Digging ordinary clay-loam soil for the mound
Placing wood at center of mound
Stacking wood in conical shape, small to large
Wood is mainly Eucalyptus picked up from the ground
It's important to tightly stack the mound for a good yield
Pile stacked over a few days as wood came to hand
Water from the creek
Making mud with ordinary soil
Making a layer of mud as wide as the hand
The top of the mound is left open
8 air holes are made around the base of the mound. The mound took 6 hours to cover.
Making fire with fire sticks. I use fire sticks because they're easier to make and maintain than a fire bow set (fewer components).
The tinder is crushed candle nut leaves
The fire is lit on the open top of the mound
The fire then burns down into the opening
The fire burns down the wood heap in the opposite direction to the updraft
Wood is converted to charcoal as the fire moves from top to bottom
Volatile gases (CO and H2) burn as a flame above the mound
When you see fire in an air entry it's time to block it up
When all air entries are blocked, the top is blocked also. This took 5 hours
Opening the mound along a door shaped line
Unburnt brands, put aside for next time
Usable charcoal
Charcoal is cooked through and glossy in appearence
I only want charcoal over 2.5 cm in diameter for my furnaces. Smaller pieces can be used for pit fires.
The mound is small and cramped
Charcoal yield
Unburnt wood stored for next firing
Storing charcoal out of the weather
Fallen gum tree branch up in the mountain
The breaking area
This method saves effort
Stacking horizontally this time
Criss-crossing layers
Each layer perpendicular to the last
Stacking is difficult through small entrance
Final layers through open top
Sealing entrance
Hole opened in the base
Lighting mound
Blow pipe
Making another basket
Fire burning a little fast
Blocked up to prevent over cooking. This took 3 hours.
Lots of un burnt wood due to difficulty stacking the mound
Quality and yield lower than first run due to loose stacking
But it's still usable
Charcoal mound