Red Cedar Charcoal

[starxplor]

I was thinking of doing something like this but on a larger scale(5 gallon barrel inside of a 55 gallon oil barrel and both of these are made of steel):

 

http://i.imgur.com/eZpVe5k.jpg

 

5gal in 55gal should work, I have heard of some people using a 30gal in a 55gal, thought I have not used anything that big myself.

[wizard7611]

Could I use Red Cedar charcoal for stars or do I need to use Pine?

[Mumbles]

You can use whatever charcoal you like. They will all give somewhat different effects though. Try some and see what you like best. For instance I like commercial airfloat best since I don't need to cook or grind it.

[OldMarine]

My 5 gallon lard stand retort burned through today. It seems steel is a precious commodity these days so they've cut back on the content but not the price. I think my next retort or TLUD will be from a 5 gallon roofing cement bucket.

The lard stand cost $11 and probably had 5¢ of steel in it. The roofing bucket is free and has twice the metal.

[FloridaCracker]

TLUD has much lower temps and the buckets can last years where a retort can burn thru after a few cycles. Just something to consider.

 

And free materials that can be reused/repurposed are (almost) always better than those you buy.

[OldMarine]

Yeah, I grabbed me a couple of roofing tar buckets. I'm going to make the tlud and another retort and compare.

[CaverCork]

I have an antique cast iron pot from which I removed the knob on the lid. I put it in my fire pit while cooking or socializing using hardwood for the fire, and soft for the charcoal. Works perfectly every time with no ash and will probably last through my daughter's lifetime. I grew weary of replacing the paint cans.

[starxplor]

Yeah, I grabbed me a couple of roofing tar buckets. I'm going to make the tlud and another retort and compare.

Where do you get these buckets and how hard are they to clean enough for our use?

[OldMarine]

You just toss them in the for and they burn clean in minutes. They're much heavier metal than the lard stand I was using. The contents were bitumen and a plasticizer. The only thing left after the fire is some carbon.

[Mumbles]

Are you able to wash or scrub off the carbon at the end and get basically clean metal? This isn't going anywhere, just curious.

[mikeee]

The TLUD cookers are the way to go, less work, less material consumed for same amount of charcoal.

[starxplor]

You just toss them in the for and they burn clean in minutes. They're much heavier metal than the lard stand I was using. The contents were bitumen and a plasticizer. The only thing left after the fire is some carbon.

 

Ok, but where do people get them? Havent seen any on craigslist, which is the only place I would initially expect them to be.

 

The TLUD cookers are the way to go, less work, less material consumed for same amount of charcoal.

 

Technically, not the same amount, slightly less as some of it has to be used to kick start the process. Additionally, someone who is lazy may prefer the retort as you can just leave it there and remove when you happen to notice it is done, while the tlud requires stopping the process at the right time to not start generating ash. Mostly, it just comes down to personal preference.

[OldMarine]

I'm in construction so I just grab them before the roofers toss them in the dumpster. Roofing buckets are heavier than paint buckets because the coating is dense and the buckets get tossed about going up to the roof. They're free so I don't mind having to clean them up. There's a neoprene seal in the lid that must be dug out before burning off the tar but otherwise a simple process. Edited January 20, 2016 by OldMarine

[OldMarine]

This is the bucket style:

http://www.bayteccontainers.com/un-rated-unlined-5-gallon-open-head-steel-pails-covers.html?gclid=CjwKEAiA2ve0BRDCgqDtmYXlyjkSJACEPmdwronVBScdL72o8x4SuqB4IwjZdGPzvGKbb6PW_b2_fBoCqnPw_wcB

[starxplor]

Yeah, I have seen those style buckets as cheap as 5$ with 2$ for the lid.

No clue what shipping would be on them though.

 

EDIT:

Sorry, was 6$, not 5: http://bascousa.com/5-gallon-open-head-steel-pails-and-covers-oh5-28-26ri-b.html

Lid: http://bascousa.com/5-gallon-open-head-steel-pails-and-covers-lc-26ri-b.html

Thicker metal version: http://bascousa.com/5-gallon-open-head-steel-pails-and-covers-oh5-26-c24r-b.html

 

I have no idea on shipping prices, I havent decided if I am going to stick with paint cans or try to get a bigger can.

Edited January 20, 2016 by starxplor

[Geezer]

Go check with a larger/commercial roofing company if you want the metal mastic buckets. I work for one and would be thrilled to give away the used/empty mastic buckets as they are a mess to get rid of. We end up with a bunch during the winter time from chasing leaks in old tar roofs.

[OldMarine]

After you burn off the roofing cement it's pretty easy to knock the ash/carbon off with a metal brush. I imagine you could just scrape them well and clean them with thinner or mineral spirits.