Philippine Tambayan – Page 150 – Tambayan ng Kaalaman Tungkol sa Pilipinas

Charcoal from Corn Cob

Materials:

Corn cob

Drum of 200 liters capacity

Water sprinkler or can

1. Place corn cobs about 1/3 of the drum and put fire until smoke is gone.

2. Place again 2/3 drum of corn cobs and burn again until smoke disappear.

3. When smoke stops remove the contents of the drum.

4. Water the corn cobs until the fire is put off.

5. Lay the corn cobs on the ground and let the drum dry.

6. Separate the charcoal from the ashes.

7. Keep in a container.

Source: Tekno-tulong

Procedure:

1. Mix in one pail or container:

1 part rice hull

6 parts of fresh carabao or cow dung (or horse)

2. Place weight in mixture to remove excess water.

3. Pour in molds with both ends open (to remove easily when it gets hard).

4. Remove from molds and dry under the sun for three to four days.

There are many ways of charcoal making, but the simplest so far is the use of drum. The

method modified by the Forest Products Research and Industries Development (Los Baños)

are the following:

Clay Preparation

1. At the center of the oven, stand a 2 meters straight wood which will serve as support for wood to be arranged perpendicular to the oven.

– Shorter cuts of wood will be arranged around the center until it reaches the wall of the round pit of the oven.

– Use only woods which grow easily like ipil-ipil, bakauan, pototan, kakawate, kamachile, anabiong, tangal, agoho and alibangbang.

– Add small cuttings of wood on top of the first layers of wood in order to help mold the top walls or roof of clay.