowledgeable. Not only that, but they are so cheery, and courteous. Let this be a lesson for all humanity.
Subscribed, enjoyed the lesson of course but the main reason is because of how polite, friendly, and good natured you all are. Very nice to see in a world that is definitely lacking in the area.
Hundreds of years ago, there were groups of men who traveled across Europe making charcoal. They were known as the Carbonari / Charcoal makers. The Carbonari were actually a guild and a secret society who brought news from other lands . They were sought by kings, queens, royalty and wealthy people for their information of other lands and countries.
When the formula for gunpowder was introduced to Europe , The Carbonari were also named the Nitre men. They manufactured Potassium Nitrate from collected sources of manure and soil.
Thanks for your most informative video and all the best in all future endeavors.
How do you make explosive from carbon material?
@@Zack-lq9tb The formula for gunpowder is easy to find.
@@Zack-lq9tb 1 of 3 main ingredients in primitive black power is charcoal.
Excellent! I've watched so many vids that get too technical for less yield than this. I grow willow and want to turn the waste into biochar, and your simplicity is the best. Multiple thumbs up!
I couldn't say it as good as you did. you rank me. Thank you for saying it right. I am so sick of lies. But I never get tired of the truth. It rings like a bell. Let Freedom And Truth ring! Thanks Niall !
Ancient technology is almost forgotten, thank you for sharing!
@@paulcoover9197 شرطظزZXCXژززطژظظظطزطئززززططززطسططZZcظطظظُژطظظزژس😣❤❤❤❤🕶🕶👰👰👰👰👰👰😼😼👓✌😥😥✌🕶🕶😥🕶✌🕶😼
@@paulcoover9197 ژطززشُ ظxazxQZظطصزژط ط zzZXźacxX َزظرظزطزطرسششز😥😥
@@jameswithey8898 ژرظ ط😼👰ظ X ر ظژزطژZc
You know how to make a concise, clear info dense video. I've been struggling for years with labor intensive/mediocre results . Your method will work for me ! Thanks
I haven't seen it done this way. This is way easier than the other ways I've seen. This only takes a little more observing during the process. I will start my charcoal bin this way. Thanks fellas. From Australia🇭🇲!
i came upon this video on making charcoal from discarded almond branches from nearby orchard. great video showing how to start and adding to build the fire. that's where i need to know. i have a 55 gal steel drum. good tip on drilling holes at the barrel bottom for oxygen enter at the bottom. thanks and learned a lot from you two. Bob
In the Russian-language segment of UA-cam, look at how coal is made. No oxygen should be supplied. And such coal is not suitable for forging.
This is great! Thanks so much for the information and the presence of you two legends. I’ve recently gotten into cooking over charcoal, and now I’m going to make my own. For some bizarre reason, this has made me a bit emotional. Not at all what I was expecting. You guys rock.
Very easy to follow, and simpler than the retort method, thank you both 🙂
I used to make charcoal almost exactly like you do and I found that the comparison to a retort was about the same also. Great job!
God bless you cousins. Great job. We've learned a lot over here in Kenya.
Gentlemen, nicely done and very well explained. Much appreciated. Thanks.
I make charcoal in Thailand. We have the holes in the bottom of the barrel. We fill the barrel completely, kindling at the bottom then any size wood that will fit. We dig a small trench about six inches wide and a foot longer than the barrel diameter. I put kindling in the trench, out the barrel over the trench and light the kindling in the trench. Otherwise very similar to your way but it can all be prepared ahead of time.
Do you get a smaller yield ? They pulled a lot out of the barrel...
@@pappawheely No I get a lot more.
@@andyrbush I see...you dont have to put much kindling just future charcoal ...right ?
@@pappawheely Yes exactly, most of the kindling is under the barrel. Plus if needed you can keep pushing more kindling and larger piece of wood into the trench under the barrel. So there is very little kindling and starter wood in the barrel when you start. Also there is nothing stopping you from adding more wood into the barrel once it is alight.
@@andyrbush very cool er ,hot good info Thanks again brother in Thailand
Thanks for the video. Looks like something I can give a crack at it. Times are getting really tough here in the Pacific islands, we have to prepare ourselves to be self sustainable when things get much worse. We used to make enough charcoal waay back then before electricity was a common thing, but we've been enjoying modernization and relatively affordable goods, those days are gone now as gas is $6.33 a gallon, pork is at an average of $4.45 per lbs, running AC at home is a luxury now due to the new electric rates. I'm saving this video so I can come back and review again. Greetings from the tiny islands of Palau!
Измельчайте и добавляйте в почву в размере 10%. Тогда Ваш урожай станет богаче на 50%
Got to love that green energy. Unreliable and expensive.
@@vasilisk-66уголь в почву?
Электроэнергия находится в воздухе, особенно когда высокое атмосферное давление.
@@kotyarapuzo6909 Конечно. только надо мелко размалывать. Уголь абсорбирует полезные вещества и медленно отдает растениям. В нем отлично развиваются полезные бактерии. Но это не самый лучший способ увеличить плодородие
I used this method to make barbacoa in the ground years ago, taught to me by my father-in-law, an old farmer/rancher from Mexico. Wrapped the spiced meat and heads in banana leaves then put in a wet burlap bean sack on top of a piece of 11ga. sheet metal placed on the fire. Covered pit with anothe piece of metal and sealed the edges with dirt. The meat came out fantastic the next morning. Sounds like a lot to do but it was fun with a few beers and a buddy. Tacos for weeks.
That's cool..🙂
9:38mins,did you see the cow is in & above the fire?😳😲🙄🙊🙊🙈🙈
When we hosted a Mexican who was attending our local University to learn English as a second language a few years back, his Mexican friends hosted a pig roast around Christmas time. It was done as you stated....They built a fire in a pit in the ground, covered the fire with a piece of sheet metal, then laid on a half a pig, then covered with another piece of sheet metal, and filled in the hole to reduce the oxygen access, making the cooking low and slow. The next day at the party, all the men dug out the pig and it was served right on the bottom sheet of metal, set on a table. The meat was so tender it was just pulled off the bones! I guess that is where pulled pork came from! Absolutely delicious! And when they served everyone Margaritas I found out they used Sam's Margareta Mix! HA HA With a good quality Mexican Tequila!
YUMMY maybe you should make a video on it
Smart enough to explain the science in layman’s terms. Two thumbs up!
Burn wood but oxygen-starved. If enough oxygen/air while burning, the wood would turn ash not charcoal.
This is a good video. If you burn wood in a barrel stove, you can make charcoal in it much the same way...just get a real good bed of coals and then pack it completely full, gasket the door, close the damper and let it cook for 16 to 20 hours. Do not open the door of the stove while in process as you can get a flamethrower effect from the wood gases that shoot out the door ....you can literally set your self on fire if you are in the way lol!
Great video guys!! Very well explained demonstrated and easy to follow! I made a batch of this by accident a few years ago in an old metal dustbin with a lid! Was burning a tree u cut down breaking and cutting it up adding to bin, once got too late I just added a bit of water to die the flames down and stuck the lid on it with was pretty tight good fit! Came back next day and had half a bin full of charcoal! Lol 😂🤣
I inadvertently pretty much followed your method without realising it!
Anyhow cheers from London England 👍😎🏴
Thanks man I definitely want to try this out, I made a crucible out of an old steel fire extinguisher that I melt cans in for scrap thanks for the lesson man! Stay safe
Great informative video love it was going to build a retort before i saw this and I think it's well worth a try. I lived in Jamaica for a few years and was always fascinated watching them make charcoal on the ground covering strictly piled wood, of all sizes and varieties, hardwood of course, covering the pile with green growth, banana leaves, grass etc, then the pile was covered completely with earth and ignited. The whole area would smell of creosote for quite q distance, after 2 days or so depending on the size pile, the dirt was removed, and any glowing wood/charcoal was extinguished. Anyway, it was a time-consuming task that was extremely dirty and dusty, but it was a source of money for those willing to do the work.
You Texans are doing a really good job explaining the process. Years ago my father and older brothers had a charcoal pit which worked on this same principle. For years I would dig up some of the old charcoal ashes and soil for my vegetable garden. The one thing that you don't mention is the type or types of wood you are using. Some of the best charcoal I ever had was made from hickory and mesquite, not together, just both were from Texas and it was homemade.
It's usually made with hardwoods
It's really brilliant in the soil. It can turn a heavy sour soil into a sweet light soil
L
I see this video getting a TON of views. Lots of folks starting out, with fuel (bituminous coal, coke and propane) issues. This, will be most helpful. Well done guys! 👍⚒️🔥🇺🇸🙏
James said there was a need for this video so we made it. Share it around where you see it needed!
@@veteranironoutdoors8320 managed to share, on 2 FB groups. 😉
@@drason69 wow, thank you!
Great video. Appreciate the explanation and all the steps
I live in a city, Istanbul. No access to any kind of land and I watched the whole video. Well done.
This is a great method, single barrel, no retort. I use a similar method that allows you to do other things while it burns. It is called the "haitian single barrel method" and is nearly identical to this method. Stack the barrel full of raw wood, heaped up on top. Light it on top. Go about your work (you should never leave fire unattended of course) doing other things. Check periodically. When the wood is burned down in and there is no more yellow flame, clamp on the lid and seal the bottom holes.
that's basically how they did it in germany on another youtube video
@@zfolwick yeah they used the haitian method
raw as in not dried?
Yes
@@dansw0rkshop thank you so much.
Same as other comments. Watched the retort videos and others. You make it much easier and cheaper.
Simple and to the point, love it, thank you
I can watch this every single day
Fascinating, thanks! I knew of the process in theory but now I understand it from a practical standpoint.
Shoot. I've searched tons of DIY vids on stuff, but this is my first charcoal vid. Thx.
Thanks for making. You lads seem to be having a good time.
Thank you, gentlemen, I am the type of guy who would go straight to the retort. I have always wanted to make my own charcoal. I am a cook, but your video is also helpful if I ever get back into ceramics. You have a subscriber. Greetings from the state of Maine.
Thanks once again for this. I've always wondered about the best method for charcoal creation. Its so important for survivalists
Самый лучший это бочка в бочке
You really can find anything on the web. Great vid. I'm not sure why YT recommended it but I'm glad.
Awesome video guys , I used to make charcoal the retort method and never could understand it even being worth while useing twice as much wood to get only half the charcoal , this method will be my way of doing it from now on , I have seen other methods being done using clay clover wood piles then undug when it was finished, being lit from the top so it burn down instead of burning up .....thumbs up. 👍
Great stuff! Very educational. My next step is build one of these followed by a Coal Forge.
Thank you for this valuable video! I’m sure those living off the grid will make use of your process. You rock!
Lovely video to watch, felt like I was home from the very first moment. Also like that this method doesn't require you to quench the charcoal - but rather uses the residual heat to carbonize the last wood into charcoal.
I've now seen people use drums with holes in the bottom, and people using drums without holes in the bottom - and they both seem to work well.
One benefit of using a retort is you can fill it with your good charcoal wood and burn junk on the outside. You don't have to worry about the wood as much and you don't have to watch it much. Great video, keep up the good work.
I dont know if you are referring to actual junk or junky wood. I throw in everything: hardwood, softwood, punky wood, half green wood, rotting wood et cetera. It all charcoals the same, in my experience.
@@veteranironoutdoors8320 I get scrap wood from a cabinet shop and fill my barrel with that. The wood I use to burn is mostly particle board and pallets full of nails.i used that kinda stuff in my first batch and fought clinker from all the nails in it. I get so much wood from one cabinet shop that it takes me months to turn it all into charcoal. My retort is 4 drums welded together with a top like yours and I leave the bungs out of the bottom, it's laying on it's side and I load it with 10ft long lengths of wood and start a fire on both sides of the can and let it burn. Depending on how big the fire is on the outside it'll take 4 to 6 hours to turn all 4 barrels to char and I only have to check the fire once in a while and add some more wood.
@@veteranironoutdoors8320 I have heard of the method you do before but struggled to find good videos on the method, you did a great job.
@@Carterironworks yeah that sounds like a good deal you got going. I definitely wouldnt try to charcoal particle board, OSB, or plywood. (Though I have tossed in chunks here and there, admittedly) and if you break down pallet wood charcoal into chunks, (I do it while its on the ground with the shovel, before classifying) you can pass a magnet on a stick over it and pick up the majority of nails.
Nice way of making charcoal, I do almost the same except I prepare all the wood for the bin beforehand, never during. Very good information and explanation.
Thats how I usually do it, but since I had help this time I knew I could get away with busting up the big stuff during the burn.
@@veteranironoutdoors8320 It is great to have help for these jobs. With a couple of friends we make charcoal every few years or so. It's just a great job making charcoal, such a simple job sitting around with a couple of beers and friends while the wood does its job. The people who have never been involved are amazed at the simplicity of making a fuel for the BBQ. We generally use oak cut into 4 inch thick rings from 4-8 diameter logs, then split with hand axes as a group exercise and store for two years to dry before making the charcoal. Making charcoal from the felling of couple of small oak trees to logging it up and splitting to the final burn is a truly enjoyable thing to do as a small group. Food is always better done on a BBQ with charcoal made by ourselves.
Cheers, John.
Gotta watch this one a few times to get the system in my head. Great video!
Watched A BUNCH of videos on charcoal... you showed it the simplest and most effective output I have seen. Any idea on fuel versus output ratio?
Thank you. It depends on how well you run the burn. Ive got it to the point where I get an almost perfect 1:1 ratio. The weight differs of course because we are burning a bunch of stuff out of the wood leaving behind only carbon.
The biggest effect of the ratio I have found is the dryness of the wood, wet wood needs far more sacrificial wood for the conversion. Always use the driest wood available.
Very clear presentation and a very good yield! Thanks from the North of England.
Fascinating, well executed and articulate, you are an excellent teacher of this trade, I shall keep a look out for a free drum now😉
Very nice video, I not only learned something I didn’t even think I should know but am now better for learning, I enjoyed your way of showing. Thanks
This is pretty damn impressive! Good job you guys!!
Guys thank you soooo much for showing this method of cooking charcoal! 👍👍
@@hootooncoi4199 just make sure you are using the right species of wood.
I use a barrel with no holes. Fill it up with the brush I am disposing of then light the top. Keep piling it on top of the barrel as it burns down and pick up that that falls off and stick it back in the barrel. Even works with green wood and freshly cut brush. I just stick long pieces in the barrel till it is too full of charcoal then stack across the top of the barrel till all is cleaned up.
Once the top starts having an ash layer I fill it up with water. I usually get 3/4 barrel of good charcoal.
Thanks for feeding the algorithm
I am going to try that using a hole in clay soil I have already dug. It's about a foot deep and three feet long. Just throw my brush and wood in there until it is full. When you say brush, do you mean branches with leaves? Green leaves? That is what I have this time of year.
Thank you for your video I've been trying to make my own charcoal and I seen to always burn all my wood up. This really helps.
Great tutorial, easy and straightforward👍
Love this video, can’t stop smiling. God bless u guys
Fine teaching. It penitrated. I've worked hard all my life, no complaints. I see we have that in common. Appreciate you man!
An American who understands metric system? I'm impressed!
Dammit, now I gotta go back to measuring things in ping pong balls and blue whale dicks.
that was it ,..No BS,..straight to the point.
its my style too,..thanks mates,.,.I will do it exactly the same.
Thanks for a great video! I have tons of sticks, and a big need of charcoal, so hopefully I´ll manage to make it myself this summer!
Helps to have a few cold ones handy. A couple 12 packs should be just the right amount for a full burn.
Awesome. Thanks so much. I was wondering how it is done.
I have an Oklahoma Joe’s offset smoker: I do use fruit wood but times charcoal to finish cooking. This will save me some money doing myself plus just learned new skill.
l make lump charcoal for grilling. l have made it in pits, in a pit & barrel retort & a 2 barrel retort. None of these were as easy & as quick as your method. Your method produces 60 to 75lbs.of lump char in less than 24hrs., from a 55gal drum. It takes 7hrs to burn & cools overnight.. There is no scrounging for scrap wood to burn as in the 2 barrel retort method. Scrounging for scrap wood is labor intensive & the scrap does not produce a final usable product. People using a barrel retort also waste time building unneeded elaborate metal chimneys. Pit firing, unless on a massive scale, is too labor intensive & results in soil contamination of the final product. Yours is the simplest, easiest, most productive & economical way to produce lump charcoal.
You are a Vet, so thank you for Your Service & sound advise.
Charcoal-ized. Love it :D Great video - large yield, simple and to the point. Very helpful.
This is why people need to get out of the suburbs. What a cool simple video of two guys living a simple life and are probably are happier than most. Great video fellas
No they need to stay right where they are. We’ve just had a pair of urbanites move into our village and they’ve clashed with everyone from day 1. Thats why I (and most other residents) own three properties here. To keep them out.
@@veteranironoutdoors8320 . I guess you’re right but you’ll never win an election or get to do anything you want because all these idiots are gonna control your lives.
Very cool guys great to see y’all having fun!
Cool ... 🤘😎 Thanks 4D 411 .
We all gonna need to know all we can know to get through the next 10 years. 😏👍
Thanks guys you helped this city boy out A LOT!!
I use a very similar method to make bio char( tiny charcoal bits ) for my garden and charcoal for cooking..
The ash and dust isn't real good in the grill. I save the large chunks for the grill and the rest gets tilled into my soil.
Thanks for feeding the algorithm
I’ve watched a few videos on building smokeless biochar burners, looked complicated, requiring metal fabrication and too much unnecessary effort. The end results were a total fail, no biochar just white ash at bottom of drum. They forgot to seal off all oxygen feed which left him scratching his head wondering what went wrong. I totally lost it, it was hilarious and definitely an important detail o would have overlooked myself. your video came up so I thought let’s watch this… fingers crossed. You explained little details that were necessary. Hands down easier in an open drum than worrying about a little smoke. The set up was basically child’s play which I loved, no fabricating required, wood size in stages, layering crisscross after each blackened layer started to silver, then seal once at the top. So basic but I wouldn’t have realised. Thank you! 🙏 appreciated your wealth of knowledge
thanks brother. simply explained, great results
thanks guys for sharing. life is easy when you are skilled
I've dabbled in making black powder and I was using the paint can in the fire method. Certainly works but it takes several runs to get a decent amount. I've heard alot about the TLUD cookers but have yet to get around trying it. This method I actually expected more ash content in the end but it actually looks like you've got a very nice usable yield there. Certainly might end up trying this method. Thanks for the educational video!
You should have a doctorate in charcoalology. Paying 27$ for a bag of the good stuff has me considering trying this myself.
Thanks ! I love simple methods that work.
Have no fear, the COWvary is here. 😁 That made me laugh! Great video, guys!
Thanks to you both. Very simple method, and very useful indeed. All the best and good luck with everything!
Great job explaining it. Thank you for your videos.
And thank you for watching!
@@veteranironoutdoors8320 absolutely, yall stay safe.
UA-cam is awesome. Connecting us city folk with the country Yokels wisdom.
Just do us yokels a favor and stay in the city.
@@veteranironoutdoors8320 we will stay on our city couches and watch your videos
Cool! You watch Cody's Lab! Nice method, fairly simple; All methods work the same way. High heat, oxygen limited atmosphere. Everything will carbonize as long as the heat is maintained. In modern houses, with tight insulation, sometimes fires that would otherwise burn a home to the ground become oxygen starved and aren't found until everything has cooled. The interior contents will have a layer of pyrolyzed carbon. Triple pane windows and similar don't always completely fail so, like your barrel, a house can act in a similar manner. I think I will use this barrel concept to teach the new firefighters...
i saw this video to see which method is easier and get better result. you mentioned the retort wood burning which require two barrels, smaller one fills with wood and insert into the larger barrel and place wood around the smaller barrel. the inner barrel topside is turned toward the larger barrel bottom then place woods around the inner barrel. you are right about wasting woods when burning the outer wood around the inner the inner just to cook the wood inside the smaller barrel. beside who would have two barrels for this method. i will use your idea first, even though i have a smaller barrel that will fit inside the 55 gal steel drum. thanks a lot guys, Bob
This is so neat. Is the wood supposed to be totally dried out before you make it into charcoalumps or can you use fresh cut wood? I'm sure people think that's a stupid question but if I knew the answer I wouldn't have asked
Youve got to start with dry wood, and as it burns you can add small green sticks.
The only stupid questions are ones that are not asked. If you are anything like me, I frankly don't care if people think I am stupid, I just ask away without hesitation and I end up getting much more done that way. Don't be shy.
Thank you for explaining clearly and showing all stages!
I use my charcoal in my water purification process, as medicine, and to use in my forge.
Love it when ppl do hillbilly stuff that works 😁😁😁👍👍👍
Dang ole makeum sure to watch my boomstick forgin videos too!
Excellent job best yield on a charcoal burn. You got the KISS rule down pat.
That's excellent info! Thanks
Great job with your explanation of the process
What do you use the char for - cooking, biochar, other?
Ive already answered this in another comment, but I use it to start my forge, I powder it for pack carburizing my tools and knives, and use it as a forge fuel for when I need a clean forging.
@@veteranironoutdoors8320
Thanks for the response. I read a bunch of the comments but I didn't see that. I tuned in because I was thinking about making lump for my smoker. I've got a bunch of oak that I can turn into charcoal and was looking at how to do it. I thought I'd watch a video or two and be all set and then I found myself a couple of hours later still watching them. Damn UA-cam rabbit hole. 🤣
Great video. Thank you for taking the time to making it for and uploading it for us. God bless you.
Save your blessings, Christian.
can you use spruce for charcoal ?
Yup.
God be with you guys, good luck, greetings from Poland
Nicely explained. Do you use your charcoal for forging, barbecue, or what?
I was wondering the same thing!
You explained that very well.
Awesome stuff 😎👍👍
Thank You very much for the most convenient way of doing this!!
I used to watch the old charcoal burner men in the Forest near where I grew up!!
They'd build up a Big free standing fire pit,,,then put turf on the top!!
Yes, I Am Getting Older!!
New Sub Here!!👍👍
And a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟star review for you as well!!
Andrea and Critters. ..XxX...
Its good to see that Randy is still staying busy now that Mr. Lahey has passed.
Thanks for feeding the algorithm
What do you use charcoal for?
Lighting my forge, pack carburizing my tools and knives, and forge fuel when I need a clean burning fuel.
@@veteranironoutdoors8320 so you are a black smith
@@markvegar1442 indeed. That is the focus of this channel.
You can also dig a large hole with a bulldozer and a buggy. Use an excavator to pile trees as high as you can above the top of the hole, light it up and wait for the coals to be level with the surface of the ground, then start burying it. Wait a few months until the ground is no longer warm to the touch and dig it back up.
🤣🤣🤣
Great video! Thanks for your time and effort fam❤️💪👍!!
Great, Got lots of stck and wrist sizes of good timber to work in my backyard. Thanks.
is Fanwood an actual type of wood?tree?
Yup! I knew the guys with the dirtiest hands could offer the simplest, best advise. Nice yield and forge ready. 👍