Making charcoal for fuel, does anyone have an experience?

[Roy Edward]

I have 50 acres of timber here on our farm, I also am parteners in a wood mill, and my best friend has a tree trimming and horse logging company, I have wood coming out my ears. For me charcoal is the preferred fuel for me getting started.

I have a number of 250 gallon fuel tanks, the kind they used to put fuel oil in outside the house, I used one to make a monster fireplace out of( lol it will hold 1/4 cord of wood). I wanted to make a pyrolysis chamber out of one of those and use the giant fireplace I have as the heat source to carbonise the wood.

Anyone have any ideas, warnings or advice?....

I got to thinking that I may be better off placing a pyrolysis tank over my forge so that I can carbonise as I run the forge, any thoughts?...

Anything that you all know or think, please let me know, I quite literrally have "0" knowleage on any of this. I am good at building things and I have yet to find something that I could not build, I am sure I would accomplish this as well, but it would sure be nice to avoid some of the most obvious mistakes right out of the gate.

It is taking all my willpower not to go ahead and start building, but I am going to force myself to wait until I learn a bit more yet....lol

[tony flesher]

I make mine from scrape lumber and used pallets I get free from my work I pull out he nails most or them some just break off. I burn the in a 55 gallon barrow with a 1/2 inch hole drilled in the bottom and the top in good shape to let the lid seal good I put a 3 inch pipe under one side of the bottom of the barrow to let air in the 1/2" hole so the wood on the bottom will burn good. U could have a bung hole on the outside at the bottom as long as u can seal it up. I fill the barrow up light it let it burn down till its all charred good in chunks and I pull out he pipe and put the lid on and put a weight on the top some smoke will come out but it will pass if all holes are sealed let it cool fora day or so and enjoy. I have 3 barrows I do at one time and store the charcoal in an old stock tank with a lid and it take 3 barrows to fill it u will use a lot hope this helps tony

[James von Mosch]

I also use a 50 gal snap lid barrel with the 1/2 or 3/4 bung removed, but I do not light the wood inside the barrel. I fill the barrel, but not tightly, with oak, hawthorn, hazel or whatever hardwoods I have available. The barrel is raised off the ground by 8 inches or so on whatever non comustible I have on site -- rocks, bricks etc. Then I use my scrap sawmill wood or thinnings from the woodlot to build a fire around it. The fire is outside the barrel and needs to be fed until no more smoke comes out of the bung. Takes a lot of heat, and if hot enough the bung will spout flames from the gasses given off. I plan to build a permanent set up that will use the burning gasses to heat the barrel by piping down and under. When the hardwoods quit giving off gasses, let it cool and take out your charcoal. What ever did not pyrolize leave in the barrel for the next charge. This method gives almost no ashes and the sticks look just like black sticks. If it is done they will break easily to get the right size for the forge --- or for the BBQ. Good luck.