I have been perfecting my whisky recipes lately. One of the components I use is oak charcoal. I make it myself. It is easy to do. The big can is the furnace. I put charcoal in that and light it. Next I use the small can for the charcoal. I put in oak chips and seal the top with aluminum foil and punch a hole in it. Then you put the small can in the furnace and chemistry happens. What happens is the volatile materials are driven from the wood by the heat and come out the hole in the foil. Because air can't get into the can, the mixture doesn't burn. When the smoke stops (about an hour or so) you cool off the can and look inside. VOILA, charcoal chips. I didn't get a good picture of the smoke. See April 3 for a good one.