CHARCOAL MAKING

"In the true tradition of charcoal-making, the kiln would be constructed,
from mounds of turf, and the burn would be a sleepless, all-night vigil.
With the industrial revolution, the portable metal drum kiln was born.
It too could be brought to the source of the wood (but I do the opposite).
Control processes with a metal kiln are much more reliable, and
after my first burn, I lost no sleep through a kiln being alight in my back yard."

	"The metal kiln stands on eight 'shoes' which manage (alternately) inward and outward airflows. It is crucial to build a sound air channel of wood from each shoe to the centre. It is crucial to load some easily combustible material at the centre for a fast take up of burning right at the middle (we use the partly-charred 'brown ends' from previous burns). It is crucial to load the kiln full, and with a consistent raw material (so size, species, and degree of seasoning need to be similar). The rest is easy !"
"The four chimneys are attached. The base is earthed up and then it's time to light up. An old sock is tied on the end of a stick, soaked in fuel, ignited and then poked into an air channel right into the middle. Part way through the burn, we move each chimney round one shoe to reverse the air flows. When the smoke turns the magic colour, we stiffle the burn by earthing up all the air channels, and let is cool down for a day."
	"If all goes well, the volume of material you get is rather less than half what you started with and it retains every mark of the original wood. Hand breaking, packing, weighing, and storing follow, before we can deliver to the local groceries and farm shops. In general, this charcoal has travelled less than 5 miles from woodland to the BBQ - that's sustainable fuel for you!"
"The green GREENLOFT label carries a batch code so we know what we are selling down to the species, and where it fell. One metric tonne was produced and sold in the first year, and we plan to continue to produce whatever is needed for the locals and their summer visitors." JC August 2005

There is much more to charcoal making than this indicates, and
we hope to be offering the chance to get some hands-on instruction
to those able and willing to do so.
A short break in a cosy local country cottage would be included.

Timing would be any time in the Spring - i.e. between February 1st and May 31st.

For prices and availability contact John Calder.

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