Making Your Own Charcoal
The Art of Charcoal Making
“We want ours to burn good and slow,” said Young Billy. “If he burns fast he leaves nowt but ash. The slower the fire the better the charcoal.”
Susan was watching carefully. “Why doesn’t it go out?” she asked.
“Got too good a hold,” said Young Billy. “Once he’s got a good hold you can cover a fire up and the better you cover him the hotter he is and the slower he burns. But if you let him have plenty of air there’s no holding him.”
“Swallows & Amazons” 1930
How does it work? Con also shared some of his personal experience. You can read his story (“Fasting & Overweight“) on the Your Stories page.
*Some pallets are treated with fungicides (especially from foreign countries) or toxic chemicals such as arsenic. That is not always obvious unless there is a stamp somewhere on the pallet. If there is a concern, then choose unmarked pallets. But, when one considers the process and heat necessary to make charcoal, the concern for toxic residues is less of a issue. During the “cooking” of the wood, virtually all toxins are cooked off, and any toxic residues, such as arsenic, become adsorbed to the charcoal making them really a non-issue, since they will not be absorbed by the body if the charcoal is taken orally.










John Dinsley
Born in British Columbia, Canada, John Dinsley has lived, and worked from South America to the North Pole, from Nova Scotia to Nepal. He is trained as a lifestyle counselor, teaches public health programs, home remedies workshops, and has operated a family care home. He and his wife Kimberly are the owners of Charcoal House LLC. They often travel together across the U.S. and internationally to conduct charcoal workshops. He is a carpenter by trade, has managed an organic market garden business, and volunteered in overseas development work. When he is not building, teaching or gardening, he enjoys writing.
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