Bamboo charcoal, you’ve heard of it, you’ve heard of the great things it can do. But really, does it work? I think so. I’m not 100% sure, but I allowed several people to try my “bamboo water” and tea brewed with it alongside normal Chicago tap water and the results were positive. I have no scientific evidence, and I don’t need any – I like it, it tastes good, and I’m going to use it — and that’s enough for me (want technical? read this).

If you are interested in making bamboo charcoal, Pyro Energen has put together this pretty neat guide to making your own at home, with bamboo chopsticks at that!: http://www.pyroenergen.com/articles/how-to-make-bamboo-charcoal.htm

The idea behind bamboo charcoal, and any charcoal for that matter is the fact that it is extremely porous and will absorb impurities in water. It really isn’t “filtering” water if you set a stick in the water, in order to filter the water, the water must pass through granulated charcoal or some other medium (this is how Brita filters work).

Once you have obtained bamboo charcoal, follow these steps:

  1. Sterilize the bamboo charcoal by boiling it for 10 minutes in water.
  2. Allow the charcoal to dry for 24 hours.
  3. Soak it in your tea water for 24 hours, then use the water to brew tea.
  4. After about a month or so, reboil the charcoal, dry it, then use it again.