Do-It-Yourself Charcoal

Do-It-Yourself Charcoal AG WORLD 31-3-24 The wonderful aromas that lure Emory Skelton's neighbors to his back yard aren't just from the venison, pork and chicken sizzling in his cooker. They also come from the charcoal cooking the food - charcoal that Skelton makes himself from hardwood in a couple of 55-gal. drums. The McCalla, Alabama resident appreciates good food and wasn't satisfied with briquettes available at the store. His wife researched how to make charcoal on the internet and he took the basic principles and came up with a technique that he uses year after year. He starts by cutting hardwood up into small pieces, 2 in. by 5 in. or less, and lets it dry for two months. This takes some work, but isn't too difficult with a chain saw, Skelton says. "If people want it really simple, they can pick up scraps from a hardwood floor installer. They're already dry. Just make certain the wood isn't stained or finished," Skelton suggests. As the wood dries, prepare the 55-gal. drum by burning it out to clean it. Drill five 2-in. holes in the bottom - one in the center and four evenly spaced around it. Set the drum on three bricks and cover all but about 4 in. of the bottom of the drum with sand or dirt. "You're making a damper that draws the air in," Skelton says. Put some of the hardwood pieces in the drum with paper and kindling and start a fire. Fill the drum up with wood and place the lid on top, blocking it open slightly for a 1 1/2-in gap at one side to let in air. Let it burn for about five or six hours. The smoke will be white as the fire draws out the moisture. When it turns to a blue-grey smoke, close up the 4-in. gap at the bottom and shut the lid tight. When the fire goes out and the drum cools down, it's done. "It's the best charcoal in the world," Skelton says. He usually makes two drums at a time and ends up with 80 to 100 lbs. of charcoal, which he stores in paper bags or buckets. Skelton says he likes to use oak wood charcoal for beef, and hickory wood charcoal for pork. He's also used pecan and apple wood. Any type of hardwood works, he says, with each adding a distinctive flavor. "This charcoal burns hotter than store briquettes," Skelton warns. "So you have to learn to work with it." Because it's hotter, you can use less charcoal than you would briquettes. Once people taste the results, Skelton doesn't believe serious outdoor cooks will want to use anything but genuine charcoal made from hardwood. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Emory T. Skelton, 920 Lakeside Dr., McCalla, Alabama 35111 (ph 205 424-4775).

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