The innovative design of the Moki smokeless biochar kiln makes it extremely efficient at producing biochar.
As fire burns in the center of the kiln, it creates an upward draft. As air surrounding the kiln is pulled upwards by this draft, the outward flare of the kiln’s conical shape causes this flow of air to create convection currents around the lip of the kiln.
These convection currents cause smoke from the combustion of the biomass to be redirected back into the fire at the center of the kiln. There the smoke undergoes a secondary combustion thereby resulting in a more efficient and smokeless burn.
It takes the kiln about 5 minutes to burn a layer of branches. During that time, I prune more branches into 36 inch lengths to prepare the materials for the next layer. As each layer is burned, more biochar piles up on the inside of the kiln.
Once the kiln is full of biochar, it is time to finish my first batch of biochar. This is done by putting out the fire to prevent the biochar from continuing to burn down to ash.
One way to do this is to cover the kiln with an airtight lid This starves the pile of oxygen and terminates the burning. The biochar needs to be left covered until it has cooled down to prevent it from reigniting. This can take anywhere from 12 to 24 hours.
Another way to put out the fire is to quench it with water. I went with this method since it is much quicker. It cools the biochar in just a few minutes. In addition, the water wets the biochar and allows it to be handled without generating dust.
In the next video, I'll discuss the value of the biochar created and historical evidence of its benefits as a potent soil amendment.
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