Charcoal, Charcoal, Charcoal

[Wolverine]

My intent with this thread is to discuss my and your adventures w/ various charcoals (especially ones I've found little to no data on) and share my observations and speculations on their performance.
I am currently working my way through a large batch of white pine that I have found copacetic.
My plan is to in the near future of this thread to put it up against charcoals made from Paper Birch, Willow, Pistachio Shell, some old American Chestnut and Oriental Bittersweet vine.
If anyone has any specific experiments they'd like to see please feel free to say so.

**Preemptively If this is not the proper category for this thread I''m sorry.

[Mortartube]

I live in the UK and I have found that home made elder charcoal (Elder NOT alder) makes very fast BP and is as good if not better than home made willow. I believe that elder grows in much of the USA. If you have some available (It grows wild here and is sometimes considered a nuisance in hedgerows, but the flowers make a good elderflower champagne and the dark berries good wine), give it a go. I strip off the bark whilst the wood is still wet after cutting (I use a serrated bread knife on branches about 1" diameter) and leave it to dry in a shed for about a month before cooking. Wash your hands after handling as the wood, sap and bark contain toxins.

Edited November 7, 2013 by Mortartube

[LambentPyro]

I strip off the bark whilst the wood is still wet after cutting (I use a serrated bread knife on branches about 1" diameter) and leave it to dry in a shed for about a month before cooking.

Make a month a few days, throw it in a drying chamber or food dehydrator at max blast. I did that a few times with some cedar I found in the woods, made some nice Charcoal for fire dusts.

Edited November 7, 2013 by LambentPyrotechnics

[Bobosan]

I've only worked with Paulownia and Balsa. Picked up a bag of Willow from Phil's General store and milled it to air float but haven't milled a batch of Willow BP yet. The Paulownia is from fallen tree branches in front yard and larger splits pulled from firewood deliveries.

 

These tests are milled meal powder with Balsa charcoal -

 

 

with Paulownia charcoal -

 

 

and BBQ hardwood briquettes -

 

[Mortartube]

I just chuck it in the shed to dry. I am of the age where I don't hurry to do anything any longer, it happens at may pace or not at all.

[Arthur]

and BBQ hardwood briquettes - This video is private????

 

Royal Gunpowder Mills in the UK say that they used Alder trees for charcoal and have their own coppiced woodland for the supply. Legend has it that Willow is the wood of choice fresh new growth from the thickness of a man's thumb to the thickness of his arm and debarked.

Another tradition says that timber that grows quickly by water will make good powder.

 

IIRC Whitchita Buggy whip www has a table of woods and their use for charcoaling

[Bobosan]

Picked the wrong drop down in YU menu. BBQ should be viewable now.

 

I've seen the list on Wichita Buggy. Pretty inclusive but always room for more.

[nt8]

I have tried several types of charcoal: weeping, goat, white willow, birch, oak, plum, ash, poplar, tinder fungus.. But the best of me for BP

was the alder buckthorn ! Fortunately, where I live the alder buckthorn is a very common. it was surprised for me, the tinder fungus coal BP was very fast!

[Mortartube]

I know that Alder is one of the woods that is reputed to have almost magical properties where BP charcoal is concerned, but I haven't had the chance to try it. I know that you are in the UK Arthur, so give Elder a bash. It is widely available and really does the job.

Edited November 8, 2013 by Mortartube

[VikingPyrotechnics]

So, I can recommend to anyone Paulownia.

To date, the fastest BP that I had.

This was a 4 "ball shell. No booster.

Only BP that was made of paulownia coal ..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlnIwWhpbBo

Greets

VP

[Bobosan]

Not only is there a difference in charcoal, there are also differences in milling efficiency ie; mills, drums/jars, media, chem charge, time, temp & humidity. Finding the "sweet spot" of all those variables will give you consistency batch after batch.

 

The basic paper and pencil word processor is a must have to note these.

Edited November 8, 2013 by Bobosan

[Wolverine]

Also of interest is the amount of gas produced by said charcoals (speed isn't always everything).