community charcoal — a new film about our biochar kiln-share

kiln fire biochar to transform branches into enriched carbon soil amendments for a healthy biosphere


this is my latest film, this time about our new community biochar kiln-share. would you like a kilnshare in your neighbourhood?

Dynamic and incredible shots? CHECK

Engaging and calming narrator? CHECK

GOATS!? CHA-CHA-CHECK

Without a doubt, a lovely video. Thank you for sharing it. I appreciate being able to see what you have accomplished and how you accomplished it. Very impressive on the fabrication skills front. I am envious of those who can weld, especially those who can weld... well. A lot of 'corporate' biochar companies utilize pyrolysis chambers with all sorts of technology and hookups for maximum material conversion but that is not really possible for the average homesteader.

The availability of a portable kiln as well as having someone who knows how to use one would be such a boon for someone such as myself which I'm sure exist in my area. I too would enjoy the social nature of not only accomplishing a task but helping someone with similar goals as myself. I have quite a lot of branch/brushes that could use a couple processing burns and be set for some time. Not quite enough to legitimize making the same size vessel for just myself to use.

I had to take a break halfway through the video, mostly to make some supper, but returning to it was relatively easy. The instructions that the gentleman was giving was easy to follow and was peppered with quite a bit of useful tips and observations. I appreciate them all! Like the idea of dressing for a burn and the need to be conscious of our own hydration.

All in all, thank you for the video. If you can, keep pumping out this kind of content! I think its great.

Yup, that's pretty much what I do, and it works. Good explanations of the process! As soon as I saw the guy packing the coals with a rake I knew this was the real deal.

My semi-open kiln is a 55 gal steel drum with the top cut out and an open notch cut into the middle third. This lets me shove tons of bigger stuff in the top while packing and banging the coals through the mid hole to exclude oxygen. I make a big wheelbarrow of decent char with every burn. And yes there is some ash compared to a fully enclosed kiln, but this setup lets me deal with a ton of brush that would otherwise be a wildfire risk. So it's a win-win IMO.

Edit: The reason I use a barrel is that it's also pretty good chimney that pushes any smoke above my head. I love campfires, but dammit the smoke bothers me a lot more than it used to. So I'm motivated to control the burn!

timothy, what an extraordinary review! i so appreciate this. i shall come here and read it over when i’m feeling daunted. i’m so pleased that the film struck all those notes.

douglas, that sounds like a great set-up, nice to have a way to transform the brush when you need to. i’m so glad the piece resonated!

many thanks

What a great film! I love how it explains so many details about making biochar.  I am sure that there will be many people who watch this film and decide afterwards that they can do this model.  I could see some people who live on acreage going in on one of those kilns together.  Hey buddy-watch this video. Do you think we should do that? Pretty easy to move it to the location with a pickup truck and a friend. Then the next person can use it.  

JohN S
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