Double will go out on its own when it’s done due to lack of oxygen inside the inner barrel. The open burn method has to be extinguished with water or by somehow completely shutting off air to it. (This is usually how charcoal briquettes are made.)
I admire what you are doing. Some of that compost looks as if it had gone anerobic??? There are ways of analyzing finished product to see how it turned out, like using a microscope for instance.
I have been experimenting with making biochar for a couple of years now. What I noticed is that it's missing nitrogen and carbohydrates in the charging process. Manure is perfect to mix it with as are weeds, grass clippings and even urine. If there is a ranch or horse stables close by then maybe strike up a trade.
When inoculated with your desired substrate, the pH balances to your desire; biochar/char is a sponge-ish medium waiting to be inoculated. Additionally, the source plays a role. I did a quick search for a peer-reviewed paper and found this: extension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/W829.pdf.
@@eromod You likely used highly alkaline material; otherwise, you did not make char. Simply burning wood in a pit does not produce char. My second guess is that you did not have your material hot enough to char. Moreover, why did you rinse it twice?
![Nederburg's Journey of Sustainability: Biochar Project [FULL VIDEO]](/img/logo.svg){kind=logo}
