[Stoves] Char from Corn cobs ??

Tue Jan 21 18:31:32 CST 2020

Hi Crispin,

Cobs have little fertilizer value, especially compared to stover.  I don't
know about plowing over, probably depends on the farm.

Kevin

On Tue, Jan 21, 2020 at 7:28 PM Crispin Pemberton-Pigott <
crispinpigott at outlook.com> wrote:

> Dear Kevin
>
> Are they left to rot in the fields, because that is fertilizer.
>
> Perhaps they are ploughed under. That helps hold moisture.
>
> Crispin
> *From:* info at sun24.solar
> *Sent:* January 21, 2020 7:14 PM
> *To:* stoves at lists.bioenergylists.org
> *Reply to:* stoves at lists.bioenergylists.org
> *Subject:* Re: [Stoves] Char from Corn cobs ??
>
> Here is a photo essay
> <https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fiaafrica.com%2Fa-day-in-rural-south-africa-photo-essay%2F&data=02%7C01%7C%7C1315d60907354b32fa5608d79ecffc4b%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637152488431510058&sdata=bZj4Arbgw%2FF9ESk%2FZcyKUhnnISadbmDOucRh6S20Sb8%3D&reserved=0>
> on South African families collecting and burning maize cobs as cooking
> fuel.  But I've been emailing off list Abraham Abyslo in Nigeria, a member
> of this list.  Nobody in his area burns cobs, though maize is grown in
> abundance.  The cobs are left to rot.  It seems to vary by country and area
> within the country.
>
>
> On Tue, Jan 21, 2020 at 7:02 PM Crispin Pemberton-Pigott <
> crispinpigott at outlook.com> wrote:
>
>> Dear Neil
>>
>> You have highlighted th the main two attributes: high burn rate due to a
>> high surface to volume area, and a weak structure.
>>
>> To make a useful fuel outside the (literally) immediate place isn't
>> production it has to be densified unless there is a use for powdered char.
>> The reason I mentioned the new Ugandan charcoal standard is because it has
>> a requirement for the production of fines when bag is dropped. Charred cobs
>> will never pass such a test.
>>
>> The reason they have the requirement is that the fines do not burn well.
>> At all.  So selling a bag of charcoal briquettes is going to be cheating
>> the customer if it is 10% fines.
>>
>> Regards
>> Crispin
>> *From:* neiltm at uwclub.net
>> *Sent:* January 21, 2020 5:04 PM
>> *To:* stoves at lists.bioenergylists.org
>> *Reply to:* stoves at lists.bioenergylists.org
>> *Subject:* Re: [Stoves] Char from Corn cobs ??
>>
>> On 21 Jan 2020 at 8:25, Cookswell Jikos wrote:
>>
>> > Corn cob charcoal itself is pretty awesome - it burns super fast and
>> > hot which makes it good for blending with regular charcoal or quick
>> > cooking of things like tea or rice.
>>
>> I have burned a few and then burned the char, not exclusively but mixed
>> in with other 'fines' and generally friable char saved from TLUD and
>> rocket stoves mostly, and I can identify with the above statement when
>> comparing my home made char with more substantial commercial 'lumpwood'
>> charcoal.
>> I also find that wood that has half rotted, but when dry makes a very
>> friable char, much as the corn cobs do, and does indeed burn super fast
>> and hot, lighting exteremely quickly, which is also true of the wood
>> itself in the TLUD.
>>
>> With my small cast iron pot bellied BBQ with the addition of my computer
>> fan 'turbo', I can have a fire to cook on in about a minute from lighting
>> with a couple of sheets of newspaper under the grate, and with enough
>> fuel in a single charge, a fire that lasts long enough to cook chicken
>> pieces - about 40 mins.
>>
>> I introduced the fan when I experienced inadequate draft because of the
>> density of the layer of fine char impeding air flow, but apart from
>> starting the fire, mostly it is not necessary once going, although
>> sometimes useful in short bursts as another way to vary the heat, and if
>> I reload during a long cook.
>>
>> I can appreciate though that this type of char might be difficult to
>> transport and sell without degredation and would presumably need the sort
>> of charcoal stove that can burn pellet char which I imagine is more
>> structurally robust but have no experience of.  But used at source I find
>> it excellent and easy, and makes for a very controllable heat.
>>
>> Neil Taylor in England
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Stoves mailing list
>>
>> to Send a Message to the list, use the email address
>> stoves at lists.bioenergylists.org
>>
>> to UNSUBSCRIBE or Change your List Settings use the web page
>>
>> https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Flists.bioenergylists.org%2Fmailman%2Flistinfo%2Fstoves_lists.bioenergylists.org&data=02%7C01%7C%7Cc8df906c1cde44418aa008d79ebde4e3%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637152410735502711&sdata=oHolk6UM2EzMaAljWt4F0ypupB7fzUjuyyHm%2FxoUw2g%3D&reserved=0
>> <https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Flists.bioenergylists.org%2Fmailman%2Flistinfo%2Fstoves_lists.bioenergylists.org&data=02%7C01%7C%7C1315d60907354b32fa5608d79ecffc4b%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637152488431510058&sdata=NIWaCbw3iTEJjZ%2B3dMpKQnKb2VFEzPtw9Z9m965b5C0%3D&reserved=0>
>>
>> for more Biomass Cooking Stoves,  News and Information see our web site:
>>
>> https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fstoves.bioenergylists.org%2F&data=02%7C01%7C%7Cc8df906c1cde44418aa008d79ebde4e3%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637152410735502711&sdata=Cv3ZPE0tWeUXL3aiqEIm2a2tM3ycxiyOacnWHw%2BguX0%3D&reserved=0
>> <https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fstoves.bioenergylists.org%2F&data=02%7C01%7C%7C1315d60907354b32fa5608d79ecffc4b%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637152488431510058&sdata=CuhufrdMhqb8awOaYx4Klz166XDmHg%2FsHulYYnfgXdM%3D&reserved=0>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Stoves mailing list
>>
>> to Send a Message to the list, use the email address
>> stoves at lists.bioenergylists.org
>>
>> to UNSUBSCRIBE or Change your List Settings use the web page
>>
>> http://lists.bioenergylists.org/mailman/listinfo/stoves_lists.bioenergylists.org
>> <https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Flists.bioenergylists.org%2Fmailman%2Flistinfo%2Fstoves_lists.bioenergylists.org&data=02%7C01%7C%7C1315d60907354b32fa5608d79ecffc4b%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637152488431520053&sdata=%2FqIdTYL6RZImmghPGcIIAL9IcBAP9EEJhbUXEa%2Be6n4%3D&reserved=0>
>>
>> for more Biomass Cooking Stoves,  News and Information see our web site:
>> http://stoves.bioenergylists.org/
>> <https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fstoves.bioenergylists.org%2F&data=02%7C01%7C%7C1315d60907354b32fa5608d79ecffc4b%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637152488431520053&sdata=mgci0%2BKdd4470i0viahNV4ux08un8bHfHeD3iiKMaNY%3D&reserved=0>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
> Stoves mailing list
>
> to Send a Message to the list, use the email address
> stoves at lists.bioenergylists.org
>
> to UNSUBSCRIBE or Change your List Settings use the web page
>
> http://lists.bioenergylists.org/mailman/listinfo/stoves_lists.bioenergylists.org
>
> for more Biomass Cooking Stoves,  News and Information see our web site:
> http://stoves.bioenergylists.org/
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.bioenergylists.org/pipermail/stoves_lists.bioenergylists.org/attachments/20200121/88096bd3/attachment.html>