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Results from my #biochar burn yesterday.

I work at a restaurant on the weekends and I decided to bring home all the eggshells.

I used to boil them to kill any progress and use them in the garden or supplements calcium for my chickens.

I decided to put them in the retort to see what would happen. I suspect that all the calcium remains, pathogens removed and maybe it's easier to be ingested or taken up by plants, but I have no actual evidence of this.

#grownostr #LibreLeaf #resiliancy #permies #ozarks #chainsaw #homesteading #calcium #gardening

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Discussion

Red_Moose 2y ago

Well done!

PermaNerd 🌱 💻 2y ago

What type of recepticle are you using?

Fortress K9 2y ago

Still waiting for my kiln, but can’t wait to get started.

Sir Libre 2y ago

You can start with a conical hole in the ground. That's what I did at first, just to play around a bit.

https://youtu.be/bXRosccKtOc

Fortress K9 2y ago

Seeing as how I lease my kennel property and that is where my dogsteading activities take place, I’m careful not to overdue it. I have a great relationship with my landlord, but don’t want to go around digging holes when I can wait a week or so for the kiln. They are excited to benefit from Biochar as well.

Sir Libre 2y ago

That makes sense

KBNSC 2y ago

Where did you order your kiln from? This is also on my list.

Sir Libre 2y ago

Mine is just a 55 gallon drum with a lid and some stove pipe for a chimney.

I couldn't find a 35 gallon drum for the retort so I'm using a small garbage can.

These things were already on my property when I bought it, but if I had to buy everything out would cost $100 or less

KBNSC 2y ago

Nice. So a lot like a rocket mass heater build? I need to research plans. We do have a 55gal drum.

Sir Libre 2y ago

There are similarities to an RMH build.

It's really simple. Holes at this top and bottom sides of the barrel.

A lid with a chimney.

A retort with a lid and 4 or 5 holes in the bottom.

Sir Libre 2y ago

I wrote an article on my website showing exactly how I made my retort. I hope it helps.

https://libreleaf.com/making-biochar-on-the-cheap/

Joshua 2y ago

Korean natural farming has a technique of cooking the eggshells, but not until they char, then placing the shells in a fruit vinegar like apple cider vinegar. The resulting liquid is calcium acetate which can be used at a dilution as a calcium foliar feed.