Question on making BP ?

[Boaz]

When making your charcoal would you use green wood or is seasoned (dry) wood better ? Going to make some pretty quick , don't have any seasoned willow but there is plenty of green around . Thanks

[OverMax]

Seasoned cooks faster. Otherwise I know of no difference in their end product. Charcoal is charcoal.

[Boz330]

Just use the green wood. My first was from fresh cut willow. It made stripping the bark much easier.

Bob

[True.grit]

Does it have to be Willow or would Cottonwood or Aspen work as well?

[ofitg]

The Confederates used cottonwood back in the day....

[Boaz]

I thank you for the help ! I'll try green willow , may give the cottonwood a try next .

[LynC2]

I thank you for the help ! I'll try green willow , may give the cottonwood a try next .

Nobade said he made a batch using cottonwood and it left a lot of fouling. On the plus side, he also mentioned it was fast burning.

[John Boy]

Charcoal is charcoal.

Yes, but is the charcoal conducive to producing good gunpowder or cooking hamburgers?
* Is it a wood with a high degree of sucrose?
* Was the wood aged?
* Was the bark removed?
* Was it made in an enclosed retort?
* Was the temperature maintained not to exceed 300-320 degrees Centigrade because if it wasn't ... nearly all the creosote will be flashed off
Otherwise - use the charcoal to cook on the grill!

[Texantothecore]

From my research it appears that the woods in the poplar family make good powder:

Poplar
Willow
Cottonwood
Alder


Also:
Aspen
White pine, but not yellow pine
Bamboo
Eastern cedar
Western cedar
White cedar
Tall grasses
Feed (deer) corn
Corn shucks
Field peas

The list is quite long.

[Texantothecore]

Does anyone have a setup that they use in which they are able to control the wood temperature?

Of particular interest would be one which was fired with junk wood rather than electrically heated.

My impression, from the pictures I have seen, is that tight temperature control for most is a nonissue and you simply cook the wood until the charcoal stops offgassing.

[mold maker]

I made it all Winter by putting the retort on the coals in a wood burning furnace. After half an hr, I watched for the out gassing to stop.
Willow is much easier to de-bark when green.
Be prepared to blow black buggers for days, if you don't use dust mask when grinding. Rubber gloves are also your friend.

[OverMax]

Otherwise - use the charcoal to cook on the grill!

Perhaps I should have been more specific. What I meant Sir. Black willow fresh cut or dried over a calender year produce the same result's when properly pealed & cooked. I haven't paid much attention to my willows cooking temperature nor its sugar content. I suspect its heat is close to 6-700 degree's perhaps more. Then again I wouldn't know how to control such a low charcoal cooking temperature in my charcoal cooking container. (300-320 degree's Max.) If I need to consider creosote from now on due to my recipe of (excessively hot) charcoal cooking. I do have access to a friends wood stove that burns green & dried popular for heat. I'll tell him the next time he cleans his chimney of creosote to save me some and use it as a black willows replacement.

[Whiterabbit]

don't forget F vs C, Max. That puts you guys at about the same temp.

[OverMax]

Yea got yaw.