[Stoves] [biochar-policy] More on briquettes and pellets

[Jock Gill]

Ron,

I have been able to make very good char, as tested by Hugh McLaughlin, from grass tablets.  These have a diameter of about 1.5 inches and I break them into wafers about 1/2 CM thick.  My first batch of grass tablet biochar was actually made by Paul Anderson in one of his TLUDs.

Please see this post from Nov. 2009: http://www.greaterdemocracy.org/archives/931

I also find that quenching the biochar at the end of the pyrolysis is not critical at all.  If I leave one of my iCans overnight, I lose less than half the charcoal.  My guess is that this is the result of tuning the iCan for the least amount of primary air.  I have noted that when the pyrolysis is over, the bed of charcoal emits "smoke".  My goal is for zero smoke, but find that I can still get god biochar if the smoke is essentially gone in less than two minutes.  My practice is to only quench after the smoke has essentially finished f within in about 3 minutes after the pyrolysis flames extinguish themselves.

Cheers,

Jock


Jock Gill
P.O. Box 3
Peacham,  VT  05862
Carbon Negative Solutions
(G) (802) 503-1258



On Dec 5, 2010, at 1:42 AM, rongretlarson at comcast.net wrote:

> 
> Richard and 2 lists:
> 
> Thanks for the complete response.  I conclude that pellets and briquettes are possibly able to act similarly in char-making stoves, but briquettes look better in traditional stoves.  Apparently not much comparative work done yet for advantages of production of one vs the other.  

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