CHARCOAL (The Making Of “Uling”)

Charcoal ”Uling”

•         Charcoal is a porous, solid product obtained when carbonaceous materials such as cellulose, wood, peat, or bituminous coal are partially burned in the absence of air. Charcoal is the chief fuel used for cooking and is also an effective purifier.

•         Charcoal is widely used in the Philippines, especially here in Southern region. This method involves filling a large pit with wood, igniting it, and covering the pit with soil. Two small pipes are inserted to allow little smoke to escape from the pit.

Two Types In Making Charcoal:

•         Hardwood(Logs)

•         Coconut Shell

•         A great number of people in the remote areas of Bulan,Sorsogon cook over open fires. For many, it’s the only method available to them. Often, even people who have a gas stove inside the house will opt to cook outside. Charcoal is the usual fuel for these cook fires. The charcoal used here is not the powdered and shaped briquettes, but the natural style, sometimes called “lump charcoal” in the English Language.

           During our last visit, we had the opportunity to watch this process up close. We were camped on our property, getting to know the neighbors, and laying out where we wanted our house to be built. Our neighbor to the east has a very nice and well-built structure in a patch of preserved old growth forest. They have used it in the past for family gatherings and such.

( An active charcoal pit)

The Process of "Uling" Making

These are the processes involved in charcoal making:

Step 1:  Coconut shell charcoal is manufactured by constructing dome-shaped mound, or “pit”, at most five meters below the ground surface. To start the process of uling making, construct a large pit on the ground that is far from the community since large amounts of smoke is emitted when the raw materials are burned that could possibly impose risks to the health. At least 5 meters below the ground is highly recommended.

Step 2: Coconut shell are put in the pit. After filling up the pit, lit the coconut shell with fire.

It takes two to three days, or more for all the wood to burn down to charcoal. To prevent the fire from going out, or the wood from burning up, the pit has to be watched constantly. 

Step 3: To control the fire, pour some water if necessary until the desired fire temperature is reached.

Step 4: Immediately cover the pit with flattened metal scraps or flat wood and swathe the pit with soil. Be reminded that there should be little holes for the smoke to come out.

Step 5: After three days, the pit can already be raked out of the hole and the charcoal processed under the earth can be removed. Always be careful when removing the metal scraps and when unearthing the charcoal briquettes from the hole since the temperature within the pit is still hot even after three days of processing the coconut shell before it turns into charcoal.

Step 6: After unearthing the briquettes of charcoal, the pieces of charcoal are then laid on the ground and then sorted according to their sizes. Bigger chunks of charcoal tend to cost more as compared to the ones with smaller sizes. However, customers have different preferences with the sizes of the briquettes, depending mostly on their purpose.

http://www.charcoalburners.co.uk/charcoal.php