:o okay first sorry no pics i don't have a cam. so any way me and my partner tried for the first time to make our on charcoal we got the plans from a website can't think of it right now but any way, we got a 55 gallon drum and piped the larger bong hole back under the the drum with holes drilled in the pipe on the under side of the drum then we loaded the drum with hickory sticks for the local saw mill, and put the lid on the drum and sealed it up tight. and built a large fire around it and enclosed it in concrete blocks about an hour in to it the gases from the wood are starting to come out around the lid it looks like yellow smoke, o yea did i forget to tell yall the guys house that we tried this at has dried leaves about 2 foot deep every where but what is it worst that could happen right, so any way, about an hour and a half now we notice that the hole in the pipe have started to flame from the gases coming out, and there is a slight hissing sound come from around the lid, we start to wonder if this is still a good idea, 5 mins later the hissing sound has turned to a loud roaring sound like we have just cranked up a 747, at this point we are wondering how much pressure is in the drum and what would happen if it ruptures, 5 more mins. the yellow smoke the was coming out around the lid is now on fire and spraying a flame about 2 and a half foot tall. we are really scared at this point and get the water hose out to wet down the leaves, fuge the water hose is frozen up with a little trickle coming out. we wonder if we should call the fire depot. but what the heck are we going to tell them we where doing. okay 5 more mins this thing looks like it is ready for lift off then the small bong hole opposite of the piped one blows out with a fire ball to follow. we are now peeing on the fire as that is all we had. the water hose is getting better but not there yet. and the fire is not slowing down we are contemplating a run for our lives moment, it has been about 10 mins now and the we have not put any wood on this thing in about 30 mins and the fire is still going even stronger, come on water hose hurry up, images of the myth busters epi. where they blow up the house with the hot water heater keeps reappearing in our mind and this darn thing puts that thing to shame. we are now bending and torquing the hose trying to break the ice and the ice lets go yes God has took pity on us. we spray the darn thing like crazy trying not got touch the drum fearing it may crack and let lose one last fire ball , with the fire put out the gases are still poring out of all the holes but we don't care. we breath a sigh. and thank God for letting us live another day, sorry this thread is so long, we fill the pit with about 6 inches of water and call it a day, the only good thing about it we did get a whole drum of charcoal out of the deal
does any one have any suggestions to make this process less life threaten