D. Florian

Hello, I'm contacting you with a question about beans from Canada. I was brought some dry beans that were named "Harricana" because of the story telling that they come from a tribe that lived along the river, but no further details are available. Therefore, it would be an heirloom variety.

What I'm sure of: the beans were black when sown, dating back to 2019.

I'm looking for information regarding propagation. When I sowed them, I sowed black seeds, all uniform in color.

After a planting season and waiting for the pods to dry, upon shelling, I discovered beans that were 90% white, 5% yellowish, and 5% black.

When a pod had a black bean, all were black (same for the white). When, by chance, two pods were still attached by the branch at shelling, both pods had black beans (observed twice).

After 2 weeks of drying, no white to black conversion.
Same with forced drying. I also tested waiting 2 weeks on the vine, with an equivalent ratio (I had white grains that had already germinated in the pod!)

Given the age and storage, I had a germination rate of 30-40%.

Does anyone here know the name of this variety? Do you have any information on the changing color of the grains?
Thanks for your interest!

Here's a photo of the harvest:

Some setups says that it's a 45min burn
So lot of heat should be the way to go, right ?

Following  my calculations, for a 200m² garden, I need 0.5 cubic meter of biochar
From my observations, one 55 gal full of wood (not organised) reduced by 4
Then, what crushing to 0-5 mm, also reduced by 4

so I need 40 batch to achieve my goal !
so I need an efficient way to do it

Here is my testimony about my second attempt of a biochar furnace
After TLUD and tilted barrel (which works great but time consuming), i planned for a more autonomous furnace
Classic design as TLUD : a closed barrel in a furnace
I get an old gasoil tank, make opening, and barrel support.
Barrel has six 8mm holes in line for gas exhaust

Here are some video of the ROARing machine
The soudn was impressive, gas exhaust burning was frightning !
Got a 400° C on the cheminee top, 450°C on the tank sides, 600°C+ on the barrel



[youtube]https://youtube.com/shorts/Tn_yfUVeYWo[/youtube]



Pros : antonomous, you fired it up, it goes alone!
Cheminee was great sized ! (external metal  sheet from a water heater)

Cons : six 8mm holes were not enough, barrel went surpressed and deformed and leaks on the cover
Tank 2mm tick metal was to weak, got a deformed tank after 2 burns
Temperature wa sway too high to feed the fire (but not a problem, gas exhaust was maintening heating !)

What would i try next steps ?
either brick/motar construction with thicker barrel
or find a strong furnace with suffisant opening

Tiltled drum works way better. Needs more attention to refill but way easyier to handle !
I feel like consuming more wood.
With retort, all you put inside was converted (plus outside chamber combustible!)
With tilted, feels like 30-40% of good wood is heated by the process

Great to have lot of feedback !
I try a new batch today, without chimney, it works great
Not the first time, but was great at last.

I think my error comes from Open 60l barrel (no holes, just open)
It didn't seal weel with 200l bottom.
Will give a try with 60l barrel with lid and holes on bottom

And looking for an other 200l lid barrel for tilted experiment

Will also investigate the 2 new method given here
Thanks guys !

Thanks for your reply ! I was lloking for alternative and this one was well plebicited !
I also read your other post. Will give a try ! But need to find a new barrel before !

Hello,

I come to you for a story of combustion.

60l drum upside down in a 200l drum

The 200l is pierced for primary air at the base with 6 turns of 28mm. (37cm²)
The neck for the secondary air is in 12 holes of 13 mm (16cm²)
The extraction is 75 cm² in 1.3m long

Combustion, this is where I do not understand everything:
Ignition from th etop
When the barrel is open, beautiful combustion, dynamic, without smoke
When I close the barrel (plate and extraction), I have a beautiful smoker for 4 hours (apart from 1 minute at most after 5min of closing)

My questions are the following:
Why do I have a smoker and not a clean combustion, without smoke? (all the demonstrations that I see I do not make smoke)
Should the air arrivals / extractions be modified?
Do you have any recommendations?

Attached are some photos: