How to crush, grind, pulverise charcoal

[roaldgold]

Flapjack, I just checked out that Nutrimate. Looks like some good stuff. Have you thought of maybe just adding some of that right into your charcoal along with a fertilizer. I am currently making a batch of charcoal that is treated with fish emulsion and liquid seaweed solution. I'm thinking maybe I should get some of that Nutrimate and add that into the solution.

[Flapjack]

Hi Roaldgold

I should have said I add just a small amount nutrimate with the charcoal and alpine grit. Depending what I am potting on I may also add calcified seaweed.

[maikeru]

Originally Posted by roaldgold

This is a great thread. I recently have been using a coffee grinder. First I mash up the bigger chunks of charcoal (Cowboy brand) with the end of a baseball bat in a big yogurt container. Then I just pour in as much as I can fit in the coffee grinder, it never takes more than 6-8 seconds for everything to be turned into powder. With this method I can produce about 1 gallon an hour.

I'm wondering though, what is the general consensus on the final size of the charcoal? Should I go for small pieces, powder or a mix of the two?

That's actually rather convenient for small-scale crushing and powdering. I have a coffee grinder. Perhaps I should buy a second one for this kind of work. After I move, I'll get a chipper/shredder for larger work.

[Flapjack]

Hi Maikeru

I was not too popular when I used kitchen appliances to grind and crush charcoal. The wife just would not believe me that coffee grinders without blades were a new fashion. The she found the other appliances had no blades either, she took me to the hardware store to exercise my plastic.

In this I do not think that size matters. I think it is more that you have a relative even spread throughout the compost. If your using it for crop purposes than just pot it where you are planting. Continual cropping and soil turning will give the even spread.

[maikeru]

Originally Posted by Flapjack

Hi Maikeru

I was not too popular when I used kitchen appliances to grind and crush charcoal. The wife just would not believe me that coffee grinders without blades were a new fashion. The she found the other appliances had no blades either, she took me to the hardware store to exercise my plastic.

In this I do not think that size matters. I think it is more that you have a relative even spread throughout the compost. If your using it for crop purposes than just pot it where you are planting. Continual cropping and soil turning will give the even spread.

Hah. I have no wife yet, so I might avoid that problem for now. Thanks for the tips.

[Flapjack]

Originally Posted by maikeru

Hah. I have no wife yet, so I might avoid that problem for now. Thanks for the tips.

Please remember your plastic still gets warm replacing items

[Getting A Life]

I only use tiny amounts at once. To this effect I find grinding far more effective than pounding.

Wet it all in bucket, use piece of lumber, lean weight on it and corkscrew down into the char. Busts up really fine. When I pound on it it makes a layer and the stuff underneath is protected by surrounding mass.

Another trick is to char small sticks. Then just lay them out and smash them up as they get dug in.

[Freerangefarmer]

Excuse me if this has been mentioned, but what about spreading it on a concrete slab and driving back and forth over it with a car tire, then just sweeping it up?

[erich]

I like a poly tarp, and if no concrete, soak in tarp first and it crushes fine on the ground


Alterna Biocarbon and Cowboy Charcoal Virginia field trials '09 | BioEnergy Lists: BioChar (or Terra Preta)

Erich

[Freerangefarmer]

Erich,

I checked out your link. It looks like the ag tread tractor tires do a pretty good job with a tarp on soil.

FRF