Charcoal is made by burning carbon-rich materials like wood in kilns at high temperatures. The resulting product is cooled, shaped, and packaged for sale. Uniform combustion is important and the finished product must cool before shaping. Briquettes are typically made with a binding agent and packaged in reinforced paper bags.
Charcoal is typically made by compressing and slowly burning compounds that have a naturally high concentration of carbon, then cooling, packing, and forming the material that remains. In general the result is a black, ashy solid that can be used for a number of different things, although it is perhaps most popular in grilled food. The final product provides uniform and virtually smokeless heating. It’s also generally pretty cheap to make, which means it’s relatively affordable in most places. The material is usually created in bulk in huge kilns and drying kilns, then shaped, molded and packaged for sale. Manufacturers who make briquettes from “specialty” materials or who infuse perfumes or oils may charge more, but the base product is usually very cheap due to the simplicity of production.
Drying and Heat
Coal literally goes through a fire proofing process, which in turn makes it a substance that can be burned to provide constant, reliable, long lasting heat. Charring is the first step in this process and is usually the most time consuming. Manufacturers start with carbon-rich materials that can be burned to ash. Almost everything that has life on earth can be considered “carbon-based,” but substances can vary greatly when it comes to their concentration levels. The best choices for this process are generally wood, but could also include fruit pits, nut shells, or other plant products. Specialty manufacturers often use certain types of wood, such as hickory or slow-burning hardwoods, but in general, any type of hardwood will do.
The first thing that needs to happen is that these materials need to be dried. This usually occurs in dedicated humidifiers or other closed rooms where relative humidity can be manipulated to near zero. Then, they are moved to kilns where they are subjected to extreme heat of approximately 840-950°F (450-510°C). This is accomplished by placing the materials in a kiln or continuously fed kiln called a “retort.”
Importance of uniform combustion
Even though the burning period here is slow, the producers also often have to help it be even. Unless the material is somehow stirred or rotated, it runs the risk of charring on one side before it’s even really burned on the other. This can lead to a lot of waste and can also make the final product less predictable and less consistent in terms of burning. To avoid these consequences, the combustion of coal is usually fed through a multi-hearth furnace. The mechanical arms could also stir things periodically to ensure an even burn.
Cooling period
It is also important for the finished product to cool before being shaped or packaged. The kilns are typically so hot that allowing the charcoal to cool on its own can take days. Most manufacturers start by spraying everything with cold water once it’s finished in the oven. They are usually left to dry in rooms with a controlled temperature or with regulated humidity.
Shaping and packaging
While the cooled and blackened product at the end of this process is technically charcoal, it is usually not recognizable to consumers until it has been shaped. Most manufacturers mold their products into a tile shape, often resembling a puffy square or small pillow. To make these, the char is usually mixed with small amounts of a binding agent, typically wheat or some other starch. The mixture is then dropped into a press or mold which cuts it into standard briquette shapes, which then pass through a dryer to seal and set their shape. Sometimes char is also pressed into longer log-like shapes, which is more common for use in industrial-grade barbecues or grills.
After the material has been shaped and cooled, the briquettes are bagged and sent to store shelves, industrial plants and other destinations. The bags are usually made from reinforced paper to help the product avoid moisture and stay ventilated. Under ideal conditions, it will last almost indefinitely and doesn’t actually expire or lose its effectiveness.
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