A quick summary of results of experiments in open burn techniques to minimize smoke and maximize charcoal production. Experiments were conducted by volunteers over a 3 day period, November 15-17, 2013, outside of Grants Pass, Oregon.

1. Biochar Burn School
Nov 15-17, 2013 at Enchanted
Forest, Grants Pass, Oregon
Sponsored by Wilson Biochar Associates,
Table Rock Foundation, Lomakatsi
Restoration, Sonoma Biochar Intiative

2. Current Practice: Pile and Burn
Cost: $2,000/acre to cut, pile and burn
Return: waste treatment – fuel load reduction
Byproducts: smoke, sterilized soil, ash, small amounts of char

3. Objectives
• We can do better!
• Try different methods of pile construction and
lighting to see if we can produce less smoke
and more charcoal to minimize environmental
impact of open burns
• Keep labor requirements in mind and
minimize effort and resources

4. Ethics
• Open burning is NOT a biochar production
method
• Volume biochar production methods should
produce zero or near zero emissions with capture
of useful energy to substitute for fossil fuels
• Biochar burning methods are intended as a best
practice for situations where open burning is the
only practical disposal method of problem
biomass

5. Physics of Top Lit Burning
Wood does not burn directly, rather,
heated wood emits gases that burn:
• Heat transfers by radiation into the
wood
• Heated wood releases gases that
rise
• When hot gases rise they are
exposed to air and they burn
• Heat converts remaining wood to
charcoal
• Charcoal will not burn if it is
protected from oxygen by the gas
flare
• If rising gases cool too fast or do not
get enough air, smoke results

6. Diagram by Tom
Reed, www.thomasreedinventions.c
om

7. Standard burn pile of fir and pine from oak savannah restoration project. Only
change is, we light on the top instead of on the bottom.

8. TYPICAL BOTTOM LIT BURN PILE

9. TOP LIT BURN PILE - CONSUMES SMOKE

10. Wood moisture levels ranged from 12% to 30%

11. We rebuilt some piles to get a more pyramidal shape with
bigger logs on the bottom, and few fine materials

13. These piles could be quenched with 2 bladder bags of
water. Spread out the char to cool rapidly, reducing
water requirement.

14. Charcoal yield approximately 40 gallons

15. Day 3 Ultimate Pile – culmination of lessons learned:
Rule #1: bigger material on bottom, smaller on top.

16. Rule #2: Light on the top. If using accelerant, spray a mist
evenly across the top. Avoid drip torches that will produce
flame underneath unburned material.

17. Rule #3: space between sticks roughly equal to stick diameter

18. Rule #4. As pile burns down, consolidate fuel for
minimum smoke and maximum biochar production.
Observe the stick in the air, cooling and smoking.

19. Rule #5. Spread out and quench with light mist to
conserve water.

20. Special Thanks!
• Jan and Brenda Patton, owners of Enchanted Forest
• Peter Hirst of New England Biochar for expert instruction
• All the participants who labored over three days to learn and refine these
techniques
• Our co-sponsors: Lomakatsi Restoration Project, Table Rock Foundation,
Sonoma Biochar initiative
• Forest Service soil scientist Jim Archuleta for his preliminary experiments
Wilson Biochar Associates specializes in biochar technology and market
development. We provide strategic advice and services to businesses and
organizations.
Kelpie Wilson
Wilson Biochar Associates
Mobile: 541-218-9890
kelpiew@gmail.com
www.wilsonbiochar.com