Which Charcoal Retort, Hookway, Dartmoor Dragon, which one is right for you?
2022 ж. 8 Мам.
11 716 Рет қаралды
Ayup woodlanders!
I wanted to help you get an idea of which charcoal making system could work for you.
I share my experience with both the Hookway and Dragon design and how I started with the open barrel design.
#charcoal #hookway #dartmoordragon #rebeccaoaks
Hope it helps.
www.buymeacoffee.com/AbellTo If you'd like to support my channel, thanks so much
Rebecca Oaks Book
amzn.to/3KZHUbQ (affiliate link)
www.exetercharcoal.co.uk
www.hookwayretort.co.uk
www.whittlewoodconcept.com
Thanks for the informative video. I have seen a lot of backyard biochar tinkerers complain that 1) their kilns all burn out in a fairly short period of time 2) if using a Kontiki or other flame cap system they have to quench with water - and if they want to sell the char that kind of spoils the party. So the Dartmoor Dragon ticks all the boxes - I love the concept.
That’s very interesting detail, thanks for getting in touch.
Thanks for this !!! I haven’t even watched it yet but appreciate it !
I've watched more 'retort kiln' video's than I can count and I learn something more with every video I watch. And then there's the comments under the video's in which I learn quite a bit from too. I'm getting closer to my final design and it will be something similar to the dragon. There's a few finer points I seem to have picked up on from a lot of video's and comments that I'm going to implement in my design. I hope things go well for you.
That sounds great, I love innovation and improvements, there are bits I’d change if I build another and I have a design in my head to really up production
@@AbellTo , I want to build a retort kiln that powers a steam kiln for steam treating timber. I've come up with a few ideas, but I think it might come down to a bit of trial and error. Hopefully not too many errors.
Thanks ! Watched and appreciated !!
Your welcome mate, thanks for the feedback
Hello Abell, vielen Dank für Deine Anregungen . Ich habe schon mal Schwarzerde hergestellt - mit eigens hergestellter Kohle. Diese wurde im Uplid down Verfahren hergestellt. Dabei wurde das Ölfass am Schluss, wenn es anfing weinrot zu glühen, mittels Giesskanne abgelöscht und anschliessend die Holzkohle in einer wassregefüllten Badewanne abgelöscht. Nun entwickele ich gerade ein geschlossenes System, weil mich die Aussage von James Hockway darauf brachte, dass mittels seinem Verfahren selbst Blätter verkohlt werden können. Nun lese ich von den Nachteilen - das ist sehr gut, da ich dann jetzt vielleicht schon entscheidende Änderungen am Design vornehmen kann. So ist der PAC Wert sehr entscheidend, ob ich damit Schwarzerde herstellen kann. Somit auch die Ablöschung in Wasser. Ich werde die beiden Methoden wohl unter Inkaufnahme von Verlust kombinieren, um dann damit saubere Holzkohle zu bekommen. Danke Ich denke, ich werde auf das Scenching - also das Ablöschen mit Wasser der noch glühenden Kohle nicht verzichten können, weil ich riche, wieviel Pak da noch rauskommt. Desweiteren bin ich immoment davon überzeugt, dass jegliche Verkohlung /Holzvergasung in einem geschlossenen Fass immer dazu führen wird, dass die frisch entstehende Holzkohle mit den Vergasungsabgasen mehr in Kontakt kommt, als bei den offenen Konstruktionen .Dies deshalb, weil der Rauch erst mal im Inneren des Faßes sich konzentriert und dann , bis er nach unten durch ein Rohr oder durch Löcher in der Unterseite geleitet wird. Dies alleine läd die Kohle schon mit Paks auf (Polyzyklische Kohlenwasserstoffe). Da dannach nicht sofort eine Ablöschung mit Wasser erfolgen kann, da das Fass ja erst abkühlen muss ( Explosionsgefahr), bleiben 1 . die Paks dort in der Kohle und 2. entsteht soll während des Ablöschens mit Wasser die Oberfläche der Kohle sehr stark aufgebläht werden, was ihren enormen Wert für die Scharzerde ausmacht. Versuche wären interessant - Wasserspeicherfähigkeit , Wein entfärben etc. um festzustellen, welche Absorberwirkung verschieden hergestellte Aktivkohlen wirklich haben. Danke für die Anregungen und viel Erfolg mit Deinem Produkt
Thanks so much, you have done very well. I hope your next project works out well. Thanks for watching and the feedback Kind regards Darren
I bought Jame's plans. But I ended up putting the burn chamber under the barrel. Had good luck with it. Chared good. All of it. No browns. But I insulated it too. And laid insulation on top of the barrel. With that, my burn time is about 3 hours. From the first match,to the last puff. I like it very much, so much less smoke and less waisted wood in the burn chamder.
Hey that’s very interesting, I’ve drawn up some sketches based on what you’ve already done. I might investigate that more one day. That’s a quick burn time too. Ours in summer was about 4 hours start to finish. What did you insulate with? I use vermiculite but it absorbs moisture so has rotted the drums. I was thinking ceramic blanket next like I’ve done for the dragon.
Really good. Nashville Tennessee USA Thank you !
Thanks so much. Nashville! wow mate. Happy charcoaling!
Many thanks for explaining your methods and the links provided, much appreciated👍
Your most welcome, thanks for getting in touch, all the best with charcoaling
Hello, love watching your videos. Keep up the hard work. Just wondering if youncould help us, your charcoal video has inspired us. Where do you get the bags from? Finding it hard to find bags! Many thanks Hannah
Hi Hannah we buy from Selway. They have a few options, they’re really helpful too. We have the large bags now but they also do a medium bag. Hope it goes well.
Very interesting - thanks. You're in a similar position to me - no need for a ring kiln but enough offcuts from copppicing, storm damage, etc. for the occasional 45-gallon drum-sized burn. My operation is definitely a "hobby with interest" rather than a commercial enterprise. I have made a hookway retort (steel not stainless) and found it works really well. I got a commercial welder to do the welding for me, and it was worth it, I think. The key for me was upping the insulation, which I did using second-hand fire blankets held on with chicken wire. Crude but it works! Sometime I'd like to re-do the insulation with ceramic insulation held in place by a proper metal second-skin like on yours, but it's expensive stuff. I'll probably do that when my present one finally rots out (it's nowhere near that stage yet). I also insulated the top of mine by cutting a ring of steel about six inches high out of the centre section of a 45-gallon barrel. I sit this inside the rim of the lid and put about 4 inches of sand in it. That insulates the top really well and made a big difference to having successful burns. Like you, I also learned to stack it with thin stuff at the bottom so there are fewer brown ends. I also put a 3-4 inch layer of chicken wire in the bottom to lift the wood to be charcoaled up off the deck a few inches. That also means the creosote doesn't contaminate the charcoal so much. A neighbour of mine has a Dragon and they have had a number of problems with it. These are mainly the metal warping because it wasn't manufactured from robust enough steel, and the "automatic" temperature regulation system being unreliable (again through warping). I can't speak from personal experience, though. I make enough from the charcoal to help offset the costs of maintaining the woodland, but no more than that, really. Horticultural charcoal (biochar) is my best seller by far, being basically the dust and debris left after you've extracted the larger pieces for barbecue and pizza oven / forge charcoal. Thanks again for the video.
That’s great, I like your ideas for insulation. I find the dragon works great, and I’ve heard this week that some modifications are coming on the marketed dragon which will help with those teething problems. I’ve yet to find a market for biochar, I wonder if the change from peat based composts will help with biochar sales. All the best Darren
@@AbellTo I think the Dragon is a good product - as you say, more teething problems than anything. My market is eBay! Small packages of horticultural charcoal (2.5 litres) sell well to urban people for pot plants.
Hi there. Yes we have one person with a Dragon who has experienced problems other than the steel barrel supports and have sold 9 to date. All damaged steel barrel supports will be replaced without charge.The barrel supports were made of steel which was a mistake as my version they are stainless and always should have been stainless. I have no idea how they damaged the auto air control as I am using a production version (with stainless barrel supports) . It hase been faultless and made around £5000 of charcoal for me this season. We have swapped their retort with our own demo one and we were using this persons retort at the APF as our current demo model wthout problems.
@@dartmoordragon8257 great to hear the updates, thanks so much.
Hi, great video. I will be looking at getting a retort soon, as I have a lot of overstood hazel that I want to bring back into rotation. I have been interested in the Hookway. What is the percentage conversion rate of wood to charcoal for a burn? And how much wood, in weight, can it hold? Thanks
Thank mate, getting into some hazel cutting is a great idea. As for the retort, the one James manufactured was big, possibly 3 full wheelbarrows full of wood for conversion.
The conversion rate based on volume is about 1/2- 1/3 charcoal to wood. Weight of wood held is probably too vague since all wood volume is different. But it’s very heavy when loaded. The one I made that you watched is based on an oil drum with 1 drum and 1/3 drum on top. A drum holds 220 ltr so this was about 300 litre minus the internal chimney. Hope that helps. Happy to try to answer. I did a video on simple charcoal making for a tight budget.
@@AbellTo thanks for the detailed reply. I will definitely check it out, and get the plans when I'm ready, as it sounds exactly what I've been looking for. Especially to do smaller scale burning
@@chrisdensley310 you’re welcome , all the best
Hello, thank you so much for your nice and helpful video. I am just wondering what stainless steel you used to make the hookway retort, was it an austenitic stainless steel ( like 310) ? I just would like also to know as i am thinking to build one of those, how much steel did you use. I thank you very much for your help, best wishes, dami.
Hi I used mild steel for the chambers and outside skin and a specialist stainless welder made the rocket stove part but I don’t know what grade he used. For the outer skin I think it was 8 foot by 4 foot with some to spare. The inner skin I used a regular oil drum. Hope that helps
@@AbellTo Hi, I thank you very much for your information!
Hi, would like to buy plans for the production of commercial quantities of charcoal to produce briquettes.
Best place for plans are from James Hookway he has a website
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Stop calling them retorts, IDK where you got the phrase from likely its an American thing and WRONG.... You are PYROLYSING in a PYROLYTIC CHAMBER (the barrel that is sealed) A retort is used in distillation and distilleries and you are not distilling anything... You are however, PYROLYSING an organic substance that is to harness the products gas and carbon remains. A PYROLYSER not a retort.
Everyone I know calls them retorts and the name has stuck
Have you had a go at making charcoal?
I did some research and it seems the name retorts has come from the gunpowder industry where they would also extract the distillates
Stop calling yourself Mark, IDK where you got the name from likely your parents and they were WRONG.... You are a GAMMA in a world that HATES GAMMAS (basically a gay guy) Mark is a name used by people of distinct character and you are not distinct in anything. You are however, a GAMMA that has nothing to harness and only produces gas and carbon remains. A GAMMA not a Mark
Another term for obtaining wood vinegar ( pyroligneous acid) is the destructive distilation (pyrolosis) of wood.