Making charcoal for the grill

[Pauly]

I made my first batch last fall and am planning another this fall in the December time frame. Just wondering if anyone else makes it and to compare notes. I do mine in a 55 gallon drum and use small diameter oak splits cut about 4-6 inches long.

 

[Hurricane]

I have never heard of making charcoal before.
What is the benefit to it over just burning the dry oak in the BBQ ?

How do you make it ? Now I am interested because you can experiment with different fruit woods like cherry, apple, pear and such.

 

[smokinj]

I made my first batch last fall and am planning another this fall in the December time frame. Just wondering if anyone else makes it and to compare notes. I do mine in a 55 gallon drum and use small diameter oak splits cut about 4-6 inches long.

I will burn down the oak in the fire pit then shovel it stright into the smoker

 

[quads]

There used to be a charcoal factory a few miles from where I live. It was out of business before I was old enough to remember it, but the huge brick domes remained for many years. Eventually they were torn down and the land cleared for an irrigation field. The old timers used to say that when it was in operation, it covered the whole countryside in thick smoke, like a forest fire.

I throw a few pieces of oak kindling in with my charcoal when I grill, if I'm not cooking over the firepit.

 

[TreePapa]

We never buy or use charcol for our bbq. We just make a nice wood fire in the bbq and burn it down to coals, then throw the dead animal parts (I'm a vegi-person but wife and daughter are not) on the grill. We try to use hardwood if available and I've been itching to try some of the fruitwood I scrounged this summer.

Peace,
- Sequoia

 

[Stevebass4]

We never buy or use charcol for our bbq. We just make a nice wood fire in the bbq and burn it down to coals, then throw the dead animal parts (I'm a vegi-person but wife and daughter are not) on the grill. We try to use hardwood if available and I've been itching to try some of the fruitwood I scrounged this summer.

Peace,
- Sequoia

I do the same!!

 

[JoeyD]

I'm curious. How much firewood it would take to make say 10 pounds of charcoal? I cook 3 or 4 times a week on my Big Green Egg which uses lump charcoal. 10 pounds cost about $6.30 from Walmart and can last for 4 or more cooks depending on what I'm cooking. For all the effort I put into processing my firewood I can't see where its worth it. On the other hand I wouldn't mind sticking to the Royal Oak man the same as I stick it to the oil man.

 

[Pauly]

I'm curious. How much firewood it would take to make say 10 pounds of charcoal? I cook 3 or 4 times a week on my Big Green Egg which uses lump charcoal. 10 pounds cost about $6.30 from Walmart and can last for 4 or more cooks depending on what I'm cooking. For all the effort I put into processing my firewood I can't see where its worth it. On the other hand I wouldn't mind sticking to the Royal Oak man the same as I stick it to the oil man.

Joey- I used to buy the Wm charcoal but god only knows what youre getting there- realy it looks like cast off crap hardwood and who knows what kind of hardwood it is or from where. i have a vegetable stand for a couple months a year and actually had a lady come by and tell me about here husbands "big green egg" and I may sell her some of my charcoal to try on it.

The advantage of charcoal over wood is that it gives a non flammming ( unless its saturated with fat) even heat so yo can cook without burning your stuff.

In a nutshell to make charcoal -

You cut into pieces your hardwood- I use oak about 4-6 inches in length and split it once or twice depending on diameter. Most of the hardwoods around my place I thin are around 2-5 inches in diamter so usually one split is enough. The charcoal I made last year came from the thinnings from the previous winters work around here.

I load up a 55 gallon drum ( clean) with the little splits. I have punched a few small holes in the drum base . I put the lid on the drum and attach the lid band and remove one bung.

Now the drum is rolled over to the firing area where I have a pile of brush from last winters tree thinning- usually my brush piles are about 75% yellow pine with a smattering of hardwood brush and limbs.

I raise the drum up on a couple of cinder blocks and once in place light the fire.

I keep piling brush and wood from the thinnings onto the fire- in about an hour the drum starts to smoke- (steam and volatiles starting to leave the oak.) It isnt but about another 30 minutes before the bung has sprouted a flame thats about a foot long and it keeps going for about 2-3 hours. Once its done I let the fire die down and the next day roll the drum out of the firing area.

When I open the drum what is left is about 1/3 of a drum of pure oak hardwood charcoal. It has shrunk down that much from the full drum of raw dried splits. Pretty simple and it gets rid of excess oak I dont have need of and also the pine and brush that I have thinned the previous year.

ive only done it once but plan it to be a yearly thing now.

It burns much nicer on the grill than the stuff you can buy.

When I make this years batch I will try to get some pictures.

 

[pulldownclaw]

Anybody doing this for the Summer? I've gotten to thinking about it with the grilling season upon us and hearing about the crap they put in to make charcoal briquets. At least I'm going to use some oak castoffs on top of my charcoal and see how that goes....

 

[Dune]

Made 9 bushels of apple wood charcoal this spring, the old fashioned way. I made a huge brushfire of apple branches, keep feeding it for hours, and when it was all pretty burned down, I put it out with a garden hose. It took almost a half hour to put all the fire out.

 

[SolarAndWood]

Has anyone done the 35 gallon drum inside the 55 gallon drum method?

 

[gpcollen1]

I have never heard of making charcoal before.
What is the benefit to it over just burning the dry oak in the BBQ ?

How do you make it ? Now I am interested because you can experiment with different fruit woods like cherry, apple, pear and such.

The reason for charcoal as opposed to wood:

1 - For grilling, wood charcoal lights in a snap and you are at high heat within 10 minutes. Grill steakas and then done.

2 - Charcoal is needed for small smokers. You don't want to smoke the meat all the time, you just want a certain amount of smoke. Wood charcoal once well lit, will not smoke. You season with smoke as necessary in addition to the charcoal - like adding a piece of oak or chunks of hickory.

 

[Hiram Maxim]

I have considered making charcoal after seeing "How its made" on TV!

I actually cut Red Oak, Hickory,Apple, and Cherry to 2x2x6" little chunks for use in my little smoker and my built in outdoor brick grill.

If I'm going to cook for people at a party I use full length logs in the grill that way the fire lasts most of the evening.

Side note:After I slow smoke the meat at 190°F, Being a damn Yankee,I will often caramelize BBQ Sauce onto the meat over the grill. (In Texas you might be shot for doing that) ;-)

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Hiram- more pictures dag nabbit! You build that yourself?

 

[firefighterjake]

I have considered making charcoal after seeing "How its made" on TV!

I actually cut Red Oak, Hickory,Apple, and Cherry to 2x2x6" little chunks for use in my little smoker and my built in outdoor brick grill.

If I'm going to cook for people at a party I use full length logs in the grill that way the fire lasts most of the evening.

Side note:After I slow smoke the meat at 190°F, Being a damn Yankee,I will often caramelize BBQ Sauce onto the meat over the grill. (In Texas you might be shot for doing that) ;-)

Wow . . . from a side profile you look a lot like me . . . for your sake . . I'm sorry.

 

[gpcollen1]

I want a full frontal of that grill/fireplace

 

[Hiram Maxim]

Hiram- more pictures dag nabbit! You build that yourself?

No Sir I did not!

See the crate with the silver tarp? That's most of my smaller "smoker wood".

If there are enough people I have the smoker going, the big brick grill, and the smaller grill (used as a warmer)

 

[Hiram Maxim]

I have considered making charcoal after seeing "How its made" on TV!

I actually cut Red Oak, Hickory,Apple, and Cherry to 2x2x6" little chunks for use in my little smoker and my built in outdoor brick grill.

If I'm going to cook for people at a party I use full length logs in the grill that way the fire lasts most of the evening.

Side note:After I slow smoke the meat at 190°F, Being a damn Yankee,I will often caramelize BBQ Sauce onto the meat over the grill. (In Texas you might be shot for doing that) ;-)

Wow . . . from a side profile you look a lot like me . . . for your sake . . I'm sorry.

I have lost 40lbs since this picture!

 

[WoodPorn]

I want a full frontal of that grill/fireplace

I think he wants to see you bent over!

 

[Battenkiller]

Hiram- more pictures dag nabbit! You build that yourself?

No Sir I did not!

Damn! I was going to ask where you got the plans. I want to build one, then add masonry to the ever growing list of things I don't completely suck at (as opposed to being good at them). :lol:

Sweet, sweet setup, Hiram!

 

[firefighterjake]

I have considered making charcoal after seeing "How its made" on TV!

I actually cut Red Oak, Hickory,Apple, and Cherry to 2x2x6" little chunks for use in my little smoker and my built in outdoor brick grill.

If I'm going to cook for people at a party I use full length logs in the grill that way the fire lasts most of the evening.

Side note:After I slow smoke the meat at 190°F, Being a damn Yankee,I will often caramelize BBQ Sauce onto the meat over the grill. (In Texas you might be shot for doing that) ;-)

Wow . . . from a side profile you look a lot like me . . . for your sake . . I'm sorry.

I have lost 40lbs since this picture!

Congrats . . . I guess we no longer look like twins separated at birth then.

 

[daveswoodhauler]

Sweet Set up!
Nothing wrong with the Carmelized sauce on the BBQ!