Making Biochar For Small Farms

The Biochar Kiln is a top-lit updraft (TLUD) design. The biochar process described is scalable for small acreage farms. The set up of four kilns is capable of producing one cubic yard of biochar in six hours. We use raw materials from recycled wood.
John Rogers, Biochar Kiln and Process Designer, bamboojohn@hotmail.com
Ann Augustine, Editor and Producer, ann@annmaugustine.com
Copyright. 2011. All rights reserved.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Making Biochar For Small Farms
• biochar
• kiln
• top-lit updraft (TLUD)

[JohnRogers57]

@Peeper747 You're welcome. I hope that people grok that you don't need an inner barrel (retort) to make biochar in a 55 gallon TLUD.

[JohnRogers57]

@dx80cruiser Biochar is a little more specific. It is charcoal made from biomas--woodchips in this case. Charcoal is more for burning or filtering. Biochar is more for burying as a soil amendment. You could say "car" or "4 door sedan." Both are correct but one is more specific.

[dx80cruiser]

Biochar, why dont you call it charcoal?

[Peeper747]

I really appreciate the insight you give.

[JohnRogers57]

@Vailhem About an hour into the burn you watch for a drop in intensity. Then you look down thru the little gaps in the adapter fingers to see the height of the char pile. You soon learn the look of a finished load. Wispy, gray-blue smoke would indicate that you are burning charcoal rather than wood gas. In that case, stop the burn without delay.

[JohnRogers57]

@dexterquincy1 Lately I have started using small shards of tile to lift one edge of the barrel a little higher off the cobblestone burning area.

[JohnRogers57]

@shengar1 Yes, I saw the video and I saw Doug and Hugh demonstrating the concept at Stove Camp last Summer. It's a great way to ignite a 30 gallon retort.

[dexterquincy1]

Would`nt it help to sit ur barrels on top of some angle iron perhaps, to increase air for the updraft. luv what ur doing, keep up the good work.

[shengar1]

Dear John,

Dr. Hugh McLaughlin and Doug Clayton have added a 30 gallon retort to the top of your Jolly Roger. They call it the JRo or Jolley Roger Oven. It produces 30 gallons per run.

Just Google; "JRo biochar" for the youtube and documents Pdf at booth the biochar data base & the IBI site.

[Vailhem]

Great video! really glad to see this. The one thing I see in this that I haven't seen in other designs is, most TLUD's have a barrel within a barrel, you're actually burning the wood in the bottom 55 gallon which is the same container you're getting the char from. How do you stop it from burning all of the wood? Usually, when using separate containers, its the gases from the (smaller) container that feed the fire but also char... never actually being exposed to flame themselves.