What's wood vinegar?

wood vinegar,, also called Pyroligneous acid is a dark liquid produced by the destructive distillation of wood. Its principal components are acetic acid and methanol. It was once used as a commercial source for acetic acid.

Recently, it has been promoted as a natural aid for various uses including detoxification, mild pain relief, and to sterilize and promote healing of minor wounds. These claims may be of questionable value.

During the United States Civil War, cooks in the Confederate States of America tried to make up for an increasing deficiency in salt by preserving meat and fish in pyroligneous acid, which was not very effective (Kurlansky 2002, p. 267-68).

Wood vinegar is one of 8 powerful ingredients of the Takara Body Detoxification Foot Patches

Wood vinegar, or pyroligneous acid, is the fluid or sap derived from tree cells, which exhibits exceptional permeability and sterilizing properties. During experiments, it was confirmed that the great absorbing power of wood vinegar makes it fit to be used in physiotherapy, for minor pain relief and to decrease swelling in the body. Wood vinegar or pyroligneous acid has also traditionally been used as an insect repellant, deodorizer, antibacterial agent, sterilizer, alkaline bath and wash, and food additive.

Pyroligneous acid is obtained by the dry distillation of wood. This is a development of the traditional process of charcoal burning or the burning of wood in an airless condition reducing it to a charcoal rather than a carbon dioxide, water vapor and ash. In the process of wood distillation, a chamber of firebricks is substituted for the mound of earth, and a device is added to collect and cool the vapors released to condense them. The condensate consists of pyroligneous acid and a tarry residue, which will separate and settle upon cooling.

Wood vinegar is a byproduct from charcoal production. It is a liquid generated from the gas and combustion of fresh wood burning in airless condition. When the gas is cooled, it condenses into liquid. Raw wood vinegar has more than 200 chemicals, such as acetic acid, formaldehyde, ethyl-valerate, methanol, tar, etc. Wood vinegar improves soil quality, eliminates pests and controls plant growth, but is slightly toxic to fish and very toxic to plants if too much is applied. It accelerates the growth of roots, stems, tubers, leaves, flowers, and fruit. In certain cases, it may hold back plant growth if the wood vinegar is applied at different volumes. A study shows that after applying wood vinegar in an orchard, fruit trees produce increased amounts of fruit. Wood vinegar is safe to living matters in the food chain, especially, insects that help pollinate plants.

Wood vinegar is made from burning fresh wood in a charcoal kiln, made from a 200-liter oil drum and 120-cm-tall concrete chimney with a 4-inch diameter. The kiln contains 63-83 kg of fresh wood. Wood good for vinegar must have a heartwood.

Process

• 1. Cure wood that has heartwood and bark for 5-15 days.
• 2. Pile wood in the kiln (Fig. 1). Close the kiln and cover every hole with clay. Burn it at 120-430oC.
• 3. After 1 hour, put a tile at the top of the chimney (Fig. 2). If brown or dark brown drops appear on the tile, allow smoke to flow through a bamboo pipe so that the hot steam may be condensed into liquid.
• 4. Place a vessel to collect the vinegar drops from the bamboo pipe.
• 5. If wood is burned for 12-15 hours in a 200-liter oil drum kiln, it should produce 2-7 liters of wood vinegar. At this stage, it is called raw wood vinegar.
• 6. Leave the raw wood vinegar for 3 months to become silted. The vinegar will turn yellow like vegetable oil. After which, it will turn light brown and the tar will become silted. The top content will be a light, clear oil. Remove the tar and light oil, as well as the dark brown translucent oil and the remainder will be sour vinegar (Fig. 3).

Application

Blend with water in a ratio of 1:50 (1 liter wood vinegar and 50 liters water), or up to a ratio of 1:800 (1 liter wood vinegar and 800 liters water). Spray it over plant shoots. Wood vinegar, like hormones, will be absorbed into twigs, trunks, or leaves. Plants will be stronger, and leaves will be greener and resistant to pests and diseases.

Benefits

• 1. Farmers can produce wood vinegar from branches trimmed from trees.
• 2. Wood vinegar is safe to human beings, animals, plants, and environment.
• 3. Wood vinegar helps plants to grow better and stronger, and be resistant to pests and diseases.
• 4. Crop produce is high quality and safe.
• 5. Low cost of production attributed to savings from cost of chemicals.

Index of Images

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  Figure 1 Pile Wood in the Kiln.

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  Figure 2 (a) Put Tile at the Top of the Chimney. (B) the Steam Is Condensed into Liquid. (C) Collect the Vinegar Drops from the Bamboo or Plastic Pipe.

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  Figure 3 The Wood Vinegar.