HOW TO MAKE CHARCOAL BRIQUETTES USING CHARCOAL POWDER & CASSAVA FLOUR

[Henlus]

Ever wondered how to turn waste charcoal dust into something useful and profitable?
Here’s a simple, low-cost method to make solid charcoal briquettes using cassava flour as a natural binder. 💪🏾
   

This is one of the easiest waste-to-wealth ideas anyone can start from home or a small farm.

🧺 MATERIALS YOU NEED
✅ Charcoal dust/powder – from burnt wood or broken charcoal pieces (get it  cheap from charcoal sellers).
✅ Cassava starch/flour – works as a natural binder.
✅ Water – to mix.
✅ Mixing container – big bowl or basin.
✅ Sieve – optional, to remove stones.
✅ Mold – can be PVC pipe, metal, or wooden mold.
✅ Drying area – under the sun or a simple drying rack.
   

⚙️ STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS
1️⃣ Sieve and Dry the Charcoal Dust
Remove stones and unburnt pieces using a sieve.
Make sure the charcoal dust is dry — spread it under the sun if it’s damp.

2️⃣ Prepare the Cassava Binder
Mix 2 cups (480ml) of cassava flour with 1 liter of clean water.
Stir until smooth, then boil while stirring until it thickens into a sticky paste (like pap).
Allow it to cool slightly.

3️⃣ Mix Charcoal Dust with Binder
Pour the charcoal dust into a basin, then add the cassava paste gradually.  Add small amounts of water as needed until the mixture holds together firmly when pressed in your hand — not too sticky, not too crumbly.

👉 Ideal ratio: 50–60 cups of charcoal dust to 1 cup of cassava flour binder (mixed with water into a smooth paste)
Test the mixture:
Take a handful and squeeze it tightly.
If it holds its shape and doesn’t fall apart, it’s ready.
If it crumbles, add a little more binder or water.
If it sticks to your hand, add a bit more charcoal dust.

4️⃣ Mold the Briquettes
Shape the mixture into balls or blocks by hand or with a mold.
Press tightly so there are no air pockets.
Keep them uniform for even drying and burning.

5️⃣ Dry the Briquettes
Spread under the sun for 2–3 days until completely dry. Wet briquettes smoke and break easily, so dry them well.
You can also use an oven, solar dryer, or charcoal kiln for faster drying.

6️⃣ Use or Package
Once dry, your briquettes are ready!

They burn longer, produce less smoke, and can be used for:
🔥 Cooking
🔥 Barbecue
🔥 Industrial boilers

💡 EXTRA TIPS
💠 Add a bit of sawdust or rice husk for lighter, faster-burning briquettes.
💠 Mix in a little clay for harder briquettes (industrial use).
💠 Always store in a dry place to prevent moisture damage.

💼 TURN IT INTO A BUSINESS!
🌍 Why It’s a Smart Business
✔️ Burns longer and cleaner than regular charcoal.
✔️ Demand is rising for smokeless, eco-friendly fuel.
✔️ Materials are cheap or free.
✔️ You can start from your backyard.

🪵 STEP 1 — Gather Materials
Main: Charcoal dust + cassava flour.
Optional: Sawdust, rice husk, clay.

⚙️ STEP 2 — Set Up Workspace
A small shed or backyard is enough.
You’ll need:
– Mixing basin or drum
– Manual briquette mold
– Drying area (sun or solar)

🧱 STEP 3 — Produce & Store
Mix → Mold → Dry → Pack.
Manual setups can produce 50–100 kg/day.

💰 STEP 4 — Branding & Packaging
Package neatly in 5kg, 10kg, or 25kg nylon or paper bags.

Label example:
EcoBriq – Long-Burning, Smokeless Charcoal Briquettes 🔥
100% Recycled Charcoal Waste. Safe for Home & BBQ.
Add your phone number or logo.
You can print stickers cheaply at a printing press.

🛒 STEP 5 — Where to Sell
🏠 Homes & local markets
🍗 Restaurants & BBQ joints
🛍️ Supermarkets & eco shops
🌐 Online (Facebook, WhatsApp, Jiji.ng)
📚 Schools or NGOs (training projects)
💬 FarmersJoint.com 😉
🔥 Add a simple dryer or mold machine and scale up fast!

🌱 STEP 7 — GROW & DIVERSIFY
💠 Buy small briquette machines (semi-automatic).
💠 Supply NGOs or green-energy programs.
💠 Export smokeless briquettes abroad.
💠 Train others and charge a fee.

🙏 FINAL NOTE
Don’t wait for perfect conditions — start small with what you have.
Even if it’s just 10 kg a day, stay consistent.
Waste-to-wealth is real 💚 — and Africa needs more people turning waste into opportunity!

[Henlus]

One mistake beginners make is adding too much binder. It makes the briquettes sticky and hard to burn properly. Keep it moderate — just enough to hold together.

[Henlus]

More: If you mix small rice husk ash into your briquettes, it gives a smoother burn and reduces smoke even more.

If you want smoother briquettes, sieve the charcoal dust twice. It removes the coarse particles and gives a professional finish.

[FarmKing]

I tried this same method with cassava starch last year and it works perfectly. The key is drying — if your briquettes aren’t dry enough, they’ll crumble or smoke a lot. Sun drying for at least 3 days gave me the best result.

[Manihot]

I like the fact you mentioned adding sawdust. It really helps reduce density, so the briquettes catch fire faster. Without sawdust, they can be too compact.

[CassavaBoss]

Nice! The ratio you mentioned (50–60 cups charcoal to 1 cup binder) really helps. I used to just guess it and ended up wasting a lot of starch.

Those molds made from PVC pipes actually work well. I made mine by cutting old plumbing pipes into 5-inch pieces. Just press the mix in and push it out with a stick.

[YoungAgropreneur]

I once tried adding clay for industrial briquettes — it makes them last very long, but they take more time to ignite. Good for boilers, not home stoves.

[Donk]

Great tutorial. This is the kind of content we need more of here. Turning waste into value — simple, practical, and sustainable. Thanks for sharing! 🙏

[Ekene]

Wow 😳 I’ve never tried this before, but it looks really doable. I always see charcoal dust lying around after cooking — didn’t know it could actually be turned into money.

[Kiwi]

This is new to me. I thought briquettes required expensive machines. The cassava binder idea is genius! I’ll definitely give it a try once I get some charcoal dust.

[Sendrix]

Very interesting. I’m a total beginner, but this seems like something I can do in my backyard. Thanks for sharing.

[John@]

I’ve been hearing about charcoal briquettes for months but didn’t understand the process until now. Thanks for breaking it down clearly. I’m saving this post for weekend trials.

[Kryon]

This looks simple enough. Can I use garri water instead of cassava starch? I have lots of garri waste from a processing site.

[Henlus]

@Kryon
Garri water alone won’t work well as a binder because it has very little starch to hold charcoal dust together. But you can turn it into a good cassava starch binder.

Just collect the starchy water from garri processing and let it settle. Pour off the clear top water, then scoop the thick starch at the bottom. Cook it with a little clean water until it becomes a thick paste. That sticky paste is your binder.

Avoid using sour garri water (the water that comes out after a day or more) — it can weaken the charcoal and cause cracks when drying.

[CtrlAltDel]

Reading this made me realize how much waste we ignore daily. I might start collecting charcoal dust from sellers in my area to try it out.

[Suarus]

Never made briquettes before but this is exciting!

[Kryon]

Thanks Henlus