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First of all, charcoal is not the black chunks which are left over when you have a campfire. They are the ashes. Charcoal is the most important ingredient in blackpowder and many other pyrotechnic compositions, as it is the fuel. It is made by heating wood or other organic matter in the absence of air. Some of the best types of wood for the manufacture of charcoal are white woods with the exception of a few. Balsa wood can be used as well as dried out pine grass. I have also found that sawdust is great, probably the best as there is no need to crush it up after. Willow is also extremely popular. Charcoal britteques bought from a hardware stores are no good as they are not pure enough, as they contain clay. The only bought charcoal that I have found is a 4.5 kg bag that I bought from Barbecues Galore. A simple Macgyver charcoal cooker can be made by following the instructions below. |
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A simple Macgyver charcoal cooker using the instructions below. |
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Materials: |
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Procedure: 1. The organic material ( the wood) is placed into the milo tin and the lit put on top. 2. Using your trusty pocket knife, four ten millimeter slits are cut into the lit of the tin using the blade of the knife. 3. The tin is now placed onto the heat source. 4. Smoke, heat and gases will vent from the opening in the lid. Note these are flammable. 5. The cooker is removed once the gases and smoke stop venting from the tin. 6. The tip is left to cool for 15 minutes. Do not open the lid before this time. 7. Once the lid is open the wood will have turned all black. 8. This is stored for later use. |
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The wood was still wood after I took it out of the tin. Not enough heat was present, used more heat or leave in the fire for longer. The thing caught on fire! The gases coming out of the tin are explosive. If using a campfire don't have any flames. Reduce the size of the venting holes in the lid. I opened the lid and the wood was glowing red. To much heat to long, allow to cool longer after removal from heat source. Also make sure that the holes are covered when cooling or the tine is upside down |
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