How To Make Lump Charcoal At Home (Direct & Indirect Methods)

Do you know that lump charcoal is the purest form of charcoal that comes with so many advantages with the addition of enhanced food taste?

Even if you don’t know, then there’s nothing to worry about. Because today I’m not only going to enlighten you with the introduction of lump charcoal, but I’m also going to tell you how to make lump charcoal on your own! 

This natural charcoal is so easy to prepare and also offers the flexibility to choose from two methods of making them, direct and indirect. 

So, let’s not get lost in small talks anymore and jump to the main section!

What Materials You Need To Make Lump Charcoal

Before jumping to the main section, first, you need to know the tools and materials for completing the process. Nothing very fancy, but just a few handy tools are all you need.

Metal Drum

Here it would be best if you use a 55-gallon metal drum, which will work as the oven for the charcoal creation process. However, make sure the drum doesn’t have any toxic elements on it or never have been used for something like that, not even oil! 

Also, it’s better if the drum is unpainted as well. All these precautions because the main characteristic of lump charcoal is that it has to be natural and pure, and if there’s any type of additives present, then it won’t be possible to maintain the purity.

However, there is no need to buy a new one. You can just recycle any one of them from your old stock. 

Steel Paint Bucket

Gather a 5-gallon steel paint bucket. It has to be new with lids that have metal clench tabs on it. It should be unpainted as well. 

Dry Firewood

The wood from which you’re going to prepare lump charcoal is entirely your choice. While cutting the wood, remove the bark and maintain the size diameter of 2-4 inches. 

Also, ensure the uniform length. Keep cutting the woods until you have filled out the whole 55-gallon drum. Also, you need at least 35 or more regular dry wood pieces, which will keep the oven keep going. 

Welding Gloves 

It’s for your safety issue. Just because lump charcoal can be made in your home, but that doesn’t mean it’s not risky. Being safe is never a waste of time, so use welding gloves or long leatherwood stoves.

How To Make Lump Charcoal At Home 

For your convenience, I’m going to share two types of methods of making lump charcoal so that you can do your experiment and choose the one that suits you! 

But first, let’s know the common steps for doing it. 

Step-1: Create a hole in your backyard by keeping the metal drum’s size in mind.

Step-2: Create several holes in the bottom of the metal drum and put it on the backyard hole.

Step-3: Fill the drum with the woods. 

Step-4: Carefully lit the container filled with woods. 

Step-5: Place a few regular split planks of wood on the top of the fire to keep it alive.

Step-6: Put a metal lid on top of the drum.

Step-7: Put a skinny branch on the bottom of the drum to let it breathe a little. 

Step-8: Monitor the smoke to become blue from white which might take 2-3 hours.

Step-9: Shake the barrel a bit and seal the lead.

Step-10: Leave it for 1-2 days. 

Your natural homemade lump charcoal is ready now!

Also Read: Cowboy Lump Charcoal Review

Make Lump Charcoal Using Direct Method

In the direct method, first, you have to start creating a small fire in the container. Never become too excited and jump for a massive fireball. After you’ve made the modest fire, add the woods into the container. 

Remember that once the fire is started to get going, you have to restrict the airflow. It is the time when you have to let the wood dry out. And after it happens, cut off the airflow altogether. 

Leave them for a day so that the impurities get entirely vanished, and you’re all done!

Also Read: 5 Best Charcoal Storage Containers For You

Make Lump Charcoal Using Indirect Method

In the indirect methods, you won’t burn the wood. Instead, you cook it! Yes, because here you put the wood on a drum and then use fuel or similar things like this and light the fire on the outside. 

Indirect methods require a huge bonfire, and which is risky and pollutive as well. It also makes no sense because you need to burn kerosene or propane twice as much as the charcoal you’re going to prepare. 

Also Read: How To Make Charcoal Chimney At Home (5 Easy Methods)

Hardwood Vs Softwood Which Is Best For Making Lump Charcoal

Usually, the most common and used type of wood for making lump charcoal is Hardwood. However, many people sometimes wonder what will happen if they use Softwood instead of the regular one? Will it make a difference?

Well, certainly, it will. Because Softwood is lighter than Hardwood, it means it is not as dense as you’d like to have for making charcoal.

As a result, lump charcoal made with Softwood is more prone to burn faster. They also produce an excess amount of smoke and ash. Overall, a complete disaster! 

However, that isn’t the case with Hardwoods. That is why it is the only type of wood that is preferable for preparing an ideal quality of lump charcoal. 

Also Read: Big Green Egg Charcoal Storage 101 You Must Know

Types Of Hardwood For Making Lump Charcoal

Here’s the list of woods that you may consider for making your own lump charcoal. 

Apple

This fruitwood is always available and very popular for lump charcoal. Lump charcoal made of apple woods provides a delicate yet smoky flavor when you cook fish or meat. 

Alder 

This wood is very popular all over the US. It has a sugary effect on the food and is best for beef, chicken and pork. However, you can also do a little experiment with seafood and veggies as well, and there’s no chance you would get disappointed. 

Beech

If you want to have a nutty effect with a musky scent over your grilled beef, cheese or pork, then lump charcoal made from beech will be perfect for you. 

Birch

This wood is rarely used for making charcoal, but when you do it, the quality is something you won’t be able to resist yourself from praising. 

It provides the perfect light smoky flavor over the grilled food. Cooking smoked fish with lump charcoal made of birch couldn’t be more perfect. 

Cherry 

Amongst all the fruitwoods, cherry has the sweetest profile. As a result, it has the capability to make beef, lamb, chicken, pork and salmon as perfectly cooked as possible with a delicious smoky feeling. 

Oak

Oak offers a very strong flavor over the dishes you will cook. That is why it is less used for making lump charcoal. 

However, if you’d ever like to have a change and want to give your beef or fish a different flavor, this wood is something you’d like to have. 

Conclusion

If you want to be a professional and achieve perfection in grilling and barbeque, you should never settle for something less. 

And going for briquettes will never lead that way. Because here’s a fact. A true Pitmaster always prefers lump charcoal because it offers purity.

Even though you can easily find the lump charcoal in the stores from where you’ve been buying briquettes. Still, we would suggest you make your own. 

Because the main point is to ensure purity which will be hard to find in ready-made charcoal from outside.

Moreover, the process of how to make lump charcoal isn’t complicated at all. You can even recycle some of your old woods and branches. 

You can also use different woods to bring new flavors to your food for each new batch of lump charcoal. 

All these benefits are really hard to resist, aren’t they? So, what are you waiting for?