Question: Willow for making BP

[GRUMPA]

Most folks know I live very remote. Now that that's out of the way I don't have a great amount of choices. I have my own Willow trees planted, those are called Navajo Willow and they grow well here.

I've also read/heard about grape vines, not so many of those here. Around here a native tree grows called a Utah Juniper which is a very hard wood. But from what I understand the best is the willow.

Now does it make a difference as to what specific type of willow is used to make the coal from?

I did a search on the net and when you search Willow there seems to be an awful lot of types.

Edit.....ALSO.....does it make a difference how big the branches are. Does a person want to use the smaller 1" or less or is it a simple case of size doesn't matter.

[OverMax]

Black willow is about as good as it gets for charcoal. A twisted up narly old dark gray looking tree short & stout about 30 ft tall that grows wild alongside cricks and on river banks..
Its necessary to peal its bark away prior to the woods cooking. (bark slows a powders burn speed)
Trunk to limbs its all good. Easier to make charcoal from pealed pieces split to the kindling size used to fire up Grandma's kitchen wood stove. If you can recall those days of filling the kitchen wood box.?

[WallyinIN]

I have been using weeping willow with good results. I am still looking for black willow to compare, but am satisfied so far. As stated earlier , remove the bark and split to less than 1 1/2". This makes the process less variable.

Wally

[w5pv]

I drove by a spot that was used for dumping and there was about a half of a pickup load of split fire wood that someone had ditched so I loaded it up and brought it home to burn in the fireplace and soon found out that it popped so much that you couldn't keep it in the fire place,being hardheaded I would get the fire place to going and then put the willow in and cover it with some oak wood made the wife unhappy because when it popped ash would blow out of the fireplace.She is the type of person that everything has to be keep tidy and neat,I don't remember how long but I finally got it all used.

[indian joe]

Most folks know I live very remote. Now that that's out of the way I don't have a great amount of choices. I have my own Willow trees planted, those are called Navajo Willow and they grow well here.

I've also read/heard about grape vines, not so many of those here. Around here a native tree grows called a Utah Juniper which is a very hard wood. But from what I understand the best is the willow.

Now does it make a difference as to what specific type of willow is used to make the coal from?

I did a search on the net and when you search Willow there seems to be an awful lot of types.

Edit.....ALSO.....does it make a difference how big the branches are. Does a person want to use the smaller 1" or less or is it a simple case of size doesn't matter.

I use hybrid willow (salix alba x matsudana hybrid - white willow x chinese willow) (its what I have available - close and plenty) I used fallen limbs up to about 3inch diameter split into pieces about an inch square - I tend to undercook it rather than over - I break those sticks in half by hand to check - grind it down in a meat mincer, then ball mill for half an hour or so, before I pack it away in sealed containers, very important to keep your charcoal dry until you use it. My powder burns real clean and chronograph tells me its about halfway between Goex and Swiss (weighed charges!) - I am very happy with it - the clean burn is worth a lot!

[Fly]

My suggestion to people as you is use cedar. Cedar burns almost as fast & is available almost ever where. You can also buy cedar mulch
at Lowes or home dept cheap.

Fly

[Standing Bear]

What is called cedar in central Texas is actually a type of juniper (mountain?). Would this make good charcoal for BP?

[GRUMPA]

What is called cedar in central Texas is actually a type of juniper (mountain?). Would this make good charcoal for BP?

I've read about other folks using Cedar. From what I gather it's works pretty well, but what I find lacking is any sort of comparison between different (Other) woods. Folks seem to use what's handy and readily available according to there area, which.....is kinda creative with the way I think.

The native tree species here is very hard wood when it's dry, I go through 3 chainsaw blades to cut a cord of firewood and sparks fly off the chainsaw. When it's wet (GREEN) a person can cut it with ease almost with any type of handsaw a person might have laying around. Of course since we use that type of wood for heating during the winter, it smells great when it burns being in the cedar family.

It's the trees in the background there's a lot of around here, those are Utah Juniper.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/albu...chmentid=54142

[Fly]

juniper works very good. We have it here in East Okla & I have used it with very good success . It burns some what dirty
but not to bad. One other is silver maple is very good, Bob here uses Tree of heaven. Please lets do not get on another what
woods work thread. But the ones I brought up do work well, if you do not have black willow.

Fly

[Wolfmanjack]

How much willow do you need? i could cut some and ship it to you if you pay the shipping. It grows here on the banks of any bayou/canal/ditch.

[Boz330]

My first Willow was Sand Bar Willow. Just saw it next to the road, stopped and cut a bunch and used that and it worked fine. As Fly pointed out Tree of Heaven works well and is all I use now. I would use what ever willow is available, I get the stuff about finger diameter, easy to char in an old paint can.
This guy was dropped with the Sandbar Willow and Spectracide stump remover for the KNO2.

Bob

[RU shooter]

Black willow is about as good as it gets for charcoal. A twisted up narly old dark gray looking tree short & stout about 30 ft tall that grows wild alongside cricks and on river banks..

"Cricks" ! LOL I thought that was strictly a pennsyltucky word. I've never once in my life heard a person from my end of the state say creek . But we say yinz instead of y'all or you guys .