Charcoal or soon to be Biochar

Biochar is charcoal made specifically to put in the soil.

Charcoal could be used for many things some one once said to me it was use for over 8000 things. I wonder if anyone has catalogued them all.

Charcoal

Biochar or Char probably have many more diverse things it can do however we at biocharproject.org really like to pursue it’s unique climate properties and its unique agricultural benefits and flow on effects.

The way charcoal absorbs and adsorbs in a rather greedily like fashion makes it perfect for cleaning up toxins in the environment.

The way charcoal holds onto anything it has devoured is very useful in high rainfall areas. Or even to stop chemical leaching down to the water table.

Charcoal has so many uses its unbelievable.

Anyway back to the story we have been working with an Adam retort biochar kiln actually the first one ever built in Australia. I have been documenting it and we have been learning how to use it.

Here is another short clip of last Thursdays trial and tribulations.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9vtUXkp_VA

Here is my recap

Some comments regarding what we were doing wrong were left on our website under last weeks update. We tried them and they worked.

It took us all day to dry the wood

We were able to shut the charcoal retort off for the very first time.

Our wood is fairly dry and awaiting this Thursday for the community to get together and finish the job we are looking forward to a big batch of charcoal this week.

I am happy to be getting this far along now however I am sad that it took me to verbalising my frustrations before the help came.

Looking forward

Charmaster Dolph Cooke

Captured partly on video and temperatures were recorded so folks can see what was going on. I will try and be as neutral as possible in my critique of the days event. : )

An Introduction to the Adam retort.

The Adam retort community biochar kiln project idea was created from the wishes of the late Geoff Moxham (Australia’s Grand Daddy of Biochar). He once won a Grant to create such a project and you can view his grant here.

This is the second time this Adam retort biochar retort has been fired properly. See the first report here.

The Adam retort Biochar kiln is a technology better suited for the third world as it takes a lot of man hours to fill / Unload / maintain the fire / Build.

However it is a great tool to learn about retorts on.

Our goal at biochar project is to create biochar as friendly to the environment as we can get it. This includes using waste biomass instead of living trees and making sure it is atmosphere friendly in relation to emissions, and of course that we make sure the charcoal produced is destined for the earth and soils rather that as fuel.

Apparently the Adam retort biochar kiln we have is not created exactly to the plans that Adam released it has been modified somewhat by Paul Taylor a man who has edited a book on biochar who lives local to us. I have never seen the plans that Paul worked off in their entirety however I was shown glimpses of it during the construction period.

The kiln works by separating the wood to be charred from the wood that is burnt as fuel. The charbox sat on top of a maze like chamber who’s job is to distribute the heat evenly.
Sort of like having a pot of water sitting on top of a fire. However once the box of char starts releasing gas you can easily direct the gas into the fire to create a perpetual fire until the gas is all removed.

This is supposed to reduce emissions and lessen the amount of wood used as fuel.

Lets see how we went.

The day started at 9 am we erected a deflection device above the chimney.

The fire was lit and the paper work was readied.

We checked the temperatures at intervals to get an idea of what is going on.

We did not weigh the amount of wood inside the box nor did we weigh the amount of wood we burnt as fuel. Much to Uncle bucks Horror

Here are the Times and Temps from the Community Adam retort firing.

Fire Box

Firebox
Time /Temp

9.42 am 488
10.00 am 648
10.20 am 597
11.00 am 704
11.20 am 714
11.40 am 717
12.00 pm 709
12.20 pm 783
12.40 pm 748
1.00 pm 644
1.20 pm 773

On top of the fire box

1.40 pm 822
2.00 pm 665
2.20 pm 637
3.00 pm 708
3.50 pm 681
4.49 pm 638.5
5.40 pm 656
9.00 pm 649
10.30 pm 828
2.00 am 736

Top of Box Time/ Temp .c

Charmaster

9.42 am 76
10.00 am 75
10.20 am 73

Adam retort lid

11.00 am 95
11.20 am 98
11.40 am 127
12.00 pm 155
12.20 pm 166
12.40 pm 180
1.00 pm 187
1.20 pm 188
1.40 pm 207
2.00 pm 232
2.20 pm 231
3.00 pm 225
3.50 pm 190
4.49 pm 222
5.40 pm 220
9.00 pm 212
10.30 pm 204
2.00 am 200

LID Time / Temp .c

9.42 am 72
10.00 am 58
10.20 am 52
11.00 am 47
11.20 am 51

11.40 am 57
12.00 pm 62

Inspection hole looks inside the retort

12.20 pm 59

The 1st Chimney

12.40 pm 58
1.00 pm 62
1.20 pm 62
1.40 pm 65
2.00 pm 67
2.20 pm 70
3.00 pm 74
3.50 pm 64.5
4.49 pm 81.6
5.40 pm 65
9.00 pm 63
10.30 pm 74.9
2.00 am 84.7

1st Chimney
Time / Temp.c

9.42 am 34
10.00 am 34
10.20 am 33
11.00 am 36
11.20 am 38
11.40 am 42
12.00 pm 45
12.20 pm 39
12.40 pm 40
1.00 pm 45

second chimney

1.20 pm 45
1.40 pm 44
2.00 pm 45
2.20 pm 51
3.00 pm 50
3.50 pm 49
4.49 pm 61.3
5.40 pm 43
9.00 pm 43.9

10.30 pm 53.2

2.00 am 56.9

Inside the box

Time Temp
9.42 am 45
10.00 am 48

Inside the box afterwards

10.20 am 50
11.00 am 65
11.20 am 70
11.40 am 87
12.00 pm 78
12.20 pm 101
12.40 pm 101
1.00 pm 110
1.20 pm 110
1.40 pm 111
2.00 pm 118
2.20 pm 122
3.00 pm 151
3.50 pm 151
4.49 pm 171
5.40 pm 169
7.00 pm 165
8.00 pm 212
9.00 pm 220
10.30 pm 230
2.00 am 239
4.00 am 253

2nd Chimney Time / Temp .c

9.42 am 35
10.00 am 37
10.20 am 36
11.00 am 37

Stone Wall

11.20 am 39
11.40 am 41
12.00 pm 55
12.20 pm 53
12.40 pm 57
1.00 pm 61
1.20 pm 56
1.40 pm 56
2.00 pm 60
2.20 pm 68
3.00 pm 66.1
3.50 pm 61
4.49 pm 3.3
5.40 pm 61
9.00 pm 63.3
10.30 pm 75.3
2.00 am 66.5

Stonewall

Time  / Temp .c

9.42 am 28
10.00 am 30
10.20 am 29
11.00 am 31
11.20 am 33
11.40 am 36
12.00 pm 36
12.20 pm 30
12.40 pm 36
1.00 pm 36      
1.20 pm 35
1.40 pm 37
2.00 pm 40
2.20 pm 42.7
3.00 pm 42
3.50 pm 35
4.49 pm 49.8
5.40 pm 52
9.00 pm 39.2
10.30 pm 53.3
2.00 am 49.7

Sorry for the crazy formatting you get that

Summary:

It took over 19 hours to reach the hottest temp 253c which is far to cold for good biochar and far to long to be manning a kiln for any country.

The kiln did not enter exothermic condition and consumed a lot of heating wood.
The kiln did not cool down overnight as suggested and took 4 days until we finally put it out with water.

In my honest opinion I feel that this kiln in its current state is not suited to making biochar.

On the upside it was a great learning exercise and it brings the community together for like minded fun. Feel free to ask questions.

Charmaster Dolph Cooke

P.s A few good comment recieved have shown us some problem area with our version of the kiln Mainly sealing the retort from sucking air
we will try again on Thursday (Community Kiln Day) keeping this advice in mind. Thankyou Charfolks : )

Last week I went to the Labrador men’s shed to help work out the finishing tweaks for a project I started last year. I have decided to call her “Stumpy” the tlud.

Biochar Tlud Stumpy

What’s so special about Biochar Tlud stumpy you ask ?

She is special on several levels. Firstly she is build from unusable LP Gas containers. In our country (Australia) these containers have a life span of 10 years then they have to be retested. However it costs more to retest it than it does to buy a new one so guess what? Cha ching you guessed it throw away society / Landfill.

Begining of Biochar Tlud stumpy

Secondly they are built by the men of the men shed who are retired and probably all have to be retested as well And have a guess what?

Yep you got it its cheaper to get children to do the work we have left in Australia than it is to retrain these men. No where on earth though will you find artisan-ship like this we are talking old school pride – Australian Made.

Thirdly Biochar Tlud Stumpy is destined to help out in unlucky countries where the folks there still have to cook on wood or charcoal. She has several levels of benefits to offer. Small children will not get burned / Smokeless operation saves the cook from lung cancer or worse / By-products at the end of the burn are useful to help the environment / efficient design ensures less wood waste.

Fourthly Biochar Tlud Stumpy is open source so you can make her yourself or help out with our goals to bring enough of them to unlucky countries.

Fifthly Biochar Tlud Stumpy is modular. Yeah Yeah now you get it.

She is a real Man Tool. Although I have no photos of the addons I will run them off here to re ignite your imaginations.

ADDONS.

1. A batch retort for bigger wood exactly like the Jolly Roger Ovens
2. A BBQ plate
(Yeah man have a look at the photos of us cooking dinner on her boiled our soup in less than 5 mins)

Note the Stubbie in the air inlet to help control the flame

3. A smoker box to make the fresh eels taste oh so delicate.
4. A Bash Box (Biochar & Site heat) To heat your water / chill your beers etc.
5. Condenser to make Oils, Tars, fuels and Smoke water.

6. Come on you biocharians get your brains ticking what else can we add on to this man tool from the old school.

Anyway got a bit off track just then but we also did tests and had 2 representatives of the Gold Coast City Council who had more information thirst than a freshly biochared bamboo forest. Yeah they were asking all the curly ones lucky I was there HEY : )

Exacting biochar Science hahahaha

Awesome day lots learnt took away with me 4 models and that weekend sold 2 of them at the local farmers market and took orders for more.

So now if we can make something as good as the stupmy on a budget of Nothing. Imagine what we can make together on a budget of $20 Grand.

YEP you heard me right I want to make a open source farm sized biochar reactor (I like that word) Test the ring out of it then give it away to the community. Anyone Interested in helping out ?

Charmaster Dolph Cooke
The host with the most : )

Here is the Gos.

December through to Feburauy the 8th I have been engaged in bringing the project “Biochar Industries” to fruition and setting up the projects for this year 2012.

I have completed all the paper work includeing 3 new Government Grants to help put Biochar on the map in Australia.

I am now working on the grant I won last year called Community Sustainable weeds out carbon in Project. I have several farms to test and a documentory to make and the most fun part is creating a mobile community kiln.

So I recieved a great email from Flow Force Technologies who happen to build mobile retorts and I am starting to investigate thier “Series 1, Model 250MG Batch  Carboniser”

BATCH CARBONISER Series 1, Model 250MG Product Brochure _d.

Here is a link to thier blog with a nice photo.

BATCH CARBONISER Series 1, Model 250MG

I was also given a set of plans for another kind of quick char concept. I have until 2013 to make up my mind thou

But you all know I can’t wait that long I want to be out at demo days doing and talking biochar so come on folks give me a hand. If you have a great biochar design and you think it would work good for a mobile community biochar unit then send me the info and lets get this going good.

Also if you have anything profound you would like to get into our Movie send me an email with the details.

Thursday sees the first community group taking advantage of the Adam retort Biochar Community kiln in Kunghur. I will be taking footage and will bring you  a great update as soon as it happen.

Thats it for the update I am sure I left heaps out but you can always email me or comment on this post.

Char – u – Later

Charmaster Dolph Cooke

Some might call him a maverick, others a genius, but Northern Rivers identity Dolph Cooke is passionate about sustainable living and biochar—and in the last 12 months has shown that he is a man of action. Some (but by no means all) of his achievements in the last 12 months include:

Maverick or Genius ?

Biochar Highlights from Biochar project kunghur 2011

• Forming The Biochar Association of Australia, and Biochar Industries—and securing the ‘Hill of Abundance’ 3000 acre forest site at Kunghur as a base.
• Constructing the first commercial Adam retort biochar kiln in Australia, and making it available for community use. (It is also the first in the western world.)
• Holding community talks on biochar, and creating Biochar Action Learning Circles.
  
• Receiving the United Nations Millennium Project Award 2011-2012 (Australasian Node)—for the Biochar Project’s sustainable education program.
• Being awarded a commonwealth Government grant for the Biochar Project’s sustainable community ‘Weeds-out, carbon-in’ initiative.
• Setting up the ‘Hill of Abundance Project’—the goal being food security for 500 families.
• Hosting sustainable living working bees on site, ranging from swale-making to crop planting to compost making to biochar production to constructing buildings.
• Formalising plans for an organic compost site and biochar production facility for community use on Kyogle Road, Kunghur.
• Making biochar from ‘The Hill of Abundance’ available commercially, and marketing TLUD units (Top Lit Up Draft Gasifier) that make biochar and double as a cooking stove.

With this groundwork in place, 2012 looks even more action-packed. If you want to get involved or know what’s going on, log in to http://biocharproject.org/news and get on to the mailing list.

Sustainable living and social responsibility are the hot issues for 2012, and Dolph is a hands-on trail-blazer with a knack for turning big ideas into practical reality. Watch this man!

Biochar Highlights brought to you by the letters D and B and the number 1

Wombat the carbon Dog

So Wombat, Gillian (Photographer) and my self trekked out to the Labrador men’s shed where we were able to grasp their project much better.
Peter welcomed us and brought us up to speed on the entire project.

Which is a great bush mechanics project in its own right. The men at Labrador men shed have a link with the chief of a village in Vanuatu.
Peter and the boys introduced their first stoves because the women of the village would have to walk many kilometres to try and find wood to cook food on. So they invented a stove that would be more efficient and much more safer to the young ones that live in the village.
Now the stove the boys made was much safer than the pit fires and much more efficient, the stove was also made from reused BBQ gas canisters that are thrown out. The Biochar project’s job was to make it better. I added a cleaner burning concept and a by product concept to throw in the mix.

Bush Mechanics

Set the boys the new tasks and headed off back into the forest. It wasn’t long before the new prototype photos were emailed back to me for inspection.
I was delighted these expert bush mechanic / Craftsmen created such a good stove their was nothing I could add.
The best part of today’s visit was seeing all the men proud as punch showing off their handy work and having the ABC Interview us for Coast FM 91.7 ABC.
Big Thanks to.
Dr Paul Wildmam
Kalgrove KIDS and Adult Learning
Crafter-circle.com the journal of the bush mechanics
Nundah Lions Club
Labrador Men’s Shed
Biochar Industries
ABC Radio 91.7 Coast FM

Happy to get started Again

I think the main reason why nothing happened for a long time is the shed itself had chosen the builder it wanted to build the roof so it new it would get quality workmanship.

Wow roof going on YEAHHH

So over the 9 months we have had many starts on it with many builders who said they knew what to do when they really did not. But this time over the weekend we saw the project completed in enough time for the rainy season.

Big thanks goes to Paul, Jim and Wombat for sticking to the job and making it such a handsome shed. I just need to fasten a pulley above the kiln door and a winch at the back of the shed to lift the moster 180kg kiln Lid. Then this project is complete.

More action looking good

Adam retort biochar kiln

Face Book page

once wet could take a further 4 hours of burn time to dry out again so this has hampered our use of the kiln. We plan to do a big run this week and video the choice parts and record the data so Uncle Buck can enjoy the event from his arm chair.

I am really elated and full of happy energy to see this finished. I will create a vegie patch behind the kiln so that the water that runs off the new roof can feed my veggies for me.

Wow allo the panels all on

As usual the hill of abundance has provided everything we need for free and I wish to use this moment to thank the universe for such a great couple of days. Thank you Universe.

I have talked with Paul at length and he would like to help me build the sustainable biochar education centre hall when it is time for that project to start. So look out as we create a truly sustainable building for biochar education and advancement.

Happy days are here again

Big rustic and bold will be the order of the day.

Charmaster Dolph Cooke

Biochar Industries History.

At the end of 2010 I was becoming more and more passionate about how biochar can fix many problems. However like my mentor Geoff Moxham RIP I was becoming overwhelmed with the magnitude of my calling in life.

My Mentor the late Geoff Moxham

One day out in the garden after reading the ringing cedars of Russia series. I caught a glimpse of how effective  just one person can be toward helping  the planet .

You see until then and as evident on my website here. I thought I had to teach mankind why biochar is so good at many things.

Lets face it one person (me) teaching many people, who teach thousands of people, who in turn  teach the whole of civilisation how to make free and good biochar. Yeah this was indeed overwhelming.

One Person Me

The Biochar Industries Glimpse.

I still can not explain what it was that I glimpsed on that faithful day however I can tell you how far this glimpse has grown into reality.

The gist of that vision was ” Your thoughts are back to front” Why try and heal mankind when there are so many? Why not focus on healing Mother Earth as she is only one ?

Mother Earth, Gaia, Planet Earth, Mother Nature, World, Planet, Home whatever you call her there is no doubting we have seriously harmed her and need to show her we are the image of god she sees us as.

Biochar in the Image of our makers

After much searching and many conversations with venerable folks, My idea started to gain shape. I still need to ride on the shoulders of my mentor and his mentors by pushing their barrow to its ultimate destination.(Link Here to Geoff’s Grant) I also needed to make my own way through this passage to a better life. This is how the Biochar Industries started.

What is Biochar Industries?

A sustainable Industry based upon biochar and its many connections with our Earth. To justly give you an overview of Biochar Industries would be to ask you to stay focuses for far too long (Most folks can’t focus more than 10 minutes) However I will list you our Goals and mini projects under the umbrella of Biochar Industries under Biochar Project.

1. To repair Mother Earth and to shout it from the roof tops.

2.Create a sustainable industry that is a community collaborative to achieve the acceptance of biochar world wide.

3. To make this industry practical and reachable by any person on earth.

4. To elevate anyone who uses sustainable biochar with our help and support.

5. Finally to elevate the welfare of all those who embrace this one of a kind man made solution to repair our home.

Mini Projects of Biochar Industries.

1. Hill of abundance food security for 500 families.

2.Community Kiln.

community kiln

3. Community sustainable weeds out carbon in Project.

4. Biochar the Movie

5. A sustainable community based on Artisans and Anastasia.

So I remember watching a baseball film about an old baseball farmer who built a baseball diamond on his farm. He kept saying If I build it they will come. I get the same maddening thought running through my mind every time I work , talk or think about biochar. Thank You Geoff I hear you load and clear.

So we are now at the end of 2011 and what are the results?

1. I have exclusive use of 3000 acres of trees that need sustainable nurturing and thinning.

2. I have Biochar Industries situated on a zoned heavy Industry site.

3. I have more plant than I can poke a stick at.

4. I have more opportunities than I can poke a stick at.

5. I still have my Integrity. I have learnt a lot from the old paradigm.

6. I belong to a wonderful community.

7. I now have Gravitas both Government and private.

8. I am getting the folks I really need to carry this project off.

9. I have no where near the pressure I once was under.

10. I have more knowledge than I could of dreamed of about Biochar.

Good friends and Community

My health is improving everyday.

Here’s to Biochar
Here’s to the champions who use it.
Here’s to mother Earth.

Charmaster Dolph Cooke
Char Story Master.

This grant is from the Australian Government and it is part of their Caring for our country program.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the team of awesome people who have kept the dream alive since we all got together so long ago. You guys know who you are and as promised we will all go to dinner together one time my shout. (Macdonalds anyone).

Seriously together we have created a new paradigm industry that has already won recognition for our creative commons. An industry that works on abundance and a new way to look at ourselves via community.

From now on I call what we do a Collaborative. Out goes my favorite word Cooperative and with it all the baggage that humanity has heaped on it.

So how many projects do we have going ? Ill list them here in case You as an interested reader would like to get involved.

Biochar project

1. BiocharProject.org – a world collaborative on all things Biochar.

2. Biochar Action Learning circles. A new paradigm learning experience.

3. Biochar Industry – An Australian Sustainable biochar education centre to set the standards.

4. Biochar Association of Australian Incorporated.

5. Hill of Abundance community collaborative.

6. Community Sustainable Weeds out Carbon in Project.

7. Biochar the Movie.

We are busy and we do welcome folks to join us in whatever capacity they choose. So if you would like to be involved in something extraordinary start now and email dolph@biocharproject.org with your intentions.

Stay tuned as I write a post about our latest grant and how biochar project can make a difference to how folks understand biochar.

Charmaster Dolph Cooke

1. A mummy was found in China during the excavation of a tomb, which was ascertained to be 2,100 years old. This mummy was a 53-year-old noble lady who died from the stricture of the heart. Upon careful examinations, the mummy was found to be as fresh as a 4-day-old corpse. Inside her stomach were more than 170 melon seeds. These seeds were planted for experimental reasons, and all of them germinated. These astonishing facts were soon
explained when the excavators found 5 tons of charcoal at the bottom of the tomb. It seems all the once-living things were protected and kept fresh by the billions of negative ions made by the charcoal for over 2,000 years!

2. Bamboo charcoal dissipates electromagnetic (EM) waves by bouncing them. When EM waves leave a computer monitor, for example, they seek a good electric conductor nearby. When bamboo charcoal, which is also a good conductor of electricity, happens to be nearby, some EM waves will go to it before reaching the human body. Once such waves enter the bamboo charcoal, they are bounced around by the surfaces of the pores, gradually slowing down their speed, and eliminated completely.

3. The porosity of charcoal explains why it floats on the surface of water,
although it is actually denser. This also accounts for its ability to readily
absorb gases and liquids; charcoal is often used to filter water or absorb odors. Charcoal filters are used in some types of gas mask to remove poisonous gases from inhaled air.

4. Using nanometre technology, bamboo charcoal can be interwoven into the threads of clothing. The clothing then has an anti-fungal quality, eliminates odours, and helps reject dampness.

5. In the 1870′s, Thomas Edison used carbonized bamboo fibre as filament in the development of the light bulb. The carbonized filament he used then still works and is on display at the Smithosionan in Washington D.C.

6. An increasing number of companies and individuals in Japan use charcoal for the foundations of their factories, office buildings, and homes. Reports indicate, among other things, that the people working or living above the charcoal foundations get less tired and that wood used in the structures deteriorates less quickly.

7. Many Japanese kitchens use charcoal inside the oil for frying, because the oil becomes rancid less quickly and can be used for many days, as long as the charcoal is kept inside the oil all the time.

8. Bamboo is the fastest growing plant in the world and some species can grow up to 1.2 metres a day if conditions are good. The plant usually matures in three to five years, and renews itself without the need for replanting.

Bamboo Charcoal

I have a valley of charcoal and a Kiln so I am going to make Bamboo Biochar.

Found this on Djanbung Gardens Facebook page.

Charmaster Dolph

P.s if you know any other facts on biochar / charcoal send them to me please.