[{"_1":2,"_3":-5,"_4":-5},"loaderData",{"_5":6},"actionData","errors","routes/hashtag",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":12},"articles",[13],"authors",{},"tag","charcoal",{"_14":15,"_16":17,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":23,"_24":25,"_26":27},"content","This is my very first nostr web article 😄\n\nThe main version permanently lives at https://libreleaf.com/making-biochar-on-the-cheap/\n\nI decided to write this article because I was getting a lot of interest and questions regarding my biochar experiments on nostr.\n\nBiochar has many amazing properties that bring many benefits to your homestead. This article isn’t about all the good thing biochar can do for you, there are plenty of those already on the net. Rather this article is about how you can make your own biochar on your property for very little out of pocket expenses.\n\nMore accurately this article is about how I have made biochar on my own.\n\nResources I highly recommend watching before making your first batch of biochar.\n\n* [Youtube – Biochar. Best method for producing charcoal for biochar.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXRosccKtOc)\n* [Youtube Playlist – Biochar Workshop: What, Why and How?](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCeA6DzL9P4vyeOJnF4iEYUXT3ycid1tk)\n* [Youtube – Top Reason Why Biochar Doesn’t Increase Crop Yields & 5 Ways to Fix it](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UiW3-IMfME)\n\n\n### Method #1 – The Conical Hole in the Ground.\n\nFor this method all you need is a shovel. I learned about this by watching the video [Youtube – Biochar. Best method for producing charcoal for biochar](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXRosccKtOc).\n\nDig a hole in the shape of a cone.\n\nSeparate your wood into piles based on thickness, small (kindling), medium, large.\n\nBuild a fire in the hole with your kindling wood. As the kindling burns place medium sized wood on top of the burning kindling. Lay the wood horizontally. As it starts to burn lay larger pieces.\n\nAs the wood burns carefully smash the fire down with your shovel. This effectively smothers the wood below due to lack of oxygen (O2). This lack of O2 coupled with the high heat of the burning wood above initiates [pyrolysis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrolysis) turning the wood into biochar.\n

\nhttps://libreleaf.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Biochar01-1024x576.jpg\n

\n\nWhen you bash the pile down the fire will start to die, revitalize it by adding more kindling, then medium sized wood then large and repeat the bashing process. do this until your hole is completely filled.\n\nOnce you are happy with your results quickly douse the fire with water. Dousing has the effect of shattering the biochar into smaller fragments creating more surface area for all the good critters to thrive.\n

\nhttps://libreleaf.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Biochar02-1024x576.jpg\n\n### Method #2 – The 55 Gallon Drum Biochar Retort\n\nI learned this method by watching [Youtube Playlist – Biochar Workshop: What, Why and How?](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCeA6DzL9P4vyeOJnF4iEYUXT3ycid1tk) and trying to recreate what I saw in the video.\n\nFor this method you will need:\n\n* 55 gallon drum with a lid\n* 4 – 6 inch diameter Stove pipe at least 24 inches long\n* A coupling to attach pipe to lid (I don’t know what they’re called)\n* Angle grinder with cut off disc or something that will cut metal\n* Drill with metal bits\n* Sheet metal screws\n\n

\n**Important:** None of these measurements are critical, this is just what I did. There’s room for improvement.\n

\n\n**The Barrel**\n\nDrill 8 1/2″ holes 3″ from the top of the barrel\n\nDrill 8 1/4″ holes below every other 1/2″ hole and 8 1/8″ hole above (see pic)\n\nCut 4 2-3″ equilateral(ish) triangular holes with angle grinder 1/2″ from the bottom of the barrel.\n\n

\nhttps://libreleaf.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Biochar-Retort01-1024x705.jpg\n
\n\n\nCut the appropriate sized hole in the lid for your coupling\n\nAffix your coupling to the lid with sheet metal screws.\n\nAffix your chimney to the coupling.\n

\nhttps://libreleaf.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Biochar-Retort02-1024x576.jpg\n

\n**The Retort – 35 gallon drum**\n\nIn my case I couldn’t find a 35 gallon drum for my retort so I’m using a small garbage can with a lid.\n\nDrill 5 1/2″ holes in the bottom of your retort (see pic)\n\n

\nhttps://libreleaf.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Biochar-Retort03-1024x576.jpg\n
\n\n\nFill your retort with stick and twigs and stuff. Make sure there’s a variety in the size of things and there’s breathing room. If you pack it too tightly you may not get a full pyrolysis.\n\nPlace the lid on your retort, pack the sides with wood vertically, and on top of the lid.\n\nLight the fire. Once the fire is burning nicely place the lid with the chimney atop your barrel and let it burn.\n\nIt usually takes a couple of hours for the burn to complete.\n\nOptionally when the fire is done burning and using good quality welding gloves, remove the lids to the barrel and retort then douse the biochar.\n\nI don’t do this because I don’t like getting burned so I wait until the next day to see the results.\n\n
\n\nhttps://libreleaf.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Biochar-Results02-1024x576.jpg\n
\n\nMy next task is to figure out how to grind it up.\n\nI have also used the biochar for grilling food. It works great! I’m never buying charcoal again.\n

\nhttps://libreleaf.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Biochar-Results03-1024x576.jpg\n
\n\nPlease if you have any questions or comments you can find me on nostr.\n\nIf you found value in this then please send some value back in the form of sats on the lightning network via nostr or my Alby address kolomona@getalby.com[]()\n\nMy nostr public key is npub15z2javq62eh2xpms7yew0uzqsk4dr7t3q3dq4903uuxdyw2ca3kstx6q95\n\nnostr:npub15z2javq62eh2xpms7yew0uzqsk4dr7t3q3dq4903uuxdyw2ca3kstx6q95","created_at",1682523524,"id","fd9f7065e60accc40f99610a7b5eb39f809946415148b9bca77b88083dfd57f0","kind",30023,"pubkey","a0952eb01a566ea30770f132e7f04085aad1f971045a0a95f1e70cd23958ec6d","sig","57abb5db40175e1a6d34ee590a9a4a4ea281051e7f2e77fdec2e39a4721bd68a555720f439b8911ae085b644e40e07311910eeab0b86ce0ffaa75d7993a8ef68","tags",[28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43],[63,64],[61,62],[59,60],[57,58],[47,56],[47,55],[47,54],[47,53],[47,52],[47,51],[47,50],[47,49],[47,48],[47,12],[45,46],[44,23],"p","image","https://libreleaf.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Biochar-Burning.jpg","t","garden","LibreLeaf","permies","permaculture","homesteading","farming","gardening","biochar","grownostr","published_at","1682523524","summary","Two Methods I use to make biochar. One just using a hole in the ground and the other a 55 gallon drum with retort and instructions on how to build it.","title","Making Biochar on the Cheap","d","1682523463803"]