Overlooked Survival Item You Need to Learn to Make
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ส.ค. 2024
- In this video, I'll take you through each step to create your own survival charcoal. It serves MANY purposes after a disaster and is easy to make. Download the Start Preparing! Survival Guide here: cityprepping.tv/38C5Ftt - start your preparedness journey: cityprepping.tv/3lbc0P9
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After lots of experimenting and chemical testing the best method I've found for making charcoal at home is to: dig a pit about a foot deep and two feet wide. Build a small fire at the bottom then add small hardwood sticks (rose and apple seemed best) on top of the fire adding more as the flame starts to die back. Continue until the pit is full. Then let it burn till all flame extinguishes and you just have coals. Then shovel the coals still hot into a container of water to quench them. Strain the charcoal out of the water. Save the water as it contains lots of potassium carbonate which can be used as fertilizer or boiled down and combined with lime to form potassium hydroxide for soap making. The strained charcoal, still wet should be rinsed and then placed in a container and covered with a dilute acid solution (I use vinegar) for a few days before being rinsed again and soaked in pure water for another few days to leach out remaining acid. At this point discard pieces of charcoal that float. Strain the charcoal and crush or screened to whatever size you desire though I find it's already pretty much the size I need.
The charcoal can now be used to filter water. I primarily use it for my fish but would work fine for human use. It has over 30% of the activation (surface area) as commercially made activated carbon, it works the same you just have to use 3x as much which isn't a problem because it's way cheaper.
Once it's been used to filter fish water for about a year it makes great potting soil for house plants and it also helps improve the quality of compost.
wow, thanks for that tip. Great info!
Now that was a very informative comment.
Thank you for that.
CP's instructions are good for making char cloth and on the go/in camp charcoal.
Your method is good for at home with lots of time to feed the pit, but seems like it would render more charcoal overall.
Plus if you had a hydroponic system with fish it could be used for the return water to the fish tank side.
Fascinating 🤩
Whatever method you use, be sure to remove any potential contaminants - paint on the container (ammo can), container linings (some stainless containers) , oil residue on new metal containers, rubber gaskets (ammo can), etc.
Now here's a cross over I wasn't expecting
I enjoyed watching this type of old school, informative prepping video. Great information and video production! With all of the crazy stuff going on in the world, it's these types of back to the basics videos that bring a sense of calmness to us Preppers. Cheers!
Much appreciated! Always glad to see you stop by and even more excited to see you back on YT. You're needed in these crazy times!
@@CityPrepping Thank you, my friend! 🍺
Love the info you provide. Not the typical prepper channel that just spouts doom.
I love love love that this video was fast in momentum and time and gave quality info with no frills.
It's awesome how something as simple as burnt wood has so many benefits to our life and the environment around us.
Apartment living here, I bought a bag of hardwood charcoal no chemicals add, it was huge for less than $5.00 and from the fish department, a few containers of activated carbon that's used for aquarium filters. I have the sand and small pebbles also and the rest needed for 2 two gallon bucket water filters. I also have a few pur plus faucet filters I just need to figure out how to open and make work, if need be.
you can also make charcoal using the pit method. its as easy as, dig a shallow but wide sauser shaped pit, light your fire using the wood you wish to make into charcoal, and continuously add fuel as the wood gas burns out to prevent the coals from burning to ash. if you see ash forming, drop more fuel on top, when you run out of fuel to drop ontop, let it burn down until the flames slow down, then bury in dirt or sand for a day or two so it can cool down. once you dig up the sand youll have great charcoal left imside! i use this method to make charcoal for my forge out of scrap wood
Great back to the basics video Kris, made this a few times over the years but still learned something, thanks.
Active charcoal, as in for fish tanks, would work too. Just fill it into a couple coffee filters and pour after boiling
If you're making charcoal you might also include gathering the white ash from your fire... a good use is to run water through the ash, filter through a cloth and make lye for soap, nextilmilized corn, etc.... White ash make a very good insect deterrent for your garden.
Did you know in the olden days they would always put a bit of clean wood ash in their food, good for digestive health...for detox. The charcoal itself is a remedy for diarrhea, heart burn, indigestion, food poisoning even very effective first aid for wounds or cuts.
I don't know if others have stated this but
Using sched 80 6 inch pipe for charcoal works well and is very much reusable with out ruining your cast iron pot.
It can also be used to make longer thicker charcoals.
My 15yr old is all over this one! He learned the char cloth thing in scouts. It never occurred to me to use pellets though. Brilliant! A bag of 100% hardwood pellets at Menards is 6$ so I'll be picking up a couple of these asap. Thx!
Sounds like a good kid that has great parents
@@chrissmith7364 Thanks Chris! I just picked up the wood pellets. I'm about to set his firebug loose! 😂
Tractor supply sells CEDAR-PINE PELLETS, Would these be usable?
If you use medium sized 500w solar power stations you can do a lot of cooking with the 350w Dash mini griddle and even the small 300w power stations can run their 200w mini rice cooker. Their griddle can make one thick four inch pancake per minute or a perfectly browned pan biscuit in 3 minutes. It can also fry eggs, sausage, small burgers, and even thick chunks of potatoes. These griddles have a great thermostat and it`s very difficult to ruin or burn whatever you`re cooking. They`re inexpensive too. Most don`t know about these wonderful prepping tools.
Solar inverters and charge controllers are the most important components of a solar power system. They are what converts and stores solar energy into usable power. And unfortunately, solar inverters and charge controllers are most susceptible to damages from a solar flare or EMP. According to The Space Review, modern integrated circuits are about a million times more sensitive than electronics in the early 1960s.
I have some 12v 100w rice cookers that can be connected to any 12 to 24 volt DC power and even directly to 12v solar panels. They`ve discovered events 10,000 times worse than the Carrington Event solar storm in tree ring data. It didn`t even show up. And it was just announced that at best we may get a warning 30 minutes ahead of it happening. Wiring in buildings and homes will turn white hot from induced currents and everything will burn. So enjoy what we have while it lasts. This is all so very temporary and there`s nothing we can do really but live and wait. Also, look up 536 A.D. or the Burckle Impact mega tsunami and worldwide deluge it caused.@@oldie4210
Or you could get a cast iron pan and cook over a fire like I plan on doing. I would much rather keep my batteries topped up for other tools and electronics when the time comes.
Well, it`s an option, a very efficient one, and one that can save your valuable fuel supply by using renewable power shining down from the sky which is what solar power stations are for. And few know about it. Using wood isn`t always possible in many regions. For instance, I wasn`t able to use my burn barrel for three months this year or BBQ due to extreme drought conditions and wildfire hazards. And thanks to our wonderful government I do a whole lot less cooking from grid power lately. My entire camper can run off solar, even air conditioning, thank God. Or I`d be dead by now.@@cf3661
@@oldie4210yeah, that is the downside to solar inverters. On the plus side, even if you have such a system that is no longer functional due to a flare/emp, you can still use the solar panels to plug any rechargeable devices into the usb ports that are sometimes on the backside of the panels......
although, I don't know if an emp would render a solar panel useless. 🤔
These smaller how to videos are greatly appreciated, its these little skills that we have forgotten how to do that may be useful one day!
Don't use pressure treated Wood scraps as they are treated with chemicals
And cause toxic smoke which could cause respiratory issues.
If you're making homemade gunpowder. Use soft wood to make the charcoal, for better ignition.
Fun fact about the gaseous smoke emitting during the charcoal making process. It has the ability to run a gasoline engine called a "smoke vapor" engine. A generator or other stationary small engine being the most practical to operate. Thanks for the info.
Uhmm, don't pellets have a binder agent added which would mean they have some chemicals?
Also, don't forget there is Lump Charcoal available at many stores since its preferred in smokers as there is no chemicals. It basically chunks of wood that have gone through the process being displayed. Usually i see mesquite lump Charcoal in my stores.
All the pellets I know of use only pressure to create the pill shape, no additives.
You can use it as a motor fuel as well. You can run small home generators on charcoal via a very simple charcoal gasifier. These gasifiers also crack water. This is called water gas. Anyways if you are looking for long term solutions for generator fuel. There is no better option than making your own fuel yourself. Charcoal can be stored indevinitaly and ready to fuel a generator any time its needed. I have video on a simple unit made out of an ammo box. No welding requried, this will run 200cc and smaller generators in a pinch.
Pure charcoal will not change the pH. But any trapped ashes will raise it. The method using a tight container should produce zero ash.
What a great video! I was tickled to see this. We really need to practice making this so we know how to do it. Learn the skill. Practice the skill!
Very good information on a very useful survival tool.
What came first - the hammer or the anvil? Also, instead of lined paint cans use unlined coffee cans. You can fashion a cover from aluminum.
What a fantastic to the point and easy to follow guide.
I’m convinced if Kris wrote a beginning guide to self reliance it would be a must have in your bag book.
I have used wood ashes from the fireplace to melt built up ice on driveways and sidewalk. Messy but not unsafe for the environment since it came from a natural source.
You can buy the basic equipment for a filtration system from a homebrewing shop. Excellent ideas on making the charcoal for when the store bought supplies run out.
Another commenter brought up nixtamalization with the ash from the charcoal making process.
For those who don't remember, nixtamalization is the process of treating corn with a base to make its nutrients much more available to humans. (Look up the issues with corn nutrition. Niacin and massive reductions in mycotoxins are the biggest. You can also get minerals absorbed in the process like Ca, Fe, Cu, & Zn.)
This treated corn becomes hominy, and is a staple of Mexican cuisine. Tortillas, posole, and (the process' name-sake) tamales are just a few well-known examples. Grinding the dried hominy gives you grits instead of masa.
It stores a very long time in dry environments. I vacuum can it in mason jars. Currently eating posole made with some I put up 5 years ago.
if possible all natural filters should have sand/gravel and grass along with the charcoal, because they filter different contaminants, not to mention a tissue to filter dirt obviously
This was really interesting and useful. Thanks, Kris!
Bravo Kris! Thanks for another tool in toolbox and don’t take any fluff from the haters, you are passing on valuable information. Some may need it, some may not. But hey if haters want to watch and comment let them boost the numbers. Focus on positive support.
You can also grind it to a powder and mix it with sulfur and saltpeter (15%, 10%, 75% )..... because flint will always be available when brass is not.
Back in the old days, saltpeter was given to soldiers to curb their sex drive...lol.
QUESTION: can this type of charcoal be purchased? I'm an older woman and don't think I will be able to make my own. Thank you Kris for everything you do to keep your viewers informed.
Thank you for this video. You have such amazing information to share about how to provide for our own survival needs, including how to make your own non-toxic charcoal. This is great!
Thank you Kris! This is awesome!
I knew how to make charcoal and charcloth but your list of additional uses has inspired me to create a lot of this material during the summer months. It will be very easy for me to cook a couple dutch ovens worth of custom sized charcoal while doing my daily brush burning!
Having several 5gal buckets of a renewable fuel stores for forging or those very cold winter nights in the hot-tent stove seems like it could come in very handy.
Learning how to make charcoal is an essential skill. When I was driving throughout Africa, I'd always see people selling large bags of charcoal on the side of the road, usually made from dead wood and processed by hand. I have a medium sized fish tank, so I usually have a large bulk supply on hand. If you're looking for good quality charcoal to start you off, check out a fish store!
Even in Asia they only use wood charcoal for cooking, barbaque or roasting..never those brickets over here that are full of chemicals. Ironically it was never taught here, with all those tree cutting/trimming somebody can make a living making chemical free wood charcoal.
Water is my weakness. We have 4 high-quality filters, but living where there is very uneven rainfall is a problem collecting and storing
Nice one. I wonder if a roll of charcloth stuffed into a PVC pipe would make a dandy inline filter, or if the water will just run around the edges. Hmm.
I have a fireplace at my cabin I’m gonna make one of these thanks city prepper !!
This is another great idea you have provided me to help with my prepping
😊👍. I found that my charcoal filter and container grew algae in the finished side when exposed to light. I used vinegar to clean the container, but didn't run it through the charcoal which will break it down. Great comprehensive explanation 😉
Oh sweet! I was going to mention the fact you can use it for a mask filter, and then you showed the same mask i have! Gotta love it!
Just like making char cloth for flint & steel.
Just make sure the cloth is pure cotton, pillow ticking workes great.
Awesome video Chris! I have watched several videos about biochar in the past as it relates to gardening, but this is a quick easy way to make small quantities. Thanks!
make sure to take the seal off the ammo can :)
I put the new paint cans in the fire without the wood to burn off the coating inside. Then put wood in and go. I put a wet towel on top to prevent air from getting in.
Thank you Chris for sharing your knowledge with us❤
Love these informative videos
Thanks! Always a Treat when i Dig up Charcoal pieces in yard.
Most prepper store, their preps in a closet it be interesting if you do a how to video showing how to turn an entire closet into a Faraday cage.
I was interested in this very topic several years ago when I discovered your channel. At the time, I could not find any info on using fire to make activated charcoal for water filtration. Thank you for bringing this important info to the top of the YT feed. I'll bet people in Gaza could use this method right about now.....
Just remembered that they drink desalinated water, and the salt is one thing that cannot be removed from the water with activated charcoal.
de salt water through a still like moonshiners did, but you need to put nutrients back in the water but thats easy cos you got filtered salt water too, and you just add to the distilled water to taste, then you get a bonus your still is lined with salt, good for preserving,
Or you can go to the store and buy a bag of commonly available hardwood lump charcoal for a few bucks. No additives, you can even see the shape of the wood that is used. Cowboy brand is the brand I use in my smoker and is perfect for this purpose, but there are other brands, too. About $15-20 a bag.
That is an awesome topic and i agree it is something you should learn it is not that hard to make but you need to get it right.
Thx Kris. Great video. Definitely going to try this.
This is a great idea. Thank you.
Thanks so very much! I've been wanting to know how to do this for my garden. Now I know!
Thank you for this Kris!!
Thank you for the information Kris
Thanks, This is a great information.
It works great in a respirator to filter out organic vapors when spray painting.
Also, in filters for aquarium or Koi pond.
Great tutorial. Thanks so much.
Great content as usual.
Very interesting video!! I can’t wait to experiment in this technique!! Great topic!!!
And do paint can trick with sawdust for gunpowder. ALLEGEDLY works great 👍
ha!
I almost didnt watch this video.. THAT would have been a mistake. I am so glad a watched the whole way through.. Thank you for this. subbed!
Reminds me of seeing the coke towers in Oregon (or the rock coke ovens here in AZ, where the coke, or charcoal, was used in ore cracking at nearby gold mines)
Question: we heat our home with a wood heater and only use seasoned oak. Could we use the small chunks of charred wood for this instead of making it separately?
No. Charcoal is made without oxygen, a chunk of burned wood is NOT the same.
Si, great content as always!
This is a great informative video thank you
That's LIFE SAVING know how. Thank You.
Very good info people new to preparedness
Good info! Ty.
WOW THIS VIDEO IS AWESOME ❤❤❤❤ THANK YOU
very helpful ... thanks
This was a great video! There is so much you can use charcoal for.
THKS
Burn wood good aaaa, love your videos educational as always 🤘
Yaaaaaaaaaassssss this is the video I’ve been waiting for 🎉 😭
Thank you kris this is great information, you always teach me someting i should really know. Thank you
my pleasure!
thanks for the good info
EXCELLENT!
Informative video, thanks 👍🏻🇦🇺
Thank you
If you are concerned with the lined paint cans, you should also consider how wood pellets are made. If they are for cooking they should be fine, but if they are pellets for a wood stove, they may have unwanted chemicals.
Great video
thank you
this is super good info
Thank you,
Yes this makes charcoal but not activated charcoal...that requires pressurized steam in order to make micro pores in the charcoal which filters out certain chemicals and heavy metals.
Related thought: Dutch ovens and similar cast iron vessels are often available on marketplaces very cheaply when they have been allowed to become rusty.
People are generally stupid AND lazy, take one look at the rust and can't be bothered learning how to clean and re-season the metal for restoration to original condition, so they're happy to "get rid" of the valuable item for a song.
Me, I value all my cast iron cookwear too highly to use any of it for pyrolysis purposes, but I have a large rusty unit I haven't got round to restoring yet, so I will be happy to stick it on top of my brick rocket stove and produce charcoal from my infinite supply of wood!
I looked on FB marketplace, and these people want 'new' prices for a rusty old pot, sometimes even without a lid. Hmmph! Ima have to check garage sales.
I was at the Jack Daniel's distillery, they made charcoal there, not an easy process. Very easy to end up with ash.
Id save the first portion of charcoal from the ammo can and maybe the paint can , for non consumable uses. There's bound to be something in the ammo can and a coating in a paint can ( to prevent rust ) that will burn off on the first run , hopefully making it safe to use the next lot for drinking water filtration.
Would solid wood smoking chips be good for this process? I imagine if you can cook with it, it shouldn't have chemicals. Also, you can get these wood chips in large bags.
I see you used wood pellets and was wondering if there was any difference?
I’d like to know that too.
as long as it's not chemically treat and it's just carbon material, it's fine.
Danke❤
Thank you and God Bless you for all that you share here.
QUESTIONS: Don't pellets contain binding chemicals that will impact the finished product?
I imagine the coals from a wood stove would also work for this purpose, as long as they are hardwood?
Thank you. I was wondering how to make charcoal.
Glad I could help!
Good video
ThxQ
How long do you leave the containers in the fire? Do you just watch the container until it stops releasing smoke?
yes, just watch it to see when it stops smoking.
if you intend to cook i wouldnt be using the dutch oven for charcoal as some woods can leave a tar behind, also i wouldnt be worried about a modern lined paint tin either most modern paints are water based and it burns away none of this lead or arsenic of the older days, plus if you get the tar residue its lined the tin anyways