Wood bundled for the charcoal firing.
Charcoal has long been a fuel for cooking, forging metals and drawing, among other applications. Charcoal was in fact the first industrial fuel and the art of the collier, or charcoal maker, was once widely known due to its prolific use. In Japan, charcoal was used into the 1950s and is now experiencing a resurgence as a cooking fuel, particularly for tea ceremonies. The making of charcoal has changed over the years and now incorporates some high-tech equipment not readily available, but we can still turn to the methods of yesterday for small scale production of homemade charcoal.
Instructions
Building the Charcoal Mound
1. Long kindling for building the chimney.
Clear a circle of grass and debris in a level open area. The size of the circle depends on how much charcoal you wish to make. For this example we will be starting with a round dome shaped pile 10 feet across and five feet high. (The circle diameter should be twice the height of the starting pile).
2. Kindling for starting the fire in the chimney.
Lay three pieces of 18-inch kindling in a triangle, with the ends overlapping, at the center of the circle. Stack more kindling on top, log cabin style building up a triangular chimney to a height of five feet. Fill the chimney to the top with smaller kindling and cover with a slab of bark or a board.
3. Tightly stacked logs ready to be covered with leaves or straw.
Lean pieces of firewood vertically against the chimney, but be careful not to knock it over. Pack the wood tightly to minimize air pockets within the growing pile.
4. Stack thinner wood around the outside of the pile (including the top) and fill in gaps and holes.
5. Cover the whole pile with a four inch layer of leaves, grass or straw followed by a six- to 12-inch layer of soil and debris. Pack the soil as tightly as you can to ensure a good seal.
6. Remove the debris above the chimney and take off the board or slab of bark beneath. Gently dump a shovel full of hot coals into the chimney top and let it burn for about twenty minutes. When dense white smoke issues from the top, re-cover the chimney with the bark and soil. Add more soil to any area that allows smoke to escape.
7. Watch the pile as it burns over the next three days; any areas that open up due to collapse or cracking of the outer crust must be covered with soil immediately or the wood inside will burn to ashes.
8. The final result: charcoal.
Let the mound sit for five days from first ignition and then rake it open to retrieve the charcoal. Watch out for any pieces still alight and cover them with soil.
Tags: chimney with, covered with, five feet, slab bark, with soil