A binchotan stick left in a jug of tap water improves the taste and smell of the water and releases a small amount of minerals, mainly potassium. It does not make unsafe water safe to drink. To use one, rinse it, boil it for ten minutes, let it cool, put it in a jug of tap water and wait a few hours. The stick lasts about three months, or up to six if you boil it again halfway through.
What a binchotan water stick is
It is the same white charcoal used for grilling, selected as a clean, whole stick and sold for the water jug instead of the fire. Binchotan is hard and does not crumble or blacken the water the way soft charcoal does, which is why it is the charcoal used for this purpose. More on what binchotan is.
How to use binchotan in water
- Rinse the stick under running water. Do not use soap; charcoal takes up the smell.
- Boil it in a pan of water for 10 minutes, then let it cool and dry.
- Place it in a jug or bottle of tap water. Common practice is one stick per litre, or roughly 20 to 50 grams of charcoal per litre.
- Wait. The difference in taste is noticeable after about an hour. Four to eight hours, or overnight, is usual.
- Keep the jug covered and in the fridge, and refill it with fresh water every day.
What it does
It changes taste and smell
Charcoal has a very large internal surface, and compounds in the water stick to it. This is adsorption, and it is the reason charcoal is used in water filters generally. In a jug, the effect people notice is that the chlorine taste and smell of tap water fade. We have not yet measured chlorine reduction for our own sticks, so we do not quote a percentage.
It releases minerals
This part we have measured. In February 2025 the Sucofindo laboratory in Surabaya analysed purified water before and after our binchotan was soaked in it:
| Parameter | Purified water | After binchotan |
|---|---|---|
| Potassium | < 0.33 mg/L | 42.37 mg/L |
| Magnesium | < 0.071 mg/L | 1.5 mg/L |
| Calcium | 0.44 mg/L | 1.2 mg/L |
| Sodium | < 1.7 mg/L | 2.0 mg/L |
| Iron | < 0.032 mg/L | < 0.032 mg/L |
| pH | 7.34 | 9.89 |
Sucofindo Report of Analysis dated 20 February 2025, Standard Methods (APHA) 24th edition. The report does not record the amount of charcoal per litre or the soaking time, and the results apply to the samples tested.
Potassium is the clear change. The minerals come from the ash of the wood, which stays in the charcoal and dissolves slowly. The same ash is alkaline, which is why the pH went up. Purified water has almost nothing dissolved in it to resist that change, so the pH moves a long way; tap water, which carries its own minerals, generally shifts much less. Boiling the stick before first use, as the instructions say, also washes off loose surface ash.
What it does not do
- It does not make unsafe water drinkable. Use it only with tap water that is already safe to drink.
- It does not kill bacteria or viruses. Charcoal in a jug is not a disinfectant.
- It is not a fluoride filter. Plain charcoal is not an effective way to remove fluoride.
- It is not a certified filter for lead or other heavy metals. If you need to remove a specific contaminant, use a filter tested and certified for that contaminant.
Think of it as a way to make good tap water taste better without a plastic cartridge, not as water treatment.
Who should take care
Because the stick adds potassium, anyone on a potassium-restricted diet should ask their doctor before drinking binchotan water regularly.
How long a stick lasts
- Every three to four weeks: boil it again for 10 minutes and let it dry. This clears the surface.
- After about three months: replace it, or boil it once more and use it for up to another three.
- Afterwards: it still has uses. Put it in the fridge or a shoe cupboard to take up smells, or break it up and mix it into the soil of pot plants.
Binchotan stick or filter jug?
| Binchotan stick | Cartridge filter jug | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is for | Taste and smell | Taste and smell; some models are certified for specific contaminants |
| How it works | Water sits around the charcoal | Water passes through the filter medium |
| Speed | Hours | Minutes |
| Waste | A piece of charcoal, reusable in the house or garden | A plastic cartridge |
| Replacement | Every 3 to 6 months | Usually every month |
Our binchotan water sticks
CV. ABRA produces binchotan sticks for water as well as for grilling. They are 10 cm long and 2.5–3 cm in diameter, made from palawan hardwood from Kalimantan and fired at about 1,200 °C. We have been exporting them to Belgium. For wholesale supply or private-label packing, send us an enquiry.
Looking for a binchotan supplier?
CV. ABRA produces binchotan white charcoal in Indonesia in sizes S, M and L, minimum one 20 ft container FOB Surabaya. See the product range or request a quote.
More articles
- What Is Binchotan? White Charcoal Explained for Chefs and Buyers
- Binchotan vs Ogatan vs Lump Charcoal: Which Should a Grill Kitchen Use?
- How to Read a Charcoal Lab Report: Fixed Carbon, Ash and Volatile Matter
- Buying Binchotan Wholesale from Indonesia: An Importer's Checklist
- How to Light Binchotan Charcoal, With or Without a Chimney
- Binchotan Price per Kg: What It Costs and Why It Is Expensive