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Revlac

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Joined: 31/12/2016
Location: Australia
Posts: 1024

Posted: 08:56am 03 Aug 2018

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Something we built a while back
There is many different uses for old gas cylinders, and this one turned out to be very useful.

At the base there is a 100mm copper elbow brazed onto the base and a piece of SS flew pipe for the fan/airflow.

Made up a grill inside to hold the charcoal and surrounding that is a round steel plate/disc to support it and the firebrick and fire clay.
On the top they are some ordinary cut bathroom tiles.
the 24v fan is good for a quick heat/flareup.

This has been really handy for those times when solar power was a bit slack due to bad weather, makes terrific toast with some SS mesh placed on top, as long as it is not too hot

.
It will boil a kettle pretty quick and can cook long and slow if we put a concrete tile on top and restrict the airflow.
The charcoal is homemade, from Ironbark.

After thoughts:
It would have been nice to put an ash pit door at the bottom of the elbow.
It has a lot of thermal mass, there was room to put some water heating tubes between the firebrick and steel cylinder.

Cheers Aaron
Off The Grid

Tinker

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Joined: 07/11/2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 1904

Posted: 09:31am 03 Aug 2018

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Very neat Aaron

.

Just curious, how small a quantity of charcoal can one make? The kilns I seen made tons of that stuff.

Klaus

Revlac

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Joined: 31/12/2016
Location: Australia
Posts: 1024

Posted: 10:31am 03 Aug 2018

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The charcoal kiln can be of any practical size you need, any tin that you can have a lid on and some small vent to let the gas out.
wood or chips should be no bigger than 100mm cross section in my opinion, bigger is too slow.

This picture is from early times, wood was a little oversize and it was gum, but still made good charcoal, not as good as ironbark though.
I have since burnt the arse out of that steel container and will be building a new one from a gas cylinder, if/when I have spare time.

For me the maximum size would be 200L drum, but the amount of gas produced is incredible, most people pipe the gas back under the drum/kiln to maximize the heat and burn less wood in the process, the sound it makes is a bit scary, and don't let any air back in when it is Finished and cooling down or the charcoal will start to burn. plenty on the web about this stuff.

I use the gas for other things.

Cheers Aaron
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Revlac

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Joined: 31/12/2016
Location: Australia
Posts: 1024

Posted: 08:14am 04 Aug 2018

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This is where some of the gas was used, the old gas stove has had slightly larger jets put in and the airflow restricted a bit more than if its was on lpg. (I don't buy LPG anymore).

I don't use this often but its there if i need it.

Cheers Aaron
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Tinker

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Joined: 07/11/2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 1904

Posted: 10:35am 04 Aug 2018

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So you heat that drum full of wood from underneath? How long does it take for a full load to turn into charcoal? I suppose its not something one wants to do in suburbia unless the process smells like steaks on the barbie

Klaus

Revlac

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Joined: 31/12/2016
Location: Australia
Posts: 1024

Posted: 11:57am 04 Aug 2018

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It usually takes about 3+ hours with DRY WOOD to do this size charcoal maker in the photo ,But thats a lot of charcoal, about 10kg, less for pine and other wood.
A larger diameter like a 205L drum would take more time to heat it, wood being a good thermal insulator.
There is better more efficient ways to do this but keep it simple and work with thing's available and cheap.
I'm still finding more uses for this charcoal and have plenty to play with.
Have been thinking about carbon for a battery, but don't know much yet.

I do like a good BBQ though, around here you can smell the neighbors BBQ almost a km away, burnt.

Cheers Aaron
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