- 1). Stack about a pound of half-dollar-sized hardwood pieces in a clean fire pit, placing them in a pyramid formation. The pit must be cleaned of detritus from previous fires before making activated charcoal.
- 2). Light the four corners of the wooden pyramid, allowing all of the pieces to catch. Wait until the pieces begin to smolder like glowing embers.
- 3). Cover the pyramid with a steel grill lid. Open the smoke valve to allow gases to escape and increase the heat around the wood. As it becomes charcoal, it will suck in any remaining oxygen very forcefully, creating the necessary fusion for activated charcoal.
- 4). Allow the wood to smolder for about 10 minutes. Lift the lid just enough so you can see underneath. If the coals have begun turning white on the outside, the charcoal is done. If not, replace the lid. Repeat every 10 minutes -- this also infuses the flames with oxygen.
- 5). Remove the lid entirely and spread the coals out with a shovel. Replace the lid for about 30 minutes, closing the smoke valve. This smothers the coals and puts them out without water.
- 6). Scoop the coals, a handful at a time, into a food processor. Process the coals on high until they're pulverized into a fine powder.
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