In the method, organic, i.e. carbon-containing, material, such as straw, wood chips, sawdust, or dead bacterial waste from a sewage treatment plant, is heated in a pyrolytic reactor, thereby driving off volatiles from the organic material, including hydrogen and carbon monoxide gases, water vapor, and tars, while leaving charcoal (char) behind. The volatiles are then passed over a base material, such as hot char, which is at a temperature substantially above the pyrolizing temperature, e.g. 950.degree. C. and above, which causes a chemical reaction of the tars and volatiles, resulting in an output of a gaseous mixture consisting largely of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, characterized by an absence of tars. The apparatus includes a pyrolytic reactor in which an initial charge of charcoal is located. An inlet is provided for introduction of the organic material and an exit is provided for the resulting gases and ash products. The reactor is arranged to permit a continous flow of organic material volatiles, and char through the reactor, resulting in continual replenishment of organic material in the pyrolizing portion of the reactor, and replenishment of the charcoal bed portion by the char produced from the parolysis reaction. The reactor vessel is heated to the correct temperatures by means such as electric heating coils or hot air/flame jackets.