Biochar

[alfamick]

Hi Baz, nice photos on the website - looks like an excellent biochar maker!

Cheers,
Mick

[DJ-Studd]

Baz, I love your website and photos.

I'd like to make biochar for use on my property, can you please direct me to easy to understand plans to construct a simple and efficient biochar maker? I've got 5 acres that I want to cover with this stuff.

Cheers!

[bazman]

Baz, I love your website and photos.

I'd like to make biochar for use on my property, can you please direct me to easy to understand plans to construct a simple and efficient biochar maker? I've got 5 acres that I want to cover with this stuff.

Cheers!

Hi All

A retort is your best bet until I finish my system :-) this video should give you a pretty good idea on what to make. retorts will flare and throw sparks so keep you hose ready and don't start it under a tree.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXMUmby8PpU
Same basic design with a few mods
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1s3ye...eature=related

I did a PH test on my latest batch of biochar compost tea/mud and was pretty happy with a PH of 7, makes me wonder if these other products are producing lots of high PH ash?

Baz

[DJ-Studd]

Thanks,
great videos. I'm going to give it a shot this weekend.
I like the "big kiln" in the video, need to find instructions!! (Although it could blow up in my face, being an amature and all..)

[DJ-Studd]

Hey Baz,
I went to 4 different produce stores on the weekend and none had stock of steel drums!!

I'd like to have something manufactured, I have highly skilled welders and metal fabricators at my disposal.

http://biochar.pbworks.com indicates 5KG/m2 application rate.
5 acres = 101,170KG Biochar required.

That sounds like a lot of biochar to make with a 55 gallon drum!

Can you suggest any plans? Information on biochar seems to be very scattered online.

Cheers

[bazman]

I don't know if I would agree with adding 5kg per m2, well maybe over 10 years but not in one hit. As I often use a wet Biochar mud I end up thinking in terms of area, 1lt of Biochar mud per m2 is heaps in one application, but as I have said before you need to add Biochar via compost or tea/mud, not as straight Biochar out of your retort, so if your making compost and I wouldn't add more than 25-30% layered biochar to a compost mix you would need to be making lots more compost than Biochar.

Try the Adam Retort http://www.biocoal.org/3.html

Or you could just buy in bulk by the ton.
http://www.rcra.com.au/products.html
or
http://www.outbackbiochar.com/

Sorry I'm not releasing the plans for my system as yet, still building it :-)

Baz

[Michaelangelica]

There is an International Biochar Conference in Sydney later this year. Oct?
Check calendar for details.

[bazman]

Hi Michael

I had a look on the IBI and anzbiochar sites and didn't see anything, do you have a link or any more info? The Brazil Conference would be great to go to, bit out of my budget.

[Michaelangelica]

Hi Michael

I had a look on the IBI and anzbiochar sites and didn't see anything, do you have a link or any more info? The Brazil Conference would be great to go to, bit out of my budget.

Mmmm, seems the Forum Calendar can't be searched! O well, that's sad.

Some trawling found this:-

Biochar Conference 2010

IIR's Biochar Conference 2010 is the first event of its kind to specifically explore the need for the commercialisation and policy development of biochar within Australia.

27 - 28 May 2010, Sydney Marriott Hotel

http://www.iir.com.au/conferences/En...nce-2010-E1026

i went to the one held at Terrigal NSW a couple of years ago. Some good speakers and some very interesting people from all over the planet, but not enough time to meet and talk to them all. I probably learnt more from talking to them over tea and bickies. A couple are still on my Email "joke" list.

[ecodharmamark]

Poultry poo to biochar

I remember this coming across the front counter as a concept plan about 18-months ago. So very glad to see that they have it up and running.