Straight-Sided BioChar Pit with Chimney

There are four things I wanted to demonstrate with this video.
1, a straight side biochar pit with 3.5 foot chimney is cool to work around even when roaring,
2, That squelching a straight side biochar pit is very quick and easy,
3, that char - once out - holds no noticeable heat
4, that such a system is probably cleaner and safer to cook over than a barbeque.

The last segment is shot continuous from when I tipped over the chimney - tipped the wheelboro - squelched the fire - then dug my hand into the center of the char to a depth of about 6 or 8 inches (the char was cool to touch in less than 60 seconds) and then rinsed the char off my hand in a bit of rainwater. Then back to the squelched char to see the steam rising - not from the char but from the hot earth around it.

This week I had attended 2 of the 5 biochar workshops organized by Steve Feher and research interns from Butte College's MESA Program then coaxed Kelpie Wilson and co-conspirator (?_______?), Steve Feher and Preston Englant, over to my place to witness my "Pit with Chimney" method. This video was taken after they left, but there is about 2 feet of biochar in this round - straight-sided pit. I am finishing off the char with some 2 to 3 inch dried and cured sticks. Most of the earlier feedstock had been cured but damp and there had been a good deal of steam and some smoke. The dried wood, and the nearness of the chimney to the fuel made the system work much much more like a rocket stove. There is about 15 gallons of char produced in a system tamed, contained, and clean enough to cook over.