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How to make charcoal briquettes – Charcoal briquettes are a type of fuel that is made from charcoal powder. In comparison to traditional fuels, charcoal briquettes not only produce continuous heat but also produce no smoke or odor during combustion.

As a result, it has become the most popular fuel in many countries, including Kenya, the Middle East, and Uganda, India, etc. and has been widely used in domestic and industrial applications in recent years.

The charcoal briquettes process has become one of the hottest processing industries due to the increase in its economic benefits. So, what are the ingredients of charcoal briquettes, and how to make charcoal briquettes?

Composition of Charcoal Briquettes

There are two parts in making charcoal briquette: the charcoal that provides heat and the minor ingredients. Charcoal is the result of incomplete combustion of wood or wood raw materials, or pyrolysis in the absence of oxygen.

Because carbon is its primary component, we can use it as a fuel. Accelerants, white ash, and briquette binder are among the minor ingredients.

1. Component 1: Charcoal

Charcoal accounts for more than 70% of all charcoal briquettes. People can make charcoal from a variety of woods, including beech, birch, hard maple, pecan, and oak, as the combustion material that provides heat.

The kiln is primarily responsible for the charcoal’s processing. The charcoal produced and extinguished in the kiln is commonly referred to as black wood charcoal. It has the advantage of being easy to ignite, but because it burns quickly and produces a lot of smoke, it is prone to exploding.

After being carbonized, removed from the kiln, and quenched with wet sand, white wood charcoal can be oxidized and generate white ash. It has a harder texture than black wood charcoal.

2. Component 2: Accelerants

Because the charcoal briquette cannot make complete contact with oxygen during the combustion process, it will require the accelerator to speed up the combustion. The best accelerator is nitrate, which not only provides oxygen to accelerate combustion but also generates heat during combustion.

However, it is prohibitively expensive. To effectively increase the burning speed, we can add 10%-20% sawdust as an excellent low-cost accelerator.

3. Component 3: White ash

White ash, as one of the minor ingredients, accounts for only 2% to 3% of the charcoal briquette. It does, however, play an important role in the burning of charcoal briquettes.

We can determine the burning degree of the charcoal briquette by observing the degree of turning white. Furthermore, because white ash is non-combustible, it can effectively lengthen the burning time.

4. Component 4: Briquette binder

Because of the lack of plasticity, a binder must be added during the charcoal briquette manufacturing process. The proportion of binder in charcoal briquettes is between 5% and 7%.

Numerous facts show that starch performs best as a binding material. After gelatinization, a thick paste can be formed, allowing the charcoal powder to stick together for later briquette formation.

Arabic gum or acacia gum is another popular briquette binder. However, when it comes to cost, waste paper pulp is the best option. The final material produced will differ depending on the composition ratios used. The following are a few recipes for making charcoal briquettes:

Plan A

• 10 kg charcoal dust/fine powder
• 0,3 kg tapioca starch

Plan B

• 10 kg charcoal dust/fine powder
• 5 kg sawdust
• 1 kg tapioca starch
• 0,5 kg limestone

Plan C

• 10 kg charcoal dust/fine powder
• 5 kg sawdust
• 0,5 kg tapioca starch
• 0,5 kg limestone

Plan D

• 10 kg charcoal dust/fine powder
• 5 kg sawdust
• 1 kg mashed pulp

Advantages of Charcoal Briquettes

• High combustibility (more than 80 percent of biomass mass)
• Longer burn time, as well as a more uniform and stable combustion process
• Smokeless and flavorless
• lighter (only one-fifth to one-third of the original weight)
• less expensive than lumpy charcoal
• It is simple to handle, pack, transport, and use.

Process of Making Charcoal Briquettes

People are generally interested in how to make charcoal briquettes. The production of charcoal briquettes is divided into five steps:

Step 1: Carbonization

To begin, heat the raw materials in a rotary kiln. During the one-week combustion process, the temperature must be kept between 840- and 950-degrees Fahrenheit (450 and 510 degrees Celsius).

Close the air inlet after the combustion is finished, and the exhaust hole after one to two hours of exhaust. After a two-week cooling period, remove the carbonized wood from the kiln and crush it.

Step 2: Crushing

Crush the carbonized wood with a hammer crusher or a roller crusher. Although different types of wood, such as bark, dry wood chips, wet wood, and so on, should be crushed to different sizes, they can generally be crushed into charcoal pieces of 5mm or less to make high-quality charcoal briquettes.

Step 3: Drying

After that, it requires a drying process. If the water content exceeds the empirical upper limit, the temperature will rise and the volume will suddenly expand, potentially resulting in an explosion.

Molding will be difficult if the moisture content is too low. Using a dryer, reduce the moisture content to the required level for briquette formation by about half (to about 15 percent).

Step 4: Briquetting

Briquetting is an important step in the charcoal manufacturing process. After entering the ball press, the raw materials will be subjected to three types of forces: the main driving force of the briquette machine, the friction force, and the centripetal force of the wall.

The charcoal briquettes can maintain their shape when they fall from the bottom of the machine due to moisture, adhesives, temperature (approximately 105 °F or 40 °C), and pressure of the briquetting machine’s rollers.

Step 5: Drying

Feed the charcoal briquettes into the dryer for three to four hours to heat them to 275°F (135°C) and reduce the moisture content to about 5%.

After manufacturing, immediately bag the charcoal briquettes or store them in silos. Following the preceding steps, charcoal briquettes will be produced at a rate of 2200-20,000 pounds (1-9 metric tons) per hour.

Benefits of Using Charcoal Briquettes during the Manufacturing Process

Compared with other fuel, the biggest advantage of charcoal briquette is that it has no environmental pollution during the whole processing.

• No waste material: Because no chemicals are used in the entire charcoal briquette production process, the required minor ingredients can be replaced with sawdust, waste paper pulp, and so on. Not only is there no waste slag, but some waste can also be recycled and reused to generate benefits.
• No waste liquid: Because no water or liquid is added or drained during the process, there is no pollution to the water source.
• No waste gas: The gas produced during the charcoal briquette processing is only water vapor and some combustible gas, causing no air pollution. It is worth noting that this portion of the combustible gas can be recycled and used as fuel, potentially lowering costs.

According to the information provided above, processing charcoal briquettes is not difficult. However, we must pay close attention to many details, such as component ratio and moisture, as these will all have a direct impact on the final quality.

Users must comprehend and confirm each step and detail of the charcoal briquettes processing process before proceeding. Then, select a reputable supplier for the purchase of the processing equipment, such as a crusher, dryer, briquette machine, and so on. One of the briquette supplier is Nusagro.

Lump Charcoal vs Briquettes – When it comes to charcoal, there is only one option: lump or briquettes. In this guide, we contrast the advantages and disadvantages of each. We discuss when to use one or the other, as well as the benefits of switching between the two at the appropriate times.

Charcoal has more potential energy than raw wood because of its high carbon content: it can provide cooking heat that burns hotter, more steadily, and cleaner than dried wood.

To say that a fire burns cleaner simply means that it is free of eye-watering, sneeze-inducing chemicals that go up in smoke. That is one of the advantages of using charcoal instead of dried wood.

Lump vs Briquettes Key Takeaways

• Lump – Is made entirely of natural carbonized wood, burns hotter but faster, and has an irregular shape that can result in inconsistent burns. It enhances the flavor of food with smoke.
• Briquettes are pressed sawdust that has been carbonized; they often contain fillers and binders, burn cooler but for a longer period of time, and burn consistently due to their uniform shape. It imparts a mild smoky flavor to food.
• Can be used in most grills and smokers.
• Lump-wood is best for high-heat searing and grilling, as well as adding the most flavor.
• Briquettes are preferable for controlled, low and slow smoking – except in kamado style grills, which require lump.

What is Lump Charcoal?

Lump is the most basic form of charcoal and is essentially wood that has been partially burned down to basics, then carbonized until all that is left is carbon.

It is burned in a low-oxygen silo to take away sap, moisture, and naturally occurring methane, hydrogen, and a variety of other chemicals. The process is known as charring, and charcoal is sometimes sold as char wood.

It can be considered a form of recycling because it is mostly made up of byproducts of coppicing and scrap wood from mills and wood businesses, rather than new trees. It typically burns at 1400°F (760°C) or higher, a much higher temperature than briquettes can achieve.

Pros and Cons of Lump Charcoal

Lump charcoal has some pros and cons when the users use it in some ways. Those following pros and cons are:

1. Pros

• Because it burns hot, it must be closely monitored; especially if you intend to use it for smoking, which necessitates a low, steady, and long-lasting flame.
• It is designed to burn for an hour, making it ideal for a quick grilling session.
• It smells fantastic.
• Produces a lot of smoke flavor

2. Cons

• Not every piece has been completely carbonized.
• Larger pieces still have cellulose and lignin, which are two of the three main wood components.
• It burns quickly, necessitating the addition of more over the course of a long cooking session. You’ll be purchasing a lot of bags.
• Unevenly sized pieces can range from a half to 4 inches in length, resulting in unpredictable cooking times.
• Cooking times that are unpredictable
• Even if you find a brand you like, the results are inconsistent from bag to bag.
• Burns at varying temperatures
• More expensive than briquettes
• It easily breaks down into small, useless bits and dust.
• Reduces airflow, which results in a slow-burning fire.

Lighting That Fire

There is self-lighting charcoal, but you should avoid it – as well as using lighting fluid – because the chemical smell of the fuel-soaked lumps will affect the flavor of your food. Allowing time for lighting fluid to burn off may help, but it will never completely solve the problem.

As a result, buy only all-natural lump-wood charcoal with no added chemicals, and start the fire with a natural firelighter, such as wood wool or organic all-natural starter cubes.

What is Briquette?

Briquettes are typically made of compressed sawdust that has been converted into carbon and is uniform in shape. They are light, uniform, and reasonably priced.

Historically, additives were mixed into sawdust before being pressed into molds. Briquettes are the charcoal equivalent of a chicken patty. They typically burn at temperatures ranging from 800 to 1000°F.

Pros and Cons of Briquettes

Briquettes also have pros and cons, those are:

1. Pros

• They have the design to burn longer and at a lower temperature, making them ideal for smoking.
• When using the snake or domino method, their uniform shape makes them easier to arrange.
• Lightweight, inexpensive, and convenient

2. Cons

• Potential allergens and additives
• It takes more time to light.
• Because there is less wood to burn, there is more ash.

Identifying Common Ground of Lump and Briquette

Lump as well as briquettes, because:

• It comes from from trees
• Are terminated
• It has the potential to self-ignite.
• It is possible to be chemical-free.

What is the Difference of Lump Charcoal and Briquettes Charcoal?

Let’s take a look at some of the characteristics that distinguish them and dispel a few myths along the way:

1. The difference during use

There are differences in how the two types of coal burn, and thus differences in how we should use them. However, not everything you hear is always true.

• Fueled by air

The conventional wisdom holds that lump is best for hot and fast grilling, whereas briquettes are best for low and slow. Fire, on the other hand, is fed by air, or oxygen.

A lump charcoal fire with dust and bits obstructing airflow can burn low and slow, similar to a briquette fire. You can also intentionally reduce the airflow in your barbecue by controlling the vents.

• Time and speed

To design the briquettes, it will burn for hours, making them ideal for snake smoking and other methods of smoking. They’re ideal for low and slow cooking. Briquettes are the grill’s equivalent of a slow cooker. Put the ingredients together, go to work, and come home to a delicious meal.

Lump is intended to burn hot and fast for a short period of time, typically an hour. This is excellent for direct grilling and searing. However, this does not preclude their use in indirect heat applications. The difference is effort: you’ll need to add more lump charcoal, whereas the briquettes will cruise along without your intervention.

• Grill types

People used to know briquette more than lump because of their ease of use, low cost, and convenience. However, because kamado smokers don’t have much space for ash collection, they can easily become overwhelmed by briquette fallout, with the increased amount of ash produced blocking airflow through the charcoal grate in the firebox.

This can result in unwelcome temperature drops or even the fire going out! Overall, depending on the parameters and knowledge of how to use the fuel type correctly in your specific smoker or grill, either can work for most grill or smoker needs. People with kamados, on the other hand, will typically use lump charcoal.

2. The location and environment

High altitude grillers face the challenge of keeping a fire going because the air is depleted of oxygen, moisture, and pressure.

Briquettes may work better in these high altitude and low oxygen environments because the very thin air makes cooking a low and slow process, even if that is not what you are aiming for.

In sum, the lump charcoal and briquette charcoal will be the best depends on the purpose of use and their benefits. The users can use lump charcoal vs briquette effectively if they understand both functions. Looking for best lump charcoal and briquette charcoal supplier? Nusagro is the best option!

Best lump charcoal – Charcoal can come in many different types, including briquettes, instant charcoal briquettes, lump charcoal, flavored briquettes, Binchotan, and Thai charcoal. It is produced by slowly burning pieces of wood in the absence of oxygen until all of the natural chemicals, sap, and moisture have been extracted from the wood.

After that, we have a less harmful charcoal lump with many advantages. It is little more than carbon, produces very little ash after burning, burns hotter, and lights quicker than briquettes.

Because it reacts to oxygen, you can easily control the level of heat if your grill has adjustable air vents. It also has no fillers or additives, making it one of the cleanest ways to grill.

Why is Lump Charcoal Expensive?

It is unquestionably a good choice for grilling due to its properties such as its ability to light quickly, burn hotter with less ash, and because it is 100 percent natural. However, for some backyard grillers, these benefits are offset by the higher price.

A variety of factors can contribute to the higher price of lump charcoal:

• Lump charcoal requires a lot of effort to make.
• Its raw material costs are higher.
• It is a completely natural product with no additives.
• It may be difficult to find in some areas.

Read more about coconut shell charcoal

10 Best Lump Charcoal for Smoking, Green Egg & Kamado

There are many brands of lump charcoal that it’s difficult to determine which is the best. That is why we compiled this comprehensive buying guide and list of popular brands.

1. Nusagro

Nusagro is one of the best lump charcoal suppliers comes from Indonesia. The charcoal from this supplier has some good qualities. Over 150 customers from countries around the world have bought lump charcoal from Nusagro by online.

Nusagro lump charcoal has a good quality control. The best custom-made charcoal, and 100% natural charcoal. Besides, Nusagro offers free charcoal as a sample from the customers. By considering that things, Nusagro become one of the best lump charcoal suppliers from Indonesia.

2. Royal Oak: Best Smoking Charcoal

Royal Oak’s all-natural hardwood is made in the United States and has a lovely smoky aroma. It is made of renewable oak, hickory, and maple, and it contains no additives or chemicals. Basically, it’s everything you’d expect from natural hardwood.

These coals light up quickly and reach a high cooking temperature in about 15-20 minutes. Furthermore, the coals stay lit for hours, making them ideal for smoking. The impressively low amount of ash produced by these coals during combustion is what distinguishes them.

One of the most inconvenient aspects of smoking is the frequency with which you must empty your smoker’s ash drawer; however, Royal Oak has developed a grilling fuel that significantly reduces this. This reduces the number of times you’ll need to swap out coals while also keeping your grill or smoker clean.

This charcoal is specifically designed for smoking, and it shows. It cooks for extended periods of time, and its lower maximum temperatures make it simple to control cooking heat levels.

3. Jealous Devil All-Natural Hardwood Lump Charcoal

Jealous Devils is an all-natural hardwood lump charcoal in extra-large chunks. They are the ideal size for the Big Green Egg and will not easily crumble or fall apart.

They are pure and chemical-free, and when heated, they become extremely hot. The charcoal is made from South American hardwoods and contains no fillers, chemicals, or scrap material.

4. Rockwood All-Natural Hardwood Lump Charcoal

This Rockwood lump charcoal is made entirely of Missouri hardwood. It contains oak, hickory, maple, and pecan blends for a full flavor profile. This lump charcoal boasts bold and flavorful food that will be juicier and more delicious simply because the charcoal was used.

Because the charcoal burns slowly, the lumps last longer before needing to be replenished. Simultaneously, it burns hotter and heats up faster than many other options on the market.

5. Harder Charcoal 100% Natural Lump Charcoal

Harder Charcoal is a restaurant-style lump charcoal that is designed to be pretty awesome. This extra-large lump charcoal is made from all-natural hardwood. Harder Charcoal is also available in a variety of sizes.

This lump charcoal is strongly recommended for egg grills and ceramic cookers since it is designed to burn for an extended period of time without producing excessive smoke or sparks. They are able to produce this charcoal without destroying living trees.

6. Fogo Premium Oak Lump Charcoal

Because it is designed to burn for an extended period of time without producing excessive smoke or sparks, this lump charcoal is highly recommended for egg grills and ceramic cookers. They can make this charcoal without destroying living trees.

7. Kamado Joe Big Block Lump Charcoal

Big Block Charcoal is an excellent choice. It was created by the Kamado Joe brand to work specifically in ceramic grills such as the Big Green Egg. It is of exceptional quality, and as a result, it can be difficult to find in stock. If you can find it, it’s a solid option.

Mistal, Guayaibi, Guayacan, and White Quebracho hardwoods are used to make this. It burns hot and is also very easy to light. You won’t have to worry about dust or crumbling because the lumps are extra-large.

8. Cowboy Brand Lump Charcoal

This Cowboy option is a well-made lump charcoal that has received high marks across the board. It has a lot of great qualities and can be used in grills like the Big Green Egg. This lump charcoal is made from 100 percent all-natural hardwood, though it is unclear what hardwood was used or if it is a blend of several woods.

Lump charcoal is environmentally friendly. It is entirely made from renewable resources. This wood is intended to re-create cowboy history by cooking food over an open flame.

9. Best Charcoal for Kamado Grills: Grill Drome

When it comes to raw cooking power, Kamado ceramic grills are beasts. They are ideal for roasting and smoking because they have strong insulation and consistent temperature levels. This Grill Dome lump hardwood fuel is ideal for the job.

The coals in the Grill Dome come in large pieces, so you can get a lot out of a small amount while also reaching impressive maximum temperatures. BBQ smokers will get a lot of bang for their buck with these. They can smolder at low temperatures while retaining the flavors of the meat.

10. Primo 608 Natural Lump Charcoal

Primo 608 Natural Lump Charcoal is an excellent choice for those looking for an all-natural product that combines the longer burn time of charcoal briquettes with the heat of lump charcoal. It is free of tars and other chemicals, imparting a smoky flavor to the food it cooks rather than an unpleasant fuel taste.

Those are the best charcoal for smoking, green egg, and kamado. You can choose what is the best for what you needed. However, buying it from Nusagro will be the good choice in order to take a good quality of lump charcoal for smoking, green egg, and kamado.

Coconut shell charcoal – Coconut shells are one of the cleanest and most popular sources of activated charcoal. While other carbon-based materials such as wood, coal, or other carbon-based sources are also suitable charcoal sources, the quality of coconut shell charcoal is far superior to others.

Coconut charcoal is of high food grade quality, which means it can be consumed or used in filtering devices. It is also used in medical devices that filter blood, such as dialysis units. The shell is the toughest part of the husk that protects the soft flesh inside.

A variety of commercial applications exist for coconut shell. Typically, coconut activated charcoal is produced through a variety of processes that involve the burning of the mature fruit’s envelope.

What is Coconut Shell Charcoal?

It is another valuable resource that can be obtained from this magical tree. It is widely used as an efficient industrial fuel, as well as in laundries, blacksmithing, and goldsmithing, where a high rate of head is required.

Aside from being used for industrial fuel, it is also used to produce activated carbon, which has numerous industrial and beauty applications. Coconut Shell Charcoal is also well-known as a cooking fuel, and most chefs use it as a fuel because of its pleasant aroma.

It is produced by burning coconut shells with a limited air supply and obtaining carbonizations. When the coconut shell is heated, it loses 70% of its weight. Coconut shell charcoal is made in two ways: the drum method and the pit method.

Coconut charcoal is made from fully dried and mature coconut shells. Excellent coconut shell raw material source for producing high-quality activated carbon. Its use for heating and cooking is environmentally friendly, and it produces a clean burn. Because the smell of coconut shell charcoal is neutral and pleasant, it can also be used for barbecue and grilling.

What are Benefits of Using Coconut Shell Charcoal?

Using coconut shell charcoal will give some health benefits. The following benefits of using coconut shell charcoal are:

1. It uses for detoxification support

Coconut shell charcoal is well-known around the world as an effective detoxifying agent that aids in the removal of unwanted substances and toxins from the body. However, this does not mean you should use it without first consulting your doctor.

The detoxifying properties of charcoal are enhanced during the adsorption process. Positively charged toxin particles and other harmful substances bind to the negatively charged particles of porous activated charcoal in this reaction.

Coconut shell charcoal, with its millions of pores, can bind a large number of toxin particles and flush them out of the body.

2. It uses as a cleansing agent

Coconut shell charcoal is a natural remedy for internal cleansing in addition to aiding in detoxification. It can bind to bile acids and remove them from the body in the same way that it binds toxins from the body using its porous form. This type of body cleansing is required if you are excreting certain toxic compounds with bile acids.

Using coconut shell charcoal prevents the accumulation of these toxins, allowing bile (and thus poison) to be eliminated from the body. It boosts the body’s ability to eliminate heavy metals like mercury and lead, in addition to bile.

3. It uses as aid that against bloating

Coconut activated charcoal is a natural remedy for flatulence and bloating, which is one of its most popular and clinically proven benefits. A daily dose of 500 mg taken before meals yields satisfactory results.

By preventing intestinal discomfort, combining coconut shell charcoal with other digestive enzymes or using ginger extract yields impressive results.

4. Skin care

Activated coconut charcoal has recently been found in a variety of beauty products. This is due to its effectiveness in removing bacteria, chemicals, and impurities. It is a regulatory sebum that is extremely beneficial in cases of acne and skin blemishes.

However, it is also used to lower LDL cholesterol, reduce flatulence, and improve renal function by reducing the number of waste products that the kidneys must filter.

They, like everything else, take precautions. It should not be consumed within two hours of taking vitamins, medications, or supplements because it will prevent the body from absorbing them.

5. Treats poisoning

To treat poisoning and overdose by oral ingestion, activated charcoal is used as an adsorbent agent. Prevents poison from being absorbed in the stomach. Toxins from the stomach and intestine are absorbed by coal.

The Uses of Coconut Shell Charcoal

Aside having some health benefit, it also has some uses. Below are the uses of coconut shell charcoal:

1. Its uses in the food industry

Coconut charcoal is widely used in barbecues as an alternative to regular charcoal due to its fast burning and food-grade properties. The food industry prefers it because of the pleasant fragrance it emits when preparing traditional foods and grilling. You can also buy activated charcoal made from coconut shells to cook delicious meals at home.

2. As teeth whitener

Charcoal has long been used as a tooth and oral health remedy. Coconut activated charcoal, like charcoal soap, acts as a natural teeth whitener with remarkable results. Those who have dark or yellow teeth can use it to brush their teeth on a regular basis and see amazing results.

3. As animal feed

Cattle, pigs, and poultry are also fed coconut charcoal. According to some studies, animals fed coconut charcoal produce more milk. Similarly, it is a suitable feed for pigs and poultry to increase weight and reduce the chances of disease occurring; this results in increased meat production.

Aside from the aforementioned uses, coconut shell charcoal is also used in the following ways:

• As a fuel substitute for fuelwood, kerosene, and other fossil fuels.
• In Middle Eastern countries, charcoal briquettes are commonly used to burn shisha.
• Middle Eastern countries also use charcoal briquettes to burn fragrances at home.
• Charcoal briquettes are used to heat spas and cooking stoves in the United States and Europe.

People can purchase activated charcoal for the above-mentioned benefits. We recommend that people seek medical advice before consuming it, as it may not be suitable for everyone. People will be astounded to learn how such a simple material can do so much for them. Nusagro is one place where you can buy coconut shell charcoal.