CHARCOAL IN THE KILN

The whole process of charcoal making has an exciting, primordial feeling to it.

The massive smoke cloud at the ignition,
the initial surge of heat,
the steady stream of smoke from the flues for almost a whole day,
the shift in smoke colour from muddy, to white, to steely blue, to clear,
the brutal smothering of the fire at the critical point,
and finally the revelation of the finished product when you open the kiln.

That's where the romance ends - bagging charcoal is tough and dirty - but you gotta do it .