OK, so you might be the most well worded human I've ever encountered… Throughout the first five minutes I got more knowledge on bio char that I have, and countless other videos… Not to say, they don't say most of the same things, but you are very well spoken, and very easy to understand… Thank you for making content like this !!
Excellent use of the high temperature of your rocket type stove to produce a true Biochar of very high quality. Awesome homesteading and survival skill my friend!!
There is nothing new under the sun, indigenous folks have used this process for ages to do different things. Unfortunately,when westerners get a hold of it, they begin the predatorial thought process to keep certain people out of potential gain, but its hard to do with this one....
Thank you sir! Very clear and concise video. I have been researching all things permaculture in preparation for a move to the country. Also loved the hat. You are a free, smart, clear worded man.
Brilliant video man ! I have watched so many biochar videos, all I needed to do was watch yours first ! Everything I needed to know clearly and understandable. Thanks
Thanks for cutting through the fog of info on this. Your an excellent instructor. Planning to use bio char on new tree plantings bur just learning. Many thankS!
Awesome video! So many out there just ramble on, I appreciate you delivering a well-delivered concise, and understandable discussion without all the lead-up and drag out so many others use with commercials. Thank you, well-presented content!
Cycling through chickens/bedding is really interesting, I was reading an academic paper yesterday highlighting the role of worms creating terra pretta by utilising the char in the amazon soils, all of which was found to be sub millimieter in size, worms use it in their gizzard to grind up food, which infuses the char with soil minerals, maybe the chickens utilize it in the same way. I usualy cycle my char through the compost cycle, I'll try it in the chickens droppings pit, and give the chickens access to some char too, thanks for sharing, never seen this approach before!
Awesome info! Do you have a link for that paper? I would be interested in reading that. Worms do so much heavy lifting in soil production and I keep them well fed with char and much more! 😉
@@therealprtrhsenteal YT has been deleting any of my comments with links, go to Seneca Farms Biochar site, technology tab, biochar preparation, it's reference 12 at the bottom, lots of other great references dotted about on that website
Thank you for this video! Ive been trying to understand about this industry for a week, and finally your explanation helped me a lot to comprehend the general idea.
How refreshing to have a video not half loaded with plugs, advertisements, and drawn-out explanations where they aren't needed. This was chock full of good factual information, to the point, and well delivered. Subbed for more great content. Thank you!
Great video. Only thing I can offer from my own experience, is the efficiency of the retort works better is with a flue length that matches the height of the barrel you make your biochar in. When I had the one length of flue, I had a lot of smoke in the process. When I added a second length (cannot remember if it was 18 or 24 "). the retort smoked a lot less and preformed like a rocket stove. I also have a vermiculture bathtub with red wriggler worms to digest manure and kitchen scraps which produce a worm liquid from the drain and worm castings. This liquid is mixed with the fresh biochar and inoculates over many months. This mixture is then dug into the garden and is the organic bomb that produces mass quantities of Veg and keeps enriching the soil year after year. Cheers. Oh also , I would like to mention is that I use twigs from Douglas fir tress that come down in winter storms that we rake up. The size of the twigs makes it real easy to crush which you are well aware is really the only pain in the bottom. Keep Charring and sequestering CO2
Thanks for your input and sharing your experience. I wanted to add another section of flue to improve the siphoning effect but all of the material used was from scavenged resources and what I obtained for free. I'm stoked it has lasted and performed as well as it has as it it now entering its third season. Thanks for watching and make char! 😉
You earned my subscription Sir! Thankyou for the video and explaing. Hope i have my own farm one day and make amazing organic fertilizers and additives on it. Fully sustainable. You lead us all so well.
Excellent video, you are a great communicator and thorough. When I was watching this I thought that a cement mixer or any tumbler with a few rocks in it would pulverize the biochar without much effort. In case you want to try that, I'll be working something up for myself.
What a well worded and explanatory video. I just found it, again, to use to share with someone who is interested in biochar. Thank you for explaining it so clearly.
I have never used rice hulls but I imagine the they would work pretty well. I would be interested to try that myself. It seems there would be much better airflow around the hulls than either wood chips or sawdust. If you try it let me know. Thanks.
I have 25 years of technical writing and a journalism degree from a school known for communications. That, sir, was a clear, concise, and engaging delivery, the kind i always aspired to in my line of work. ✌🏽
Great concise video, and this is coming from someone who's been making and using biochar for several years. 👍 The only piece of information I might have added is the tremendous good that charged biochar does for areas with poor soils versus the limitations it faces when used with soils that might already be rich. Granted, it's a fairly common-sense point, but there's a surprising number of youtube videos where people experiment with adding biochar to very rich bagged/purchased soil mixes and then report test results as limited or even negative. Living in an area where soils are not known for being super rich, I use biochar around my property when I see individual planted trees lagging behind other trees planted nearby, with extremely positive results. That shared, still a ton of great points in the video and so refreshing for it to be shared quickly and concisely!
As with any of these experiments it yields different results based on a lot of variables and some people make very declarative findings without ample research or patience. Thanks for your perspective and feedback. 👌
You could add a copper coil to make hot water. I spokr with a company in South Australia that desigbed and made a continuous flow retort that also generated electricity. Cost was up there though $5 million, yep said same thing. I now use a retort makes about 150 to 200 kg per day.
Very ingenious and multilayered approach! No livestock here, but love the chicken bedding twist here. This stuff is amazing! Will be adding it to the tea catcher of my worm composter, and the compost pile. Thank you for your concise and effective explanation.
Hi Porterhouse. I watched a lot of biochar videos last night and particularly appreciated yours. The pace, quality, and content was far above average. I do think you may get a better result by incorporating an activation step. From what I gleaned you have the best method of making charcoal and adding compost tea to it, but there's a middle step of activating the charcoal which makes exponentially more surface area. Other homesteader videos suggest burning the material to coals then dowsing the flames with water creating a lot of steam which activates the charcoal. Adapting that to your method would be watering the 30 gal inner container while it is at peak heat. It sounds hard to do but you may want to experiment. I've not found a 30gal steel barrel and prices are $$$. Do you think using a galvanized trash can would work? To get started I plan to use a barrel with side cut out then dowsing with water. It will take a lot more attention than your solution and not work as well, but its a start.
Adding water to the char during the cooling process would be a nice addition to the process. I don't do that because it adds another step in my workflow that doesn't yield enough benefit to warrant my time since my char will be passively inoculated in the compost for the remainder of eternity. I do quench when making char in a pit or trench because it just fits into the workflow and it can help to lessen the hydrophobic properties by removing the residuals before they can solidify. Thanks for your suggestion it might indeed make a better char. 👌
Retorts are easier for sure. The open pit, or cone method. Depending on how large pit , or cone is. Takes a good part of the day to keep it from going to ash. You could buy a used gas wood chipper to grind up the charcoal. Just have to play with the speed to get the size particles you want. And the charcoal needs to be damp.
I've been playing with an old sink and garbarater grind up charcoal add some water and garden scraps together then throw it in to the chickens... work good on a smaller scale...
Wow, You seem to understand biochar exactly same way I do. Crushing the char is the task I like least. I had an old chipper/shredder and I would mix the char with leaves/clippings and run it thru a couple of three times, then compost it. It is quick, clean, and easy. But my chipper died so now I am back to crushing by hand. Sometime I use better quality oak feed stock and make an incomplete burn for charcoal to grill with. Good concise video, thank you.
You are welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed the video. I have a video coming out this Saturday 7/8/23 that is a biochar barbecue comparison. Hope you can check it out. 🙂
Curious if there is a general rule of thumb as to how many pounds of char to 100 sq ft ?? Thank you for such an intelligence packed, eloquent, concise video.
There are variables depending on application rate beginning with soil type, soil fertility, and what is the intended purpose. There are many studies and not all in agreement so do your further research to find what is going to benefit you. I innoculate my compost desiring to achieve 5-10% biochar by volume. I don't worry too much about specific calculations regarding adding biochar as it is difficult to reach these amounts for the small backyard producer. Good luck man and make char!
Spent lots of time researching biochar. Your explanation far exceeded all other presenters in clarity and brevity. Masterful presentation. Content was right on and succinct.
Hey hi here from Germany. Very good video and very good summery of everything important about bio char! One point I’d like to discuss further is the part with the oily and smelly residues. As far es I know they’re made of mostly PHAs and PHAs are a group of very stable and highly carcinogenic molecules. Besides heat they don’t break apart very easily and will end up in the food chain. Good thing all you need to do to remove all PHAs completely is just heating the biomass a little more. At 600°C and more only the pure carbon should stay back which should be completely odorless. As far as I know… you know.
The temperatures in my retort are at or above 1200°f as I have measured them. The char I have made has no odor or oily Residue. There is residual tar and resin which is not obvious when looking at the char but is the primary reason the char has become hydrophobic. Thanks for the info and thanks for watching!
Awesome. They are fun and really efficient both in materials and time management. I'd like to hear back from you once you have one or more of them in operation. 👏👏👏
Appreciated. We use the cone pit method and get a good haul of char. From the pit it is transferred to the compost bin state and in the chicken run. Been looking to make a retort just for fun.
I used a Roto Hoe chipper. The Roto-Hoe doesn’t chip very well and and just beats solids around. When you put that wet charcoal in there it comes out like black ooze, black gold, very satisfying.
Right on man glad you liked the video. Biochar would be good for soil mostly likely anywhere with any soil type. Organic material which will decompose further would help Clay soil to improve however clay soil can take alot of patience and work. Biochar unless mixed with an organic material like compost may not be the fastest option. Good luck. 👍
Good stuff!! QUESTION: I'm new to Biochar so forgive me if you've been asked this question a million times. My wooded portion of my property is mostly Black Walnut. Does the juglone pose a treat making Biochar or is that all dissipated during the burn?
Good question. I do not have 100% certainty however juglone can be composted out of leaves in about 2-4 weeks. The compound is broken down when exposed to air, water and bacteria. My assumption is it would not withstand the process of pyrolysis and the chemical compounds would be eliminated. If some residual of the compound was retained in the biomass it would more than likely be rendered inert. I am not certain of this it is just theoretical. Sorry I couldn't be more definitive on this.
Thanks for the video. Unfortunately, after watching, I'm concerned biochar my not serve the purpose for me I was hoping. My soil is too well draining. I started building up my garden plot area maybe 8 months ago on sandy soil in a flood plain. I lasagna layered cardboard, then miany layers of goat and alpaca manures with layers of mulch and finally a layer of city compost which in retrospect wasn't aged enough. My first cover crop failed because it would not hold moisture with daily evening waterings. Now even with the summer monsoons (high desert AZ) it still won't really hold water. I was gong to get a couple yards of high clay content soil to mix in but then I thought of biochar. I figured it would hold water really well but it sounds like it starts out really thirsty but then you have to inoculate it so its not thirsty anymore. So if I inoculate it with whatever so that it's not thirsty anymore then it also won't be thirsty for water thus not making it a good addition if it's purpose is to retain the water, correct?
I have performed some moisture tests which have shown to increase the water retention by quite a bit. One soil plot without char and another with 1:1 ratio of soil mixed with char. Nutrients retained in char doesn't affect the ability for char to retain water. Try running some test plots to see if it will work for you. Thanks for watching and the question.
What about putting it on top of the compost pile so it captures the nitrogen gas that escapes from the compost heap? It that a thing? Maybe uncrushed in net sacks.
I suppose there may be some emissions captured using that method but I tend to favor putting the char directly in contact with the substance I am inoculating with. Question I have is how will you know when the char is inoculated and since the atmosphere is 78% Nitrogen couldn't one just hang a bag of char wherever? 🤷♂️
I hot compost and vermicompost. I don’t have the space for compost in my winters and will end up with too much material overflowing in my setup. Thinking about, at least in the warmer months, running my hot compost that’s finished into my vermicompost setup. Thinking of adding biochar to my compost at the hot stage but curious how the worms will feel about it if I add the finished hot compost to the vermicompost with biochar in it.
The char will pass right through them making the castings even better. Only the smallest of char (dust) will be taken in by worms based on information I have researched. Good luck with your system 👍
Excellent video. As @williamvallejo5976 noted, I too, learned more about biochar in the first five minutes than all other videos on the subject. I have a question: What about using the ash from wood stoves in your garden? Good idea or not? Obviously, making and using biochar is the preferred ingredient, but what if you don't have the ability to do that due to local regulations, or some other reason?
Thanks for watching and the kind words. Using ash in your garden can be good in some soil conditions but it is not advisable unless you know your soil pH. Wood ash is basic (alkaline) which may be useful where your soil is acidic but if your soil is neutral to basic it will have a negative effect. Test your soil before using wood ash would be be best practice. Good luck. 👌
You could do that but alot depends on how much you use because it's still going to affect the pH much in the same way as adding directly to your garden or soil.
Ya the barrel method looks good. My issue is time. I’ve used a barrel. I still need to try the retort method though. The trench method I like cause I can burn a twenty foot trailer full of old farm poles in like six hours. I’d never be able to burn that much wood in a barrel in such a short time. Skillcultz channel I like as he just burns till there’s coals in the trench and adds more. It’s definitely more practical in farms and or in the mountain if you have lots of wood to do and you just want to spend the least amount of time. Although I suppose in the winter burning wood in a retort would be really practical to get heat and some charcoal and just do a little daily.
Absolutely! The trench method is an excellent way to go for long stock on a project with an abundance of material. Such a great method for property clean-up. There are so many options and there are always new ways being thought of to improve on the very simple and timeless hole in the ground. Make char! 👍
The biochar retort I think is great for making purer charcoal especially if you want to use it for bbq or cooking which I want to use for all my apple tree pruning. Ya for projects like cleaning a yard I think the trench method is good. We literally were cleaning up a neighbors yard. The guy died and his brother was selling it. We removed trailer loads of old logs and branches etc. I’ve seen videos of basically a retort trailer where the door on the trailer opens up and there’s like two tanks on the trailer one inside of the other. My dad has a twenty foot long trash truck. The bin is like 20 foot long with a lid at the end that opens. I’ve thought about converting that into a retort. I also say I think USU in an educational video showed rectangular metal big bins where loggers burned scraps of wood at the logging site into coals. One video of that idea I think said they use metal covers once they’re done to keep oxygen out cause they maybe in the middle of nowhere without water to make sure the coals are out. I’ve seen videos like the channel ask Jeff Williams and others where they have homemade rock crushers. They crush rock to like one inch and then they have like a buffer or shop grinder setup where instead of turning a grinder or buffer wheel the machine turns a piece of chain that’s inclosed. Then they drop small rock in tk be pulverized and drop out of a small screen. I’ve thought that’d be a pretty economical way to crush down charcoal. I’ve not built one yet but I think I’ll try tk build that idea or setup this spring to process charcoal. A couple years ago I did the trench method and walked on the charcoal. I had a large amount but only got them down to one inch or less. So in the garden at first it sucked to raise beets in. But now it’s buried deeper. Making charcoal smaller definitely is a key point gardeners etc need to remember.
Yes. Biochar will absorb dolomite and most everything that it comes in contact with. Pond water holds alot of accumulated nutrients from runoff as well aquatic life. Both are good choices 👌
Very interesting, I still am confused on how you make this material? You burn it, but don’t let it get too hot? Help me understand how you create this product.
What type of wood would be the best for biochar? Do you prefer lighter wood types like willow and poplar or hardwoods like oak or even from the tropics?
The best type of wood is that which you have available and didn't cost you money. Both hardwoods, softwoods and many other carbonaceous waste will make great char. All carbon based material begins with it's own unique pore structure but what determines it's effectiveness as biochar is how it was processed. Temperature and duration in an oxygen deprived environment is what drives purity and porosity more than type of feedstock used. Thanks for the question. 👊
I believe Eastern Redcedar is "best" wood for making biochar. The wood is rather soft, porous, and contains a volatile oil that assists with the pyrolysis.
OK, so you might be the most well worded human I've ever encountered… Throughout the first five minutes I got more knowledge on bio char that I have, and countless other videos… Not to say, they don't say most of the same things, but you are very well spoken, and very easy to understand… Thank you for making content like this !!
Thanks man. Glad you liked the video. 👊
Agreed! Excellent and concise!
Excellent use of the high temperature of your rocket type stove to produce a true Biochar of very high quality. Awesome homesteading and survival skill my friend!!
There is nothing new under the sun, indigenous folks have used this process for ages to do different things. Unfortunately,when westerners get a hold of it, they begin the predatorial thought process to keep certain people out of potential gain, but its hard to do with this one....
Yes sir you have a way with words for simplicity or as you said early on into the video "layman"
I like simple, normal explanations for simple, normal people. I always come away feeling like I've learned something here vs just getting talked at.
Thanks man appreciate ya! 🤙
I'm subscribed to so many farming channels, but this was hands down the most concise one I've seen about biochar- and straight to the point!
Thanks! I appreciate the feedback. 👊🏼
Thank you sir! Very clear and concise video. I have been researching all things permaculture in preparation for a move to the country. Also loved the hat. You are a free, smart, clear worded man.
Thanks for the kind words. I appreciate it:)
I have watched a lot of video on that topic before. This is a very accurate summary of all the most important aspect covered!
Congrat!
Thanks man. Appreciate the feedback!
Brilliant video man ! I have watched so many biochar videos, all I needed to do was watch yours first ! Everything I needed to know clearly and understandable. Thanks
Comments like this make it all worth it. I'm so glad you got enjoyed the video. Thanks man! 👊
Thanks for cutting through the fog of info on this. Your an excellent instructor. Planning to use bio char on new tree plantings bur just learning. Many thankS!
Thanks for the kind review. I appreciate the feedback and I am glad you enjoyed the video . 👊
Awesome video! So many out there just ramble on, I appreciate you delivering a well-delivered concise, and understandable discussion without all the lead-up and drag out so many others use with commercials. Thank you, well-presented content!
Thank you! I'm glad you liked this video and thanks for the feedback. I try to get to the point.
Agreed!
Great job on getting all of the information out. Fast, simple to understand and complete! Thank You!
Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked it and I appreciate your comment. 🙂
Exactly
Brother, you hit it out of the park with this video. Clear, Concise factual and great explanation on BioChar. Congrats.
FYI, I made a retort kiln in my farm in South America if you need any ideas. Cheers
Thank you! Glad it was helpful. 👊
You happen to be a very good lecturer. The tutelage was crystal clear. Thumbs up for u sir!!!
Thank you much. Glad you enjoyed the video! 🙂
Cycling through chickens/bedding is really interesting, I was reading an academic paper yesterday highlighting the role of worms creating terra pretta by utilising the char in the amazon soils, all of which was found to be sub millimieter in size, worms use it in their gizzard to grind up food, which infuses the char with soil minerals, maybe the chickens utilize it in the same way. I usualy cycle my char through the compost cycle, I'll try it in the chickens droppings pit, and give the chickens access to some char too, thanks for sharing, never seen this approach before!
Awesome info! Do you have a link for that paper? I would be interested in reading that. Worms do so much heavy lifting in soil production and I keep them well fed with char and much more! 😉
@@therealprtrhsenteal YT has been deleting any of my comments with links, go to Seneca Farms Biochar site, technology tab, biochar preparation, it's reference 12 at the bottom, lots of other great references dotted about on that website
Thank you for this video from Czechia! Recently found out about biochar and its properties, and your knowledge really made it clear to me. Thanks!
You are welcome! Thanks for watching:)
Thank you for this video! Ive been trying to understand about this industry for a week, and finally your explanation helped me a lot to comprehend the general idea.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks:)
How refreshing to have a video not half loaded with plugs, advertisements, and drawn-out explanations where they aren't needed. This was chock full of good factual information, to the point, and well delivered. Subbed for more great content. Thank you!
Thanks for the kind review! 😊
Answered so many questions I had remaining from other channels - efficiently. Subscribed!
I really appreciate your comment. Glad it was helpful and welcome! 🙂
Great video. Only thing I can offer from my own experience, is the efficiency of the retort works better is with a flue length that matches the height of the barrel you make your biochar in. When I had the one length of flue, I had a lot of smoke in the process. When I added a second length (cannot remember if it was 18 or 24 "). the retort smoked a lot less and preformed like a rocket stove.
I also have a vermiculture bathtub with red wriggler worms to digest manure and kitchen scraps which produce a worm liquid from the drain and worm castings. This liquid is mixed with the fresh biochar and inoculates over many months. This mixture is then dug into the garden and is the organic bomb that produces mass quantities of Veg and keeps enriching the soil year after year. Cheers. Oh also , I would like to mention is that I use twigs from Douglas fir tress that come down in winter storms that we rake up. The size of the twigs makes it real easy to crush which you are well aware is really the only pain in the bottom. Keep Charring and sequestering CO2
Thanks for your input and sharing your experience. I wanted to add another section of flue to improve the siphoning effect but all of the material used was from scavenged resources and what I obtained for free. I'm stoked it has lasted and performed as well as it has as it it now entering its third season. Thanks for watching and make char! 😉
Great video. You answered all my questions. Continued success. God bless you and your family.
Thank you for your comment! I really do appreciate the feedback. 😉👋
You earned my subscription Sir! Thankyou for the video and explaing. Hope i have my own farm one day and make amazing organic fertilizers and additives on it. Fully sustainable. You lead us all so well.
I appreciate your kind words. Thanks for time and welcome to the channel! 👋
Simple, direct, and easy to understand! Fantastic video!!
Glad you liked it! Thanks:)
Thank you. This is one of best videos I've seen on the subject matter.
Now hoping over to your burning video.
Wow, thanks! 🙂
Excellent video, you are a great communicator and thorough.
When I was watching this I thought that a cement mixer or any tumbler with a few rocks in it would pulverize the biochar without much effort. In case you want to try that, I'll be working something up for myself.
Thanks David for the kind words. That is a great idea and if I come across one on the cheap I would do that! 👌
So gratifying to find a facts-based channel about relevant homesteading processes, presented clearly and concisely. Professional. Thanks.
Wow, thank you! I really appreciate your kind feedback. Thanks again!
This is the most concise, informative, and easy to watch video I've ever seen. Thank you for this. Subscribed!
Thanks so much. Glad you liked the video. Welcome!
He explained very nicely ,many time I get this term biochar many times in my exam,test . finally I understood
Glad to hear that! Thanks for watching. 😉
What a well worded and explanatory video. I just found it, again, to use to share with someone who is interested in biochar. Thank you for explaining it so clearly.
I appreciate the nice words. I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Thanks for watching!
Excellent presentation that really helps me understand how biochar fits into a permaculture scheme.
Hey man thanks for watching. I appreciate ya! 👊
Just found your channel and this video has to be the most informative about biochar I've seen. Thanks for the great info.
Thank you! I'm glad you like. Welcome to the channel :)
Can i use Rice husk to make Bio Char ? and what do you prefer wood or Rice husk ? Your reply will be highly appreciated.
I have never used rice hulls but I imagine the they would work pretty well. I would be interested to try that myself. It seems there would be much better airflow around the hulls than either wood chips or sawdust. If you try it let me know. Thanks.
@@therealprtrhsenteal I will.
This video covered so much that you can watch over again and get something new.
Super good to hear. Thanks for the feedback!
Thank you for making these videos and making them very easy to understand.
You're very welcome! Glad you liked this video and thanks for the feedback.
Great video, concise but thorough, thank you sir!
You are welcome and thank you!
I have 25 years of technical writing and a journalism degree from a school known for communications. That, sir, was a clear, concise, and engaging delivery, the kind i always aspired to in my line of work. ✌🏽
Thanks for the kind words. I appreciate it.
Great concise video, and this is coming from someone who's been making and using biochar for several years. 👍 The only piece of information I might have added is the tremendous good that charged biochar does for areas with poor soils versus the limitations it faces when used with soils that might already be rich. Granted, it's a fairly common-sense point, but there's a surprising number of youtube videos where people experiment with adding biochar to very rich bagged/purchased soil mixes and then report test results as limited or even negative. Living in an area where soils are not known for being super rich, I use biochar around my property when I see individual planted trees lagging behind other trees planted nearby, with extremely positive results. That shared, still a ton of great points in the video and so refreshing for it to be shared quickly and concisely!
As with any of these experiments it yields different results based on a lot of variables and some people make very declarative findings without ample research or patience. Thanks for your perspective and feedback. 👌
Very concise and informative. Thanks so much for making this video and sharing what you have found to be the best method for making biochar.
So glad you liked the video. Thanks for the feedback and watching! 🙂
It would be interesting to see if you can harvest the thermal energy produced in this process in some usable way. Great video, subscribed
I would like to be able to develop a low or no cost way to store some of that energy for sure. Thank you and welcome to the channel.
You could add a copper coil to make hot water. I spokr with a company in South Australia that desigbed and made a continuous flow retort that also generated electricity. Cost was up there though $5 million, yep said same thing. I now use a retort makes about 150 to 200 kg per day.
Very ingenious and multilayered approach! No livestock here, but love the chicken bedding twist here. This stuff is amazing! Will be adding it to the tea catcher of my worm composter, and the compost pile. Thank you for your concise and effective explanation.
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed this video. 😉
Hi Porterhouse. I watched a lot of biochar videos last night and particularly appreciated yours. The pace, quality, and content was far above average. I do think you may get a better result by incorporating an activation step. From what I gleaned you have the best method of making charcoal and adding compost tea to it, but there's a middle step of activating the charcoal which makes exponentially more surface area. Other homesteader videos suggest burning the material to coals then dowsing the flames with water creating a lot of steam which activates the charcoal. Adapting that to your method would be watering the 30 gal inner container while it is at peak heat. It sounds hard to do but you may want to experiment.
I've not found a 30gal steel barrel and prices are $$$. Do you think using a galvanized trash can would work? To get started I plan to use a barrel with side cut out then dowsing with water. It will take a lot more attention than your solution and not work as well, but its a start.
Adding water to the char during the cooling process would be a nice addition to the process. I don't do that because it adds another step in my workflow that doesn't yield enough benefit to warrant my time since my char will be passively inoculated in the compost for the remainder of eternity. I do quench when making char in a pit or trench because it just fits into the workflow and it can help to lessen the hydrophobic properties by removing the residuals before they can solidify. Thanks for your suggestion it might indeed make a better char. 👌
Thank you for making this easier to understand!
Right on man! You are welcome. 😉
Retorts are easier for sure. The open pit, or cone method. Depending on how large pit , or cone is. Takes a good part of the day to keep it from going to ash. You could buy a used gas wood chipper to grind up the charcoal. Just have to play with the speed to get the size particles you want. And the charcoal needs to be damp.
Yeah man a chipper would be pretty sweet for all sorts of things around here! I could put that to good use with feedstuffs, woodchips and biochar! 👌
I've been playing with an old sink and garbarater grind up charcoal add some water and garden scraps together then throw it in to the chickens... work good on a smaller scale...
Wow, well done video!!! Thank God for people like you. All THE BEST...
Thank you very much! Glad you liked it. 😉
Brilliant video, instruction and explanation. Thank you so much. Exactly what I needed.
Glad it helped! Thanks for watching. 😉
GREAT INFORMATIVE VIDEO.....THANKS!! And I subscribed.
So glad you liked the video and welcome!
Idk why I didn’t come to you page first when researching this.
Glad this vid was helpful. Thanks for checking it out!
Wow, You seem to understand biochar exactly same way I do. Crushing the char is the task I like least. I had an old chipper/shredder and I would mix the char with leaves/clippings and run it thru a couple of three times, then compost it. It is quick, clean, and easy. But my chipper died so now I am back to crushing by hand. Sometime I use better quality oak feed stock and make an incomplete burn for charcoal to grill with. Good concise video, thank you.
You are welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed the video. I have a video coming out this Saturday 7/8/23 that is a biochar barbecue comparison. Hope you can check it out. 🙂
Man I like this guy. Not only did he teach me I understood what he was saying with all them big words and and stuff.
🤘
Curious if there is a general rule of thumb as to how many pounds of char to 100 sq ft ?? Thank you for such an intelligence packed, eloquent, concise video.
There are variables depending on application rate beginning with soil type, soil fertility, and what is the intended purpose. There are many studies and not all in agreement so do your further research to find what is going to benefit you. I innoculate my compost desiring to achieve 5-10% biochar by volume. I don't worry too much about specific calculations regarding adding biochar as it is difficult to reach these amounts for the small backyard producer. Good luck man and make char!
Thank you for the simplicity of explanation in this very informative presentation. May The Lord Jesus Christ Bless You, Amen.
You are very welcome! Thank you for the kind words. 🙏
I get as a byproduct from making charcoal for blacksmithing and cooking. I use in my composting toilet.
Nice. Taking humanure to the next level. 👍
This is the first video of yours that I have seen. Very interesting and well done. Thanks for sharing.
Glad you enjoyed it. Thank you! 🙂
Spent lots of time researching biochar. Your explanation far exceeded all other presenters in clarity and brevity. Masterful presentation. Content was right on and succinct.
Thanks for the kind words and I'm glad you have enjoyed the video. 😉
I love this guy! Saved hours searching the web for this info!!
Glad I could help! Thanks. 🙂
Very cool! And very well presented! 🙂
Thanks much. Glad you enjoyed it. 😉
Hey hi here from Germany. Very good video and very good summery of everything important about bio char!
One point I’d like to discuss further is the part with the oily and smelly residues. As far es I know they’re made of mostly PHAs and PHAs are a group of very stable and highly carcinogenic molecules. Besides heat they don’t break apart very easily and will end up in the food chain.
Good thing all you need to do to remove all PHAs completely is just heating the biomass a little more. At 600°C and more only the pure carbon should stay back which should be completely odorless.
As far as I know… you know.
The temperatures in my retort are at or above 1200°f as I have measured them. The char I have made has no odor or oily Residue. There is residual tar and resin which is not obvious when looking at the char but is the primary reason the char has become hydrophobic. Thanks for the info and thanks for watching!
JUST BRILLIANT! another great vid! Shalom
Thank you! 👋🙂
I have just seen this today. Thank you sir for that informative video about biochar, this can help our farmers
Hey thanks for checking out the video. Glad you liked it! 🙂
@@therealprtrhsenteal yes sir, your welcome. thanks also for the heart ❤️ to my msg
Great explanation. Thank you for taking the time to post this video!!!!!
I'm glad you have enjoyed it! Thank you!
Easily the best ed vid I’ve seen yet - really good. Thanks!
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed the vid! 😉
I enjoyed watching your video. And the little bag dance !
Nicely explained and simplified .
Thank you 🙂
Good! Building some retorts now getting ready for spring
Awesome. They are fun and really efficient both in materials and time management. I'd like to hear back from you once you have one or more of them in operation. 👏👏👏
Brilliant presentation, I've subscribed. Hungry for more.
Thanks! Welcome to the channel. 😉
Thanks!
Thank you very much! 🙂
Thank you for sharing. Simple to the point for hobby gardeners and great info. Will check out your Biotar Retro system.
You are welcome. I'm glad you liked the video. 😉
Not a farmer no nothing about it but I like this guy and plan on learning the knowledge he’s singing!!
Thanks for watching 😉
Excellent video. Great information and done so well. It is loaded with intelligent information yet easy to follow instructions. Thank you 👍
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for the feedback. 😉
Brilliantly explained and shown. Thank you. Looking forward to your videos past, present and future. Liked and subbed.
Thank you for the feedback I appreciate it! Welcome to the channel 🙂
You are very clear in your explanation...thank you.
Thanks for the feedback. Glad you got something out of the video! 🤘
Appreciated. We use the cone pit method and get a good haul of char. From the pit it is transferred to the compost bin state and in the chicken run. Been looking to make a retort just for fun.
Awesome! Glad you enjoyed the video and thanks for your comment. Biochar for life!🤘
Informative easy to understand and entertaining. Great video 👏🏻
Thanks Ej 😉
I used a Roto Hoe chipper. The Roto-Hoe doesn’t chip very well and and just beats solids around. When you put that wet charcoal in there it comes out like black ooze, black gold, very satisfying.
thanks, this vid helped me quite a bit with my science fair!
Glad it helped!
Man, that video was legit!! Would biochar be beneficial on my bermuda grass? I have alot of red clay under my sod.
Thanks for the in depth video
Right on man glad you liked the video. Biochar would be good for soil mostly likely anywhere with any soil type. Organic material which will decompose further would help Clay soil to improve however clay soil can take alot of patience and work. Biochar unless mixed with an organic material like compost may not be the fastest option. Good luck. 👍
Thank you for a great explanation I was so confused about this. You just got a new subscriber
Right on thank you! Welcome to the channel 👊
Good stuff!!
QUESTION: I'm new to Biochar so forgive me if you've been asked this question a million times.
My wooded portion of my property is mostly Black Walnut. Does the juglone pose a treat making Biochar or is that all dissipated during the burn?
Good question. I do not have 100% certainty however juglone can be composted out of leaves in about 2-4 weeks. The compound is broken down when exposed to air, water and bacteria. My assumption is it would not withstand the process of pyrolysis and the chemical compounds would be eliminated. If some residual of the compound was retained in the biomass it would more than likely be rendered inert. I am not certain of this it is just theoretical. Sorry I couldn't be more definitive on this.
Well done sir. Thank you for saving me a ton of time.
Most welcome!
Awesome video thank you 😁
You are welcome!
Great video y shared knowledge. Just curious, is there any benefit to chickens eating biochar?
Thank you! Yes reasearch has shown that charcoal has benefits to the digestive health of livestock and can reduce their gaseous emissions.
Cool! Good to know.
Thank you for this video!! So fascinating to learn more about this.
Glad you like it. Thanks for watching 😉
Thanks for the video. Unfortunately, after watching, I'm concerned biochar my not serve the purpose for me I was hoping. My soil is too well draining. I started building up my garden plot area maybe 8 months ago on sandy soil in a flood plain. I lasagna layered cardboard, then miany layers of goat and alpaca manures with layers of mulch and finally a layer of city compost which in retrospect wasn't aged enough. My first cover crop failed because it would not hold moisture with daily evening waterings. Now even with the summer monsoons (high desert AZ) it still won't really hold water. I was gong to get a couple yards of high clay content soil to mix in but then I thought of biochar. I figured it would hold water really well but it sounds like it starts out really thirsty but then you have to inoculate it so its not thirsty anymore. So if I inoculate it with whatever so that it's not thirsty anymore then it also won't be thirsty for water thus not making it a good addition if it's purpose is to retain the water, correct?
I have performed some moisture tests which have shown to increase the water retention by quite a bit. One soil plot without char and another with 1:1 ratio of soil mixed with char. Nutrients retained in char doesn't affect the ability for char to retain water. Try running some test plots to see if it will work for you. Thanks for watching and the question.
I appreciate you mentioned the fire triangle
Takin it old school 🤘🙂
Great video, simple and concise
Glad you liked it. Thanks:)
Thank you so much for this explanation!
You're very welcome! Thanks for the feedback 😀
Incredibly concise and to the point. Thank you for your contribution to the UA-cam community!
Glad you liked it. Thanks for your feedback! 😉
Best video yet. Thank you . :)
Wow, thanks! Appreciate it 🙏
What about putting it on top of the compost pile so it captures the nitrogen gas that escapes from the compost heap? It that a thing? Maybe uncrushed in net sacks.
I suppose there may be some emissions captured using that method but I tend to favor putting the char directly in contact with the substance I am inoculating with. Question I have is how will you know when the char is inoculated and since the atmosphere is 78% Nitrogen couldn't one just hang a bag of char wherever? 🤷♂️
Interesting stuff well said. So to be clear it is just ordinary charcoal?
Cheers
Yes! It's pure carbon with the volitiles removed! Thanks for watching .😉
I hot compost and vermicompost. I don’t have the space for compost in my winters and will end up with too much material overflowing in my setup. Thinking about, at least in the warmer months, running my hot compost that’s finished into my vermicompost setup.
Thinking of adding biochar to my compost at the hot stage but curious how the worms will feel about it if I add the finished hot compost to the vermicompost with biochar in it.
The char will pass right through them making the castings even better. Only the smallest of char (dust) will be taken in by worms based on information I have researched. Good luck with your system 👍
Excellent presentation. Subscribed.
Welcome aboard! Thank you 😊
New subscriber - great content and delivery, Sir!
Thank you! Welcome to the channel 👊
Excellent video. As @williamvallejo5976 noted, I too, learned more about biochar in the first five minutes than all other videos on the subject. I have a question: What about using the ash from wood stoves in your garden? Good idea or not? Obviously, making and using biochar is the preferred ingredient, but what if you don't have the ability to do that due to local regulations, or some other reason?
Thanks for watching and the kind words. Using ash in your garden can be good in some soil conditions but it is not advisable unless you know your soil pH. Wood ash is basic (alkaline) which may be useful where your soil is acidic but if your soil is neutral to basic it will have a negative effect. Test your soil before using wood ash would be be best practice. Good luck. 👌
@@therealprtrhsenteal Question # 2 - what if I put wood ash in my compost pile? Would that be a good or bad idea?
You could do that but alot depends on how much you use because it's still going to affect the pH much in the same way as adding directly to your garden or soil.
Very good video. Thank you!
You're welcome!
You're welcome!
Excellent explanation. Thank you!
You are welcome!
Good video thank you and God bless.
Q: if I use the charcoal as a filter for my fish pond it will be biochart?
You can use pond water to inoculate char. Char is merely a blank carbonaceous substrate waiting to absorb an innoculant. Pond water will work. 👌
Ya the barrel method looks good. My issue is time. I’ve used a barrel. I still need to try the retort method though. The trench method I like cause I can burn a twenty foot trailer full of old farm poles in like six hours. I’d never be able to burn that much wood in a barrel in such a short time. Skillcultz channel I like as he just burns till there’s coals in the trench and adds more. It’s definitely more practical in farms and or in the mountain if you have lots of wood to do and you just want to spend the least amount of time. Although I suppose in the winter burning wood in a retort would be really practical to get heat and some charcoal and just do a little daily.
Absolutely! The trench method is an excellent way to go for long stock on a project with an abundance of material. Such a great method for property clean-up. There are so many options and there are always
new ways being thought of to improve on the very simple and timeless hole in the ground. Make char! 👍
The biochar retort I think is great for making purer charcoal especially if you want to use it for bbq or cooking which I want to use for all my apple tree pruning.
Ya for projects like cleaning a yard I think the trench method is good. We literally were cleaning up a neighbors yard. The guy died and his brother was selling it. We removed trailer loads of old logs and branches etc.
I’ve seen videos of basically a retort trailer where the door on the trailer opens up and there’s like two tanks on the trailer one inside of the other.
My dad has a twenty foot long trash truck. The bin is like 20 foot long with a lid at the end that opens. I’ve thought about converting that into a retort.
I also say I think USU in an educational video showed rectangular metal big bins where loggers burned scraps of wood at the logging site into coals. One video of that idea I think said they use metal covers once they’re done to keep oxygen out cause they maybe in the middle of nowhere without water to make sure the coals are out.
I’ve seen videos like the channel ask Jeff Williams and others where they have homemade rock crushers. They crush rock to like one inch and then they have like a buffer or shop grinder setup where instead of turning a grinder or buffer wheel the machine turns a piece of chain that’s inclosed. Then they drop small rock in tk be pulverized and drop out of a small screen. I’ve thought that’d be a pretty economical way to crush down charcoal. I’ve not built one yet but I think I’ll try tk build that idea or setup this spring to process charcoal.
A couple years ago I did the trench method and walked on the charcoal. I had a large amount but only got them down to one inch or less. So in the garden at first it sucked to raise beets in. But now it’s buried deeper. Making charcoal smaller definitely is a key point gardeners etc need to remember.
Do you think that dolomite as a soil 'sweetener' would be absorbed by biochar that is soaking in pond water?
Yes. Biochar will absorb dolomite and most everything that it comes in contact with. Pond water holds alot of accumulated nutrients from runoff as well aquatic life. Both are good choices 👌
Great explanation. I will subscribe.👍
Thank you! 🙂
Very interesting, I still am confused on how you make this material? You burn it, but don’t let it get too hot? Help me understand how you create this product.
It gets very hot. It has the oxygen component eliminated so the material never gets fully consumed and what remains is carbon minus the ash.
Very informative video! Thank you.
You are so welcome. Thanks for the feedback. 😉
What type of wood would be the best for biochar?
Do you prefer lighter wood types like willow and poplar or hardwoods like oak or even from the tropics?
The best type of wood is that which you have available and didn't cost you money. Both hardwoods, softwoods and many other carbonaceous waste will make great char. All carbon based material begins with it's own unique pore structure but what determines it's effectiveness as biochar is how it was processed. Temperature and duration in an oxygen deprived environment is what drives purity and porosity more than type of feedstock used. Thanks for the question. 👊
I believe Eastern Redcedar is "best" wood for making biochar. The wood is rather soft, porous, and contains a volatile oil that assists with the pyrolysis.