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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Hello Ray and Crispin,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Thanks for the responses. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rinsing and drying the charcoal in this climate (Northern Illinois) is not an option for me. (-15F tonight). I usually just shake the ashes and fines on the garden plants and vegetable garden. My soil is acid, so the wood ash helps neutralize the pH. The screened charcoal is relatively free from ashes.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The coals (some hot) from the wood stove are transferred into a metal bucket and an air tight lid is placed on the bucket. The lidded bucket is set outside for a few hours and allowed to cool down. When the outside of the bucket is cold to the touch, I’ll use the cone to separate the materials. I did have a surprise one screening where a hot coal got into my large charcoal stash. The coal ignited the 50lbs. of charcoal in the covered metal waste can. There was no way to put out the charcoal by dousing it with small amounts of water. I had to fill the whole waste can with water to extinguish the charcoal. From then on I always pour the screened charcoal into a smaller air tight receptacle first and let it sit for a day.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>A steel strip around the top of the cone with handles would be a nice touch. I just use work gloves to hold the top of the cone. It’s held up well after several years of use.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Jim T.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b>From:</b> Stoves [mailto:stoves-bounces@lists.bioenergylists.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Crispin Pemberton-Pigott<br><b>Sent:</b> Monday, January 01, 2018 2:39 PM<br><b>To:</b> Discussion of biomass cooking stoves <stoves@lists.bioenergylists.org><br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [Stoves] Small Scale Charcoal/Ash Screening<o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA>Dear Jim T<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA>Do you do this when it is still hot? <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA>How do you hold the cone? Gloves? Handles?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA>Thanks for inspiration<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal>Crispin<span lang=EN-CA><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal>I burn wood for heating the house using an EPA certified fireplace insert. The wood species is mostly ash, and hardwoods. The burning wood rests on an insulated firebrick bed located in the bottom of the stove. After the stove has cooled overnight, there is a mix of approximately 2/3 ashes to 1/3 charcoal left. <span lang=EN-CA><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal> <span lang=EN-CA><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal>I found that an easy way to screen the ashes from the charcoal is by using a cylindrical mesh cone. The mesh material is ¼” galvanized hardware cloth. The top opening measures 12” in diameter, the length is 24” which tapers to a closed point on the bottom. The cone can be easily made by drawing a template onto the flat wire mesh, cutting out the pattern, and rolling it into a cone shape. I used bent steel wire pieces to clip the edges together.<span lang=EN-CA><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal> <span lang=EN-CA><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal>The cone is filled 2/3 with the ash/charcoal mixture. Using one hand on each side of the cone top, the cone is shaken vertically until all of the ash and charcoal fines fall through the screen. (Usually takes about 30 seconds) The remaining screened charcoal is dumped from the cone into a fireproof sealed charcoal receptacle. (Just in case there are any live coals in the mix). The charcoal is dry and ready for use.<span lang=EN-CA><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal> <span lang=EN-CA><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal>This simple method works well. I have yielded several hundred pounds of charcoal per heating season. The char is good value and smokeless, used for cooking and grilling. The charcoal pieces are usually 1” or less in size, so a ¼” stainless steel mesh is used as a fire grate inside the charcoal stoves and grills that are used for cooking. <span lang=EN-CA><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal> <span lang=EN-CA><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal>I would be interested to hear how others process their stove “tailings” …..<span lang=EN-CA><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal> <span lang=EN-CA><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal> <span lang=EN-CA><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal>Jim T.<span lang=EN-CA><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA><br><br></span><span lang=EN-CA style='font-size:10.0pt;color:black'>____________________________________________________________</span><span lang=EN-CA><br><a href="https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fthirdpartyoffers.juno.com%2FTGL3132%2F5a4a4db7198b74db66fb0st03duc&data=02%7C01%7C%7Cb8e050a0f5ea4c44129608d551293515%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C636504159782834639&sdata=JLb4dunv09Gi6aVqFZJaWEPqvZpXWqOnGREFgJglBNQ%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank"><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#004080;text-decoration:none'>We Say Goodbye To Meryl Streep</span></b><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;text-decoration:none'><br></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;text-decoration:none'>risingstarnewspaper.com<br></span></a></span><span lang=EN-CA style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'><a href="https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fthirdpartyoffers.juno.com%2FTGL3132%2F5a4a4db7198b74db66fb0st03duc&data=02%7C01%7C%7Cb8e050a0f5ea4c44129608d551293515%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C636504159782834639&sdata=JLb4dunv09Gi6aVqFZJaWEPqvZpXWqOnGREFgJglBNQ%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank"><span style='color:black'>http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3132/5a4a4db7198b74db66fb0st03duc</span></a></span><span lang=EN-CA><br><span style='border:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in'><img border=0 width=100 height=100 style='width:1.0416in;height:1.0416in' id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:~WRD000.jpg" alt="Image removed by sender. 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