Picked up pieces of Charcoal-Burn 2012
Good friends make the day go by sweetly.
It just so happens that on the morning of the 3rd day of charcoal-burn, someone yelled out, “HAY”. Naturally, this led to Michael and Mark simultaneously shouting, “HEY LADIES!” in a long drawn out Long Island twang. The funny thing is, Michael’s hey ladies reference was a nod to the The Beastie Boys, while Mark’s ladies took it a little further back to comedian Jerry Lewis. In the smoky dew of a new day, these are some the little things that make charcoal-burn go. Maybe you had to be there…
Don't forget to breathe...
Who knew that there were so many different kinds of smoke? Sometimes it’s thickly blue, humid and greasy, full of tars and things that provoke a body’s phlegmatic response. Other times smoke from the pit is white, dry and burning. The ability to read different kinds of smoke is another tool in the collier’s kit.
Poking the bear.
After three days, the pit was beginning to coal out on one side but not the other. Mark discouraged further action on the “hot” side of the pile by closing off vents at the bottom and waist, and “jumping” that side of the pit to compress the already-made coal and take away any voids. He encouraged the pit’s sluggish opposite by piercing the black veil with his piked rake, hoping to draw the shy fire over to that side. Making charcoal is a sustained attempt at balance and symmetry.
Marie's photo captures the care and feeding of a controlled burn.
A charcoal pit is like an engine. You’ve got to prime the pump with enough firewood in the stack to bring the pile to an ambient temperature which will keep the pit running on its own. Then, the mix of fuel and air must be just right. Not enough heat and the engine sputters and quits. Too much heat and everything is gone to ashes.
A rich variety of historically-appropriate fare found its way up to the burn…
I WOULD do the dishes, but I am constrained by the narrowness of 17thc. gender roles!
It was prepared, delivered, and “skullery-ed” by supportive interpreters while we went about our business. We don’t say it enough: Thank you, goodwives.
At our museum, sleep can sometimes be a form of interpretation:
It's no small feat to saw while sleeping.
Guests frequently ask us, is he real??
Alexey, Irina, and Mark examine a possible invasive which escaped coaling.
One of the happy things about where we work is the lack of roped-off areas. When you visit us, you can come right over into our rooms, to the edge of our saw-pits, or enter the bower of our screened charcoal pit, to explore and engage in the environment we’ve created. By our estimate, at least a couple thousand guests have carried away the arguably pleasant smell of new-born charcoal with them in their clothes and hair. Be bold when you visit us–come right up and ask us questions. We don’t generally bite, shaggy though our aspects be. Above, friends and botanists Irina Kadis and Alexey Zinovjev, founders of Salicicola, visited the museum for the first time Thursday to see our work. They arrived fresh from The Myles Standish State Forest, where they had been releasing a certain kind of weevil to eat a particular invasive. We share many similar interests with Irina and Alexey and we were thrilled to be able to show them our work. Making charcoal at Plimoth, despite its solitary traditions, is a very social event here.
Michael explaining a collier's artifice.
One dapper gentleman who strode up the hill to see our work told us of the use of charcoal at The Battle of the Bulge and how it was essential for the men to use for cooking and warmth, as it burns without smoke. It’s ok to let people tell their stories, whether or not they are about the 17th-century. In addition to being a pleasant conversation, our smoldering heap led our guest to make an historical connection. We prize those moments.
Many are coaled, few are frozen.
So, 4 days and 3 nights and about a cord and one-half later, our burn is done. The vents are closed and we’ve heaped the black breeze on top of the pit. We hope to have a harvest of charcoal approaching 40 bushels or more. We’ll open the pit in the spring, keeping an eye on it in the interim, in case a recalcitrant coal flares up over the next week or two. Opening a charcoal pit is a little like digging potatoes.
We have it on good authority that the burn’s particular smell reached at least one mile north of where we are, past Jordan Hospital, and maybe as far as Bradford’s Liquors. But its reach has also extended across the pond, where friends have been corresponding in our comment section, their friendships and own charcoal-burning experiences shared and perhaps rekindled by the smoky fires of this burn. A collier’s reach knows no bounds!
from The Charcoal-burner, by A.A. Milne
Tags: blacksmith, charcoal-making, Plimoth Plantation
> Naturally, this led to Michael and Mark simultaneously shouting, “HEY LADIES!” in a long drawn out Long Island twang.
I read this blog for insights into old woodworking techniques and have never literally laughed out loud while reading it.
…until today.
Hah!
Hey! A little heads up on something that might interest all. I’m sure many of you are familiar with Jim Deetz and Henry Glassie who were instrumental in bringing the Plantation into the 17th century. Jim’s Ganddaughter Marilyn was in a terrible car accident in CA and incurred laaarge hospital bills. She’s a stellar young lady with no insurance. She’s Jim’s Daughter Cindy’s kid.In 1997 Jim made up a cookbook for all his friends and colleagues. Henry donated one of His very cool drawings for the cover.Jim’s daughters and another friend have republished that book with the original drawing on the front and a great photo of Jim on the back playing his banjo.They can be purchased for $20.00 online at lulu.com.Look for JIM-BOB’S GORE-MAY COOKBOOK!It’s awesome! Full of Jim’s wit. Thanks…Charlie Cann( Former exhibits curator and also responsible for a little of the Plantation’s character).
Thanks so much for letting us know, Charles. Here’s the direct link to Jim’s cookbook: Jim-Bob’s Gore-May Cookbook
PS: We wouldn’t be here doing what we’re doing without Jim Deetz: Archaeologist, historian, author, visionary. This is a great way to offer direct support for his family, while at the same time reading a great book! Thanks again Charles.
Hullo from Yorkshire, England!
That earth burn looks much more fun than my poultry 50 gal drum burn at Castle Howard this weekend. In the off season, when you’re allowed modern indulgences you might like the closing minutes of this film (or perhaps all of it?)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1646975/ commercial scale Italian earth burn (as we Limmies call charcoal burning the old way).
Best wishes,
Richard, reluctant charcoal burner.
Hi Richard–good to hear from you.
I watched the trailer and that movie is off the intensity scale! Amazing visuals. Thanks for the link. How long does it take to coal out a 50 gallon drum?
Rick
Weell … It is even less controllable than an earth burn. I was using 3 yr old ash logs up to about 3 inch diameter, a bit wet on the outside (it rains in Old England). I let it burn for about 2 hours to 2 and a half on Saturday. Opened on Sunday morning with about 50% brown ends (part-burnt stuff). Re-fired it including the brown ends, the wind was up, looked finished after about an hour! Looked inside and there was more to coal. Knocked it down and let it burn an hour more. That did it. Quite quick really. Only we had to pack up at 5:30 and it hadn’t cooled enough to bag up so I had to destroy it with cold water (glowing charcoal on a trailer at the back of my Land Rover at 50 mph for 2 hours – not much fun (or too much!))
Hpe yours turns out well next Spring!
Richard AKA Flying Shavings
PS That’s 50 of our massive UK gallons, not those tiny ones you have over there
(Although in your/those days ours were the same small size as yours.)
When I go to the grocery store and ask for milk in “massive UK gallons”, I always get a blank stare–
Richard, I think I speak for all of us when I say we’d REALLY like to see glowing charcoal trailed behind your Land Rover at 50mph–take that, tailgaters!
It’s great to hear from you, Richard–thanks for sharing your experience. Check out Richard’s Flying Shavings blog http://www.flyingshavings.co.uk/ (there’s also a link on the blog roll on the right of Riven Word) for wonderful photographs, commentary, and all things green-woodworking.
PS: Is Castle Howard really a castle, or is it the parking lot of a fast food joint? We don’t have too many castles on this side…