Can anyone tell me why my smoker always goes out!

[David the Gardener]

Light your smoker with torn up newspaper, then dont over pack it get it going well so it smokes like a train then pack more fuel in should be ok

 

[Into the lions den]

there is no smoke without fire

Yes there is, at least if you mean flames rather than glowing hot, and trust me, in the season we light 11 of the things every morning, and anyone with flames coming out the top is in trouble, as it is way too heavily burning and usually with inadequate fuel inside.

We just light the remains of the fuel from the day before. The blackened stuff takes really easily, and get it smouldering and glowing. Then add it to a lot of new fuel for the day (like I said we use jute) and stuff the lot, smouldering side down, into the smoker barrel, and close the lid. No flames at the top. Puff away till it catches properly, which is the time the corect density of smoke is coming out the spout. Flames from the spout is a complete no no. Annoys the bees and can take the wings off or damage them so easily. Also wrecks the smoker prematurely.

 

[davemacdon]

I would class myself as something of an expert on fires (putting them out for a living!), so the main thing to realise is that there is a triangle of fire - heat, fuel and oxygen. Ensure all are there to prevent the burning from stopping. In our case (bee keeping) we only want it to be smouldering, not flaming when in use. The bellow air entry hole at the bottom of the smoker needs to be clear to allow air to enter when not being forced through by the bellows. Air will always enter here as the smoke from the burning fuel rises and draws the air in from the bottom through natural convection. It is smaller than the top hole, and set at the right diameter for the size of smoker. The amount of air needed will depend on the fuel being used. You can only experiment with the fuel, as you will have difficulty changing the air hole size. The books all say that cold smoke is best, so any flaming out the top when closing the top lid is probably a good indication that hot embers could fly out when pumping the bellows.
Advice - clean thoroughly, un-restrict holes and grills, choose fuel, decide on how much smoke = working before setting down, know when to add more fuel before it goes out, use bellows even when not in use to ensure it keeps going.
I agree that sufficient smoke should be coming through the fuel before closing the lid. Practice makes better, not perfect.

Just my take on smoker use.

Dave.

 

[Liam C Ryan]

I have got plenty of the willow catkins in my garden , must try them out this year

 

[Liam C Ryan]

I had problems with my smoker , I got rid the cylinder insert , made a false floor with the mesh I use for making the varroa floors, inserted it into the smoker 1 inch of the bottom using small nuts and bolts and never had a problem since.

 

[beestie]

We're beginning to sound like pyromaniacs! I know I get great satisfaction from a well lit smoker, the shed is usually thick with smoke before I get anywhere near a hive. Then I sprinkle baby powder on my gloves and arms before emerging - if anyone saw this ritual, I dread to think...
One bit of advice: don't light or examine the smoker with a veil on...

 

[itma]

... Flames from the spout is a complete no no. Annoys the bees and can take the wings off or damage them so easily. Also wrecks the smoker prematurely.

Absolutely.

But I think there's a misunderstanding here, on one side or the other.

Some folk, like it seems ITLD, light a biggish handful of tinder, get it burning and then stuff it into the smoker, thereby reducing it to a smoulder, which is more generally established by puffing. This is fine with jute or hessian, or even a roll of corrugated cardboard. Not so good with loose dry bay leaves!

Others, like I think Redwood, build a little (open) fire in the smoker, and thereby establish a bed of hot ashes at the bottom. Flames may well be seen at the top of the smoker - but not out at the spout because the lid would be open. Only once a fire has been established and allowed to die back would the now-hot smoker (promoting convection airflow) be stuffed with the smoke-stuff and puffed to ensure the smoke-stuff (rather than merely the tinder) has caught, before finally closing the lid.
This method is easier on the fingers if your smoke-stuff is loose, rather than in a robust bundle. But I do agree that using smoke-stuff that will form a bundle does make the whole process easier - if that fuel is easily available to you.

But a smoker is not a blow-lamp, and I don't think anyone has advocated "flames coming out at the spout".

 

[victor meldrew]

I have both a smoker and a garden spray !
I use almost anything flammable , trick is to keep contents of smoker tight enough packed to ensure a slow burn but not tight enough to restrict necessary air circulation .
I give a colony a whiff of smoke under the crown board (I no longer smoke the entrance or under the open mesh floor, only drives bees and Queen upwards and just where you don't want them )
After crown board removal ,I find a light misting with the sprayer will keep them interested but not in what I'm doing
VM

 

[madasafish]

I have a smoker with a tin can insert: never emptied from week to week. Blo lamp lights it quickly - no need for paper or matches. Split surplus pallets plus dead tree bark glows for hours.

But like VM above, I find a small sprayer full of water is far better at keeping bees down..

(except today when filling in frame feeder when wind direction was wrong and bees decided to exit onto my (hairy and bear like) arms . No spray would stop them. Two stings on arm amongst the hair later...

 

[drstitson]

perforated tin can smoker inserts are great - take just minutes to make.

 

[Moggs]

SnootyCat - do you light your smoker from the bottom or at the top? Generally better to light the smoker at the base (assuming a 'starter' fuel) and add the main combustible material as the starter gets going. You'll find that the careful addition and tamping down, followed by an encouraging occasional puff of the bellows generates a goodly fug. Your choice of fuel will determine the rate of burn.

 

[madasafish]

SnootyCat - do you light your smoker from the bottom or at the top? Generally better to light the smoker at the base (assuming a 'starter' fuel) and add the main combustible material as the starter gets going. You'll find that the careful addition and tamping down, followed by an encouraging occasional puff of the bellows generates a goodly fug. Your choice of fuel will determine the rate of burn.

If you use a blow lamp to light the smoker, put it on one side and insert blowlamp: lit in 2 minutes especially if dead fuel from last time left at bottom..

Then add fuel..

Matches are for wimps : blowlamps (self igniting of course) are for real pyromaniacs

 

[victor meldrew]

If you use a blow lamp to light the smoker, put it on one side and insert blowlamp: lit in 2 minutes especially if dead fuel from last time left at bottom..

Then add fuel..

Matches are for wimps : blowlamps (self igniting of course) are for real pyromaniacs

I use a turbo lighter (blue twin flame can be difficult to see on a bright day) .
Be careful when using 'dead' fuel. If heavily coated with charcoal it can generate too much heat
VM

 

[Susan1]

This is a great thread, my smoker never stays lit. I am going to give it a good clean tomorrow and practice with lighting it. Luckily my bees are quite docile and I use sugar spray even though I always go through the motions of lighting the smoker. I think its because it makes me feel like a 'real' beekeeper!

 

[keithgrimes]

I always had trouble keeping smoker lit until I bought a bigger model. Now no problem at all. blow torch, hessian starter and very dry dead wood

 

[Joseph]

Matches are for wimps : blowlamps (self igniting of course) are for real pyromaniacs

A powerful self igniting blow-lamp works wonders and is a brilliant time saving investment. I use hay, and dead wood with a couple of pine cones in the mix as fuel.

 

[Ely]

Here's my method, which works well for me...

Tear a long narrow strip of corrugated cardboard, which when rolled up will form a nice tight cylinder inside the smoker but allow you to close the lid. With the cardboard roll out of the smoker, pull a little taper out from the centre and light it, turn the cylinder so the flame is at the bottom and allow it to catch. Once you see smoke coming out of the top, swing your arm up and down / back and forth, to force air though the cylinder - keep going until you see flames shooting out of the top and you get nice roaring sound (a leather glove is useful at this point). Once it's going well, pop it in the smoker, lit side down, top up with dried grass / rotten wood / herbs of the day and close up. The only time I've ever had a smoker go out using this method is if it runs out of fuel.

I did this at my first (and only) visit to my local club apiary last year, after they had faffed about for an age trying to light the smoker with a blow-torch (!) - they were quite impressed (shame I wasn't - not been back since).

Nick

I find egg cartons work well for me. I scrunch up. Light it to see a small flame, push into smoker. Close the lid, this extinguishes the flame and we have plenty of cool smoke

 

[Ely]

Does anyone tried those icing sugar puffers i've seen on the telly?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Does anyone tried those icing sugar puffers i've seen on the telly?

I think the heat from the flames would wreck them

 

[Ely]