Hi all,

I finally got my coal forge set up and have fired it once, now I'm finding that I don't remember how to tell whats coke and whats clinker anymore. Whats a good way of telling the two apart? FYI I am using coal to start with.

Thank You

Clinker is what does not burn in the fire.  Let the fire rest for a short while and clinker will solidify together in a lump that can be picked out of the fire in large pieces, and discarded.

If you have a mix of bituminous coal and clinker, place it in a 5 gallon bucket of water.  The clinker, being heavier, will sink, and the coke and coal will float or rise above the clinker.  Just scoop out the coke and coal and put it to the side to dry so it can be used later.

If you tap coke with your poker it makes a soft sound. If you tap clinker,, well,, it makes a clink sound. Visually coke is grey and porus while clinker is more glass like, shiny and bubbly looking.