How to Make Charcoal Blocks for Incense
Charcoal blocks are used when burning incense. The charcoal is used as a base to hold the incense. Charcoal blocks can be pricey, so it can come in handy to know how to make one at home.
Things You'll Need
- Several oak tree branches
- Mortar and pestle
- Wooden or glass bowl
- 1 tablespoon gum arabic
- 1 cup water
- Plastic bowl with lid
- Saltpeter
- Wax paper
- Shot glass
Instructions
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1
Choose a place where it is safe to burn wood, like a fireplace or an open space outdoors.
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2
Burn several oak branches in a fire until the branches are completely burned down to ash. Let the ash cool.
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3
Take out the chunks that have been left behind by the fire.
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4
Grind the chunks down to a fine powder by using your mortar and pestle. Continue this until you have three ounces of charcoal powder.
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5
Measure out three ounces of charcoal powder and put them in a wooden or glass bowl.
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6
Mix one tablespoon gum arabic and one cup water in a saucepan.
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7
Boil the mixture for five minutes.
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8
Place the mixture in a plastic bowl with a lid on top.
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9
Place the plastic bowl in the refrigerator.
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10
Add 10 percent saltpeter to your bowl of charcoal powder.
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11
Take the plastic bowl out of the refrigerator and mix the solution with the saltpeter and powder mixture. Mix it all together thoroughly until it has the consistency of a dough.
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12
Place the dough on a sheet of wax paper.
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13
Use a shot glass as a cookie cutter to cut out small circles in the dough.
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14
Make a shallow impression in the center of each dough circle. This will be where you place your incense.
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15
Place the dough circles out in a sunny area and let them dry for three to seven days.
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