Charcoal briquettes can be expensive to purchase but are needed if you burn loose incense or resins . Now you can make your own!

Make sure burning wood is allowed where you do this.

Burn several branches or logs of ash, oak or other hard wood. After the wood to burns completely and cools down. Remove the chunks and grind them with a mortar and pestle until the charcoal becomes a fine powder. Measure out the 3 oz and put it in a wooden or glass bowl.

Mix 1 Tbsp Gum Arabic (check the local herb store or art supply store) and mix it with 1 cup of water. Boil in a saucepan for 5 minutes. Put it in a airtight jar or plastic bowl. Keep refrigerated, it can be stored this way for later use.

Add 10% Saltpeter BY WEIGHT (potassium nitrate, available in most drug stores if u don't see it ask at the pharmacy) to your 3 oz of powdered charcoal and mix thoroughly. Add 1 tsp of the Gum Arabic mixture to the charcoal/saltpeter and mix thoroughly. The mixture should the consistency of bread dough.

When it reaches the right consistency, shape the charcoal dough into balls and set on wax paper. Flatten out your balls and using a small round cookie cutter or shot glass, cut into round blocks. Make a small indention in the center of the block to hold the incense.

Allow to dry and cure, approximately 3-7 days. Go outside to test just to be on the safe side.

NEVER add more than 10% saltpeter to your mixture, i.e. 3 oz = 3/10 oz of saltpeter. Too much salt peter and it will burn too quickly. Not enough saltpeter, and it won't burn at all. If on your test the block does not burn , try adding another small pinch to a new mixture in addition to your 10% or adding less than 10% if it burns too quick. If you increase the recipe increase all ingredients proportionally