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Since reading this article, I've spent many hours in research concerning biochar and am convinced that it's an excellent addition to my soil building efforts. I'm making biochar now and will be adding it to my garden in large quantities during the coming months.
I have two 55 gallon drums. They have clamp-on lids that are air tight, and the lids have three holes with screw in caps to cover the holes.
Around the bottom of the barrels I punched 10 holes in a circle. These then are flaired outward and downward, to draw up air into the barrel.
So, after loading the barrel with wood, I light the fire and once it gets going (maybe 5 minutes) I clamp on the lid and open all three holes on the top. Then once the smoke is really pouring out, I close up 2 of the holes on top, leaving only the one hole in the middle open.
At that point, thick white smoke billows out of the top hole and continues like that for several hours. If it seems to be going "too fast", I will cover up (with dirt) half of the holes on the bottom of the barrel.
Eventually, the smoke turns blue and I know it's nearly done. Once the smoke is so light that you can hardly see it, I cover the remaining holes on the bottom, and place a thin sheet of metal across the top hole. I don't screw in the top hole because it's just too hot. :)
The following day the barrel is ready to be opened, and I find all the wood has turned into charcoal, ready to be crushed and primed with compost.
This picture is two batches we did today. The one in the foreground is just about finished, and I covered the holes right after the shot was taken. You can see half the holes are covered. The one in the background has just been started and covered.
Here's the top. The bricks are there because it started raining a little this morning, so I surrounded the opening with bricks and laid the sheet of metal on the bricks. This kept the sprinkling rain from entering the barrel while it was cooking.
You can see the three openings, and you'll see only the middle one is open.
I've singed my eyebrows (charbrows) burning branches in an open barrel. I was doing it to get rid of brush & pruning left-overs. Would throw shovel fulls of the ash around plants. Same idea but not so efficient. Now I am more likely to make brush piles out in the desert for the birds. My mom used to make charcoal to heat her family home with when she was a little girl. I wondered when I saw your twitter post if that is what you were doing. I wonder what process she used. I'll have to ask ☺
angele, I don't know if you saw it, but I started a new thread on the sustainability forum so I could post a link to the current Mother Earth News article about making biochar in a garden trench.
I just saw the mention of Dave makes charcoal on the twitter thread and went looking for it earlier today. Thanks, Dave, for posting the link to this one. Great idea and pics, too!
Will also check out the link you mentioned, darius. On my way over there now. Thanks!
