Recently, we went to a farm in Elstead Surrey for a (very) hands on crash course in how to make charcoal. Ian is a woodsman who spends the summer producing charcoal , and the winter coppicing and felling. It is a surprisingly simple operation, and you don't even have to be picky about the type and size of timber put in the kiln. Ian uses mainly chestnut, with plenty of birch, and soft woods like Scots Pine, to a ratio of about 70% to 30% . It took only 3 hours, including plenty of talk and a tea break to:
Empty the kiln of the previous 'burn' and bag the charcoal up for sale
Clear the air vents for the next burn
Re-fill the kiln with new timber
Start the fire with a bucket of burning charcoal
Get the new burn going well before putting the lid back on
Seal it with earth and let it get on with it for the next 30 hours or so.
It has to be said though, that it's a hot mucky job, so, afterwards, covered head to foot in charcoal dust we jumped into the nearby river to cool off . This washed the top layer off, but a hot shower and lots of soap was the only way to get properly clean. In all it was a fun, informative and filthy morning's work. To be recommended.
Ian said that he can't supply enough of his charcoal to meet demand. We thought that to make charcoal from our unwanted birch and Scots Pine might be an excellent way to generate income towards paying for essential forestry work to meet our Management Plan targets. Old Copse was used by charcoal burners in the past, so it seems fitting that we might be able to follow this tradition. First thing, locate a kiln...........
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