Author Topic: Starting a Smoker (Read 6763 times)

WantToBeeLady · « **on:** June 16, 2016, 10:58:08 pm »

I have a stupid question about smokers. What material are you burning?? I can't keep the thing lit. I'm using the pellet sticks and cotton or leaves.

iddee · « **Reply #1 on:** June 16, 2016, 11:05:11 pm »

Start it, puff it, add.
Pack it, puff it, add.
Pack it, puff it, add. When it is full and well packed, it will stay lit.

Chip Euliss · « **Reply #2 on:** June 16, 2016, 11:33:18 pm »

Because, it's convenient to get, I use cedar chips sold for pet litter boxes. I also cheat and use a self-starting propane torch I bought at Lowes or maybe Home Depot. It's one used to solder copper for water lines, etc. Put a good handful in there and torch it while pumping the bellows--once you get good flames, let it burn a bit with the lid open. When it dies down a little, add another handful and puff till you get good smoke. That would be the first pack Iddee describes. It takes some getting used to but will become second nature in time.

Jen · « **Reply #3 on:** June 17, 2016, 12:46:29 am »

All the smoker tips above. There is a thread on this forum with lots of smoker info on it. But my fav is pine needles, they burn hot and fast and stay lit as long as I reach and puff the smoker about every 10 minutes.

riverbee · « **Reply #4 on:** June 17, 2016, 01:33:40 am »

like chip, i use cedar chips and like chip i cheat and use a flame thrower........

(small butane torch).

i use a larger smoker, but what i do is add paper in first, like 3 sheets, from my insurance company booklet..........

(better than newspaper). crumble loosely, shove in/compact a little with hive tool.

anyways i put that in, fire the butane torch on the paper, then add chips, like iddee said puff it and add. i puff it until the flame comes up through the chips add more chips, puff again, until the flame comes up through the chips again, add more chips ( a little at a time) and then pack more in........puff until you get the cool smoke coming out.......good to go, never goes out on me. like iddee said, stays lit.

neillsayers · « **Reply #5 on:** June 17, 2016, 01:48:55 am »

What they said

G3farms · « **Reply #6 on:** June 17, 2016, 06:53:09 am »

the biggest thing I see beginners doing wrong no matter what they are burning is they do not want to PACK the smoker full and tight. If left loose the tender will open up as it burns and you will b shooting flames out of the smoker plus the smoker itself will get extremely hot.

With that said I use pine needles with good luck and as above pack and puff.
A propane torch is very handy for getting it all going, this way you can put the fire where it is needed....on the bottom.

Perry · « **Reply #7 on:** June 17, 2016, 07:17:56 am »

Pine needles!

Wandering Man · « **Reply #8 on:** June 17, 2016, 08:37:44 am »

I start the flame with paper from my shredder. I have chipped and shredded branches from trees and bushes around the house and keep as mulch. I pack this on top of the burning paper.

WantToBeeLady · « **Reply #9 on:** June 17, 2016, 01:54:43 pm »

Lots of really good ideas here. Thanks. My mistake has been not packing it full and tightly. That's why I couldn't keep it lit. Now maybe I can keep the girls a little more calm.

Bakersdozen · « **Reply #10 on:** June 17, 2016, 04:42:57 pm »

Not an expert here, but I like to burn old cotton fabric from clothes that are totally worn out. Unlike others, I have a tendency to pack the smoker too tight. I like to also burn sumac seed heads. They make a wonderful scent.
If you still have trouble, You Tube has some videos on lighting your smoker.

Chip Euliss · « **Reply #11 on:** June 17, 2016, 08:12:39 pm »

A lot of commercial beekeepers use burlap.

Papakeith · « **Reply #12 on:** June 17, 2016, 11:32:27 pm »

i'm in the burlap camp. I roll it up and light it with a gas torch. Stuff it in there and give it a few puffs.

Lburou · « **Reply #13 on:** June 18, 2016, 08:51:13 am »

I like the torch method too. But, not all torches are equal when it comes to lighting a smoker. I like the torch that starts and stops with the press and release of the button. That design lets you concentrate on lighting the smoker rather than managing the torch. I burned a hole in my veil while fumbling with the knob on my old torch.

Try a torch like this.

P.S. The secret is having a smoldering fire in the Bottom of the smoker...

40 Acre Bees · « **Reply #14 on:** June 26, 2016, 05:31:12 pm »

I'm with Perry, usually just grab a few handfuls of pine needles from under the pine trees while I'm walking up to the bee yard..... they work perfect

Barry n Abbie · « **Reply #15 on:** June 26, 2016, 08:39:40 pm »

Pine nedles and pack tight

tbonekel · « **Reply #16 on:** July 04, 2016, 12:39:42 am »

If you use the pet bedding, make sure you don't use the pine shavings. I did that for a while and the smoker got caked with creosote and be difficult to close and open. It will burn off, but it's not that easy if you don't have a torch. Pine needles for me now.

brooksbeefarm · « **Reply #17 on:** July 04, 2016, 12:04:52 pm »

Like B12 i burn anything that will burn that doesn't have toxic chemicals in it, wood chips, leaves, dead grass,sumac seed heads,and i find old wore out blue genes cut in pieces works good also. Jack
PS. an old mentor of mine use to start his smoker with charcoal liter fluid?

Bakersdozen · « **Reply #18 on:** July 04, 2016, 12:35:00 pm »

I noticed a lot of members use pine needles for smoker fuel. Here in Kansas, and maybe in Ohio where WantToBeeLady is from, we don't have many pines. Junipers are more suited to our climate. I often get the smoker going with old cotton rags and if dry enough, toss in brown leaves or grasses. I seem to have plenty of scraps of cotton clothing that isn't suited for much else. Burlap is good if it doesn't have chemicals on them. Coffee shops will give away burlap bags sometimes.
I think we all would agree: Use what you have! as long as it's chemical free.

WantToBeeLady · « **Reply #19 on:** July 04, 2016, 01:59:22 pm »

There are some really great ideas here. I look on YouTube for everything else, but did not think of it for this subject. There are tons of videos out there regarding bee behavior which I use for "homework". Then there's those crazy guys who do swarm removal, (on YouTube) they are just too funny.

I started using output from my paper shredder. But I like the burlap and old fabric idea too. Bakerdozen is right about the pine needle availability. I have mostly maple, lots of oak and elm trees. My sister has acres of pine trees, next time I see her I collect some.

Thank you everyone...I love your suggestions.