Charcoal retort kiln
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- Опубліковано 8 вер 2024
- This week I decided to build a retort. I've been wanting to do this for a couple years, so already had a vague idea of the concept in my mind. Its a work in progress. Next will be a more efficient burner. For a scrap build, it works not bad.
*update
Not having weighed the yield I would estimate no less than 40 lbs. It depends how densely the material is packed, though I did discover stacking in a criss cross pattern rather than stacked yielded better results if less total yield. (less yield criss crossed, but much less fuel and time). Maybe 12-14 hours of burning, auto ignition possible around the 8 hour mark.
Of course species, dryness and size play a very large role.
Most practical design I've seen so far. Nice..
I have an outdoor boiler with a huge firebox, so I just shove a metal pail inside full of wood. The escaping gases and tars burn and help heat the water.
Excellent design. one of the most intuitive iv seen in some time. Id high recommend mineral wool insulation. it will give main benefits, faster to reach temperature and less energy required to stay at said temp. just the basic white fluffy stuff wrapped around. seen it done, works well.
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Thanks! I'll give that a try. I think you're right. I'm sure I'm losing heat on the 2 ends of the drum.
Like this design better than mine because you can redirect water vapor and collect tar! Nice video
Good design! Catch the creosote that drips out of the wood gas tube to treat fence posts.
Best retort I’ve seen so far 👍🏼
I like this design thank you for sharing
I think thats the best charcoal retort on UA-cam by a long mile.
Thanks I appreciate that. I would definitely make a few refinements next time but it works well.
I would have to agree. Is there any way you can share the plans for how it was built?
@@BarackObamasVoice I sort of "winged it" for the whole build, so I don't have plans per se. In the future I may build an improved design that heats the inner chamber more efficiently. I'll try to document the steps and parts better then. There is certainly room for improvement.
Aside from the ends possibly being colder then the middle and the possibility of inconsistent charcoal I really like it.
For your vent holes, for starters calculate the surface area of the diameter for your exhaust stack, using round numbers it's approx 28-30 square inches and make sure you have the same on the inlet, on your pipe behind, 2" was overkill but if it was scrap that's cool, personally I would always leave it capped and venting into your combustion chamber, if it's steam then it will go up the chimney if it's wood gas it will contribute to the retort as soon as it's ready, as long as you have enough fuel to start the process it will be a fire and forget tool.
I agree with the other suggestions of wrapping it with rock wool, unless you were planning on capturing the waste heat for heating a shop or shed.
Thanks for the suggestions! I've since capped the front and back of the drum with high density fiberglass (again, it's stuff I already had), and saw a big increase in yield. Less unconverted wood. As to the capping, I find that if I leave it closed the whole time the pipe would rapidly become clogged with tar/creosote/shmoo. Sometimes the amount of pure tar that's released is significant, and if it meets the high temperatures in the burn chamber it instantly expands to many times it's size and will clog the pipe. The initial steam stage seems to be the dirtiest. Likely if I did that it would work, but I'd need to clean my pipes and burner after each batch. As it is, I need to clean them every 3 or 4 batches.
incredible, intellectually fantastic design! i look forward to trying something similar in the near future
Looks like a great system.
Excellent job. Very simple. Congratulations. Keep it up.
Thanks! It's still working. Hoping to do a few batches soon.
That is a great idea. I will certainly borrow some of the ideas. The front and the back of the retort chamber should have some insulation installed to help hold the heat allowing for hotter temperatures. Also I would do some work on the wood gas system. This part should be kept inside the 200 gallon tank. The steam pipe should go straight up through this tank to be covered when the steaming is done. The gas pipe should also be in the burn tank and vented under the retort tank as a burner. I do believe the hotter the gases the better the burn adding to higher temperatures. I expect some of the gases are condensing in the exterior piping.
Thanks for the input! I have since made a few upgrades like insulation on the front and back, which made a BIG difference. My main reasoning for the exterior pipe was for cleaning. When at temperature and moisture passes through the gas pipe it builds up creosote wicked fast. This way I have an easy way to clean by driving a ram rod through the vertical pipe. I may try building a better and bigger one at some point so appreciate the ideas!
@@HeavyIronAcres I am still in the parts gathering process.. One thing I have been wondering about is, is the 55 gallon barrel complete or did you make it smaller. Did the insulation help in the process.
In the piping, the vapors produced only condensed when they are allowed to cool. A short piece of pipe out of the top of the barrel. Just something to put your cover on. The burner pipe can be contained inside the burn chamber, no condensation will happen.
I want to thank you for sharing your ideas and posting your video. Looking forward to seeing your next model.
Brilliant construction. great explenation.
Thanks I appreciate that! I've done a few small tweaks so will do another update one of these days
I'm curious how many burns this set up lasted? I can see the larger barrel lasting quite a while but the 45 gallon drum I would think would burn out after 20 burns or so.
I really like this design. I had a different design and it was so inefficient. This one is so much better and its light weight.
There's certainly room for improvement, and a few things I've done since have helped. Insulating the exposed sections of drum for instance helped a lot.
I admire this design. Similar to Justin Jenning's 'Charcoal Charlie' on UA-cam. It's easy to load and easier to unload and does an excellent job. The only improvements I would look into are running the outgassing pipe right into the firebox so it doesn't get gummed up with creosote. (It's the condensation that forms from the temp change from the retort to the outside air exposed pipe that becomes creosote.). What you have now works fine, just check the plumbing for obstructions between firings. Your burn time can be reduced if you insulate the retort, which brings me to some questions. How long does it take complete a batch? How often do you have to stoke the firebox with wood? Do you have to keep stoking the firebox after the retort is fully outgassing?
I checked with another old timer on UA-cam...his burner extended the length of the 55 gallon drum with 1/4" holes every 6" on both sides of his burner. He was using 2" pipe like you. Thank you for sharing your project. O.J. Romo, Oregon
Basically a full day per batch. I usually have to reload the firebox with wood several times until the off gassing takes over, which seems to vary depending on wood species, sizes, fuel type and dryness etc. Yes, it would be better if the entire drum were in the fire, and in a future design I would address that. My burner is maybe 18" long ... ? Something like 8 holes drilled at 10 and 2. I dont remember the size, but maybe about 1/4". Thanks for watching and for the recommendations.
@@HeavyIronAcres Thanks for the info. You're a valuable resource...it's hard to find anyone with experience with this type kiln. I converted a 300 gallon tank into a kiln placed inside an insulated furnace fed by a 8" rocket stove. I had a Calvin & Hobbes moment...it was like trying to heat the living room with a candle. I way underestimated the heat I would need. Never got close to outgassing. I'm going to convert it to just building a fire under the tank like yours and spend the day stoking it. Thanks again for the reply...I'm indebted, O.J..
@@HeavyIronAcres Justin just did an update on his 'Charcoal Charlie'. He replaced all the 'plumbing' with four 1/2" holes drilled in the bottom of the retort and covered it with a length of angle iron. Search Justin Jennings on UA-cam and it'll be the last of 3 'Charcoal Charlie' videos. O.J.
I watched that. Thanks for the info. That certainly simplifies the design drastically, as the pipe is the hardest part of the build. Its also the only part that requires periodic cleaning. For now this though, the burner works quite efficiently. Likely if I build a new retort at some point I'll convert this one in the same manner as charcoal charlie's. I like the simplicity.
Nice build. I’m jealous.
We want you to be a great role model
You can get burlap sacks or pallets and large sacks with handles that they sit on a pallet
Good idea. Thanks
Very cool setup! How’d that 55gal drum hold up over time?
That is pyrolytic oil, it is very precious !
I think I can make this, awesome
You can! Doesnt have to be perfect either and it will still work
Saludos desde Cuba.
verry good job sir.
Well done
Good day, great video and thank you for sharing this great idea. I have the barrel placed vertically, but I have problem with the gasses leaking on the lid, but my ring for the lid has no screws, it is just a regular ring, so I place mud in the lid cannel. So, do you just screw the ring on the lid, or do you add maybe clay or mud in the lid cannel to seal it more tight? Thank you kindly for your time and answer, and I am sending you very best regards.
Thanks for the great video. Nice design. Could you talk about the fueling cycle? You start the burn with a bunch of fuel in the burn chamber. Did you have to top up the fuel over the 12-14 hour burn? How often? What is the ratio of fuel wood to charcoal wood by mass as measured before burn?
I havent analyzed the cycles that deeply, but roughly 4 or 5:1 fuel to charcoal I'd say, with maybe 1 or 2 top ups throughout the cycle.
Brilliant!
Love it Man!
Nice going mate.
Thanks! It was a fun project.
Searched for a retort video, the 1st 4 did not cover the design. I can’t remember actually what they covered. The design is brilliant. How often do you use charcoal?
Nice
Nice!
Awesome! Question tho, will oxygen not go back into your barrel threw the pipe in you’re firebox?
I think the chimney effect prevents this, though i might be wrong.
Do you mind posting your plan that is a nice kiln. Great job
How much time to firing take pls
Awesomely simple set up you got. Since you had fun with the project you should check out the "Handbook of charcoal making, the traditional and industrial methods". it can be found as a free pdf online. Goes over pretty much everything one would want to know about charcoal and explains the usefulness of all those run off fumes and tars, known as Pyrolysis oil.
Thanks! I'll look into that. I saved some of the tar from the first couple batches, but haven't thought of a use for it, so that will be helpful.
It seems I see alot of videos venting from the side instead of the top. Also burn wood must be continually added even with gas to keep it hot. Softwoods burn better, hardwoods make better charcoal.
275 gallon oil tank FYI!!!!
I like your build . I wish I saw this a month ago . I just tried my first burn and it didn't go that well . I figure that I'm loosing a lot of heat through the outside of the kiln .
I'm now looking for a way to insulate it and try again .
So , what are you going to use the charcoal for ?
My first burn didn't go great either, but you learn as you go. I originally had plans to build a coal fired forge, but haven't done that yet. Mostly I give it away and BBQ with some. I have several years supply now even with giving bags away
please check my UA-cam to check our charcoal making machine
I like your design. Did you make the barrel/kiln easy to replace with a new barrel?
It wouldn't be too hard or take very long. The hardest part would be welding a new flange on the back of the drum.
I like the size ...I'm looking for plans on a larger active box using 250 gal propane tanks...the bigger the better ...my goal is to get to a potash consistency
Where is the big exhaust pipe connected to?
Is it the upper chamber or the lower chamber with buner?
Burner chamber. Only port in the charcoal chamber is the pipe in the back.
@@HeavyIronAcres thanks bro
That water is turpentine I suppose
what is the purpose for doing this?
Fun! Perhaps you've heard of it?
Looks great! What would you say was the approximate yield of the charcoal wood after burning? Thank you sir
Basically a full yard waste bag with enough space to roll the end of the bag closed. Not sure the weight.
@@HeavyIronAcres the 72-gallon ones?
I'm not sure how many gallons, but I'd say a full 55 gallon drum of wood reduces in volume and/or settles maybe 30%.
@@HeavyIronAcres Thanks. Appreciate it. :)
This is not a very good design - almost all of the heat from the burning wood is simply radiated to the outside. The barrel end should not have protruded out the back of the oil tank as that loses heat too. Maybe you could add some insulation? Or just plan on wasting a lot of wood when you fire it...
What is it with your nasty people online?
@@TingTingalingy When you want to help people, you tell them the truth, and that's what I did.
Nice kiln. you should check out making "wood vinegar" on youtube, it sells for $70-80 a gallon and you are just dumping it on the ground. great job on building it.
Nice