I am in the process of ramping up a DIY black powder hobby. This is a long term project. I just got some black willow cuttings rooted. One of these days, I'll have an endless supply of that stuff. My problem is the interim. Right now, and for at least a few years to come, my main source of charcoal is going to be Ailanthus (AKA Tree of Heaven). It's funny, up until this year, I've been cutting and poisoning this stuff and nearly got it irradicated from the property. Then I found out it produces a superior charcoal. Now I'm praying over a few sprigs that showed up last month.
I'm interested in hearing from the guys who have experience with TOH. Is it better or worse than black willow? Any special hints on processing it?
Let me give you my intended means of processing and see if you have suggestions:
I'll harvest before July 1 from stalks that are 1-2 inches in diameter.
I'll strip bark-- here's where I don't know timing, etc.
I'll let dry until Labor Day and then cut sections to fit the retort, splitting everything so that I have a max thickness of about 1/2 inch.
I'll probably start off with a 1 gal paint can retort and process no more than 16 oz of finished charcoal.
What doesn't get used immediately for BP will be sealed up and stored for rainy days.
My end goal is to create simple riced BP that will feed my smokepoles indefinitely.