I prefer to make charcoal from any of the more acidic trees like Oak. Not sure how acidic fruit trees can be. I’ve seen a few oil tanks for sale here but when I find a good deal it’s always hours away. The local scrapyard crushes any tanks and hot water heaters. Luckily they save the 55 gallon drums and set them aside.
Put the word out on my Facebook to see if anyone I’m friends with knows someone getting rid of it.
Oil heaters are outlawed in much of my part of the country (hug the tree love the tree love the environment types made it into local government and squashed it) so many houses around the citys have the old tanks sitting outside many if them still full of oil. A while back a asked around if people wanted them removed for free and got a couple. I siphoned off the oil and sold it to a buddy to run in his 12v Cummins those motors are basically multifuel capable and run on anything oil based at a reduced rate of power. Gave the tanks away to a few local farmers that converted them into hog feeders. I picked up 2 more at a auction for 10$ and 2 others that were sold there were never picked up so I was given those as well, just sitting around and need a good use
This Sunday I’m going to see about digging up some good old red clay on my property and building a cob enclosure for a charcoal kiln. I have some pool siding that I can use to make a metal interior to ensure flames go around an entire barrel.
I’m thinking of welding together two barrels to make an extra big kiln. If it’s going to be done in batches it might as well be big batches.
I’ll probably use some of my giant pile of wood chips for binder in the cob to keep it from just falling apart. I know my red dirt has a high clay content because I’ve made pure clay from it before by stirring and settling the garbage out.
Maybe I should get into making my own bricks while I’m at it.
If it turns out successful I’ll make a little cover to keep rain off of the dirt. I need to strategize on the best location, somewhere near a garden hose to put out any potential fires but also not too close to the house so my family doesn’t get upset at a new eyesore 
Somewhere there are pictures of Oregoncarl’s clay lined barrels. Hard to come up with anything new but fortunately we can learn from the adventures of those that came before.
I’ve seen that one, this is more or less me making a big pizza oven to cook a barrel full of wood. Using some pool siding as a guide for the cob to build up and ensure i have flames going all around and not just the bottom.
My poor Kubota couldn’t get into this dirt. Gonna have to do it the hard way with a pickaxe and shovel.
Couldn’t find my pickaxe but I found something better. A cutting spade. This dirt is so high in clay content that the back of the spade leaves clean walls. I’m glad that it rained last night so the digging was easier.
Is it red because of iron?
Probably. My family(Ormand, mothers side) used to use a giant furnace for making iron. It was built during/just after the Revolutionary War so it was before any serious logistics were involved, I think there’s a few old mines around here.
All the land that Bessemer City sits on used to be my family’s land granted by King George II, we sold a lot of it off. Ironically the town is named after the Bessemer smelting process that made our furnace obsolete. It still stands for the most part and we hold a yearly family reunion there. Here’s a link to the Ormand family website with some pictures of what’s left of the furnace.
http://ormand.org/furnace.htm
This stuff is basically 1 Step Cob. No sand needed.
Thought I had an oval shaped tank. Unfortunately the guy ran out and only had the big cylindrical ones. I bought it anyways, 50 bucks isn’t a bad deal. Already has some angle iron legs on it.
I can still make this work for a 55 gallon retort. I can cut one end off, hinge it for a giant door and just set in the 55 gallon drum on legs. Build a big pyre on the inside and light it off.
I’m going to be getting a second one tomorrow. I might make one of them into a tlud or flame cap barrel.
Edit: I welded two barrels together, one was my charcoal producing that had a removable lid and another was a solid drum. I cut holes in the oil tank where these will sit in. Going to cut a feeding door in one end. I’ve already drilled a series of 3/8" holes on the 6 O Clock position where the drums will rest to let it offgas and self heat. I guess I’ll need to cut a hole for a chimney as well. For the time being I’m not going to seal up the oversized holes.
After putting the barrel in I started cutting a square for the firebox door. I guess more oily sludge was waiting to catch fire. Judging from how this stuff is burning the flames lick all the way around to the top. This is very promising.
Did a small test burn to establish an ash floor and see if it’ll dry out some damp brands from other burns. When I put the door back on I noticed flames coming from my vent holes in the barrel so I think it has finished carbonizing. Getting dark so I dampened the stove down to let it burn more slowly.
All the short videos about our little retort are now available again. Just watch number 10 for the most fun bit.
This device is wood charcoal distillers, one can make charcoal for generators, and also biochar.
in europe, chemical nitrogen as a fertilizer due to the rise in the price of Russian gas, is now very expensive, and bichar is the solution to have high-performance land very quickly.
Many speak that famines will arrive in Europe and Africa.
Yes and high nitrogen urine is a great inoculant for biochar before applying to field.
Also mycorrhizae type fungus, since that is my current soil health kick, but that might be better applied with the plants themselves since it infects the roots.
