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How do you process the biochar?

Biochar is made with high heat and low oxygen. This was an experiment of sorts. I started the fire after packing the barrel with wood and once a fire had started on the top and the coals spread around, I tilted the barrel to provide a rolling effect for the gasses that the wood compounds give off to ignite. You can do also make it with a standard barrel and just keep adding to the fire right at the point where the burned wood shatters when tapped and is starting to ash. A cone shaped kiln is even better at making it, but either more expensive, or harder to make. My future plans are to procure a 30 gallon barrel with a lid that I will pack full of material to turn into biochar and then place it in the 55 gallon drum with some air ventilation holes and a tall chimney to make a rocket burner. The inside barrel will never catch fire, but will get hot enough to pyrolyze (offgas) and my end result will be much better and a much higher percentage.

Yup, i have the cone kiln works pretty good. I put the char through electric wood chipper, works pretty well. I’ve probably made 50 gallons of processed char this year.

Outstanding. I processed more during the winter with a covered hotel pan in the fireplace than I made during the warm months. Would like to get the same results/output as the hotel pan without the amount of waste and time tending...hence the rocket plans

Yeah there is a cool design that is a 55 gallon drum, chimney pipe runs through that sealed can, there is an intake pipe in the sealed can to suck off gasses to the chimney pipe. You just stack the drum full, then do the burn.

Does the angled barrel help with ash or air?

has to be done!✅

Tried to zap this but you didn’t set up a wallet. 🙁

strange. I have had a wallet set up for some time now. I had some problems when I changed over to alby hub, but got it working. Have been able to send zaps......

It was suggested that it would help convert more of your material to biochar instead of into ash. I am not satisfied with the way I did it though. I packed the barrel with material instead of starting small and building it up. Next time I will try that and compare the results.

You might need to add your lightning address in the nostr profile - this does not happen automatically.

Thank you