so i just learned that people make charcoal by putting wood in some container with little oxygen and build a fire around it. but why not just burn the wood directly, and take the leftovers?
im guessing some of the wood burns away if you aren’t using a container, so it’s less efficient, but if you’re in a forest with limitless wood it doesn’t really seem to be worth the effort when you can easily just create a bigger fire. another reason i can guess is that the charcoal you get from using a container is higher quality. if that is the case, why does it produce higher quality charcoal, and what does it mean for charcoal to be higher quality?
In: Chemistry
There isn’t as much charcoal “left over” from a fire as you think. Making charcoal intentionally you get a much, much higher yield. Why make charcoal at all? It’s a lot more predictable, less finnicky, less smoky fuel source than wood, and lasts a really long time without getting weird, moldy, or spidery, or termitey
Yes you can do this. For example if you watch the primitive technology YouTube channel it prepares charcoal by starting a fire until it gets hot enough to make charcoal and then smothering it with water.
Heating in a sealed container is more efficient with regards to wood but the other reason is that you don’t have to keep a eye on the fire to tell when you have to quench it. Just light your fire and then go on and do other tasks.
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