Making Charcoal and Biochar with Rebecca Oaks

#030. Rebecca Oaks, author of the book Making Charcoal and Biochar, joins us to discuss charcoal, it's history and uses, traditional methods of making it, what it looks like from a small scale charcoal burners perspective, and suggestions for making some at home. I will be undoubtedly making a few batches this summer-- for use in the garden and the grill if nothing else!
In the quest to learn to make things from the ground up, charcoal making is arguably one of those fundamental skills that many folks never realize they needed to know. These days the average person most likely only consciously uses charcoal for grilling food at a summer bbq, but at one point it was a substance that fueled much of the technological advancement that occurred. Metal ores were smelted using copious amounts of charcoal, gunpowder is mostly ground up charcoal, and charcoal is still used in a vast array of industrial applications. Lets learn about making some for ourselves!

Resources mentioned in this episode can be found at:

folkcraftrevival.com/30