Smoker

[Jaymac]

Hi all,

I burn wood shavings in my smoker but it stops burning and I have to relight also the lid jams very difficult to open to relight. Anyone with the same problem and how did you resolve it.

cheers

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Hi all,

I burn wood shavings in my smoker but it stops burning and I have to relight also the lid jams very difficult to open to relight. Anyone with the same problem and how did you resolve it.

cheers

softwood shavings always leaves a heavt tar deposit - that's why your lid sticks, best way to clean it is with a good blast of a proper blowlamp

 

[Jaymac]

softwood shavings always leaves a heavt tar deposit - that's why your lid sticks, best way to clean it is with a good blast of a proper blowlamp

What’s best to put in my smoker

 

[pargyle]

What’s best to put in my smoker

Oh my ... you will get a zillion answers to that one ...

I use hardwood shavings from my woodturning - I add dried lavender sometimes and dried orange peel which give the smoke a nice flavour but it's as much for my benefit as the bee's as I don't use the smoker on my bees very much at all. Perhaps a whiff to get them down into the hive at the end of an inspection. What sort of smoker have you got ? I've got a few (I know - it's sad isn't it !) but the one that seems to stay alight almost indefinitely is a Dadant look-alike I got in the sales a couple of years ago.

Probably the same as this one:

https://www.oldcastlefarmhives.com/product/large-size-dadant-smoker/
I have one like this as well which also stays alight:

https://beekeeping.co.uk/collections/smokers-fuel/products/etna-large-stainless-steel-smoker-7-x-4

 

[Curly green finger's]

What’s best to put in my smoker

Lavender and orange peel, the orange peel keeps it going and both together give me a sence of well being which In turn aids my inspections... Or something like that.
I prefer to not use anything or a water bottle first of all the smoker is for clearing bees from the edges of boxes, more of an encouraging tool than anything else and makes the apiary and my suite smell lovely.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Dry rotten oak is my favourite but I also add the lavender clippings. Not sure if the bees enjoy the lavender but it calms me.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Dry rotten oak is my favourite but I also add the lavender clippings. Not sure if the bees enjoy the lavender but it calms me.

Ditto bunch of hippy beeks.. Where's the mandoline.

 

[Apiarisnt]

Hi all,

I burn wood shavings in my smoker but it stops burning and I have to relight also the lid jams very difficult to open to relight. Anyone with the same problem and how did you resolve it.

cheers

Woodshavings, yes, but don't pack them down. Let the air flow through. Lumps of dry, very rotten, crumbly wood keep going well. I tend to use a combination of the two. Can't faff with lavender and such like. You will get wide disagreement as to what is best to burn in the smoker, but little disagreement with the recommendation of getting a Dadant smoker.

 

[Finman]

Hi all,

I burn wood shavings in my smoker but it stops burning and I have to relight also the lid jams very difficult to open to relight. Anyone with the same problem and how did you resolve it.

cheers

I use rotten birch. It does not form tar and it continues burning

Smoke is gasified tar. The more smoke, the more gluing tar.

Hen egg packages are too good material with rotten birch.

 

[Finman]

but little disagreement with the recommendation of getting a Dadant smoker.

You are right. There is no difference what the smoker is. All depends on burning material

It is really important that you get the smoker open...

 

[madasafish]

I Copperease the edge and mating top of the smoker - after cleaning with a blowlamp and then a wire brush (when cool). Makes opening/closing a joy.

I then burn anything for about 10 sessions before it tars up so much I have to repeat.
I don't burn anything associated with pine as far too tarry. Eggboxes or card made of the same material is great for short bursts. Rotten birch/oak/beech lasts for hours.

Various trunks situated in our garden form a haven for wildlife and a source of rotten wood.. and also trees in the adjacent field. About to try rotten hawthorn - half a tree down. Woodpeckers are slowly demolishing a dead birch tree.

 

[jeff33]

As Pargyle, I use a dadant style, actually the same one he has put in his 1st link. I use whatever I can get my hands on, wood, cardboard. I only smoke b4 opening the hive and when putting it back together. The rest of the inspection is done with spray water with a dash of lavender oil which the better half seem to have misplaced

 

[ericbeaumont]

wood shavings in my smoker but it stops burning

Finman has the best combination: eggbox as a starter and dry rotten birch to burn with least tar.

I use ordinary wood chippings and have tried shavings, and pack it in tight.

Jaymac: what do you use to start? Important to get real, roaring flame going before adding the main fuel, and eggbox (reject the part with label & glue) is best for that.

 

[Bumble Bee Slim]

Ditto bunch of hippy beeks.. Where's the mandoline.

Mandolins a good idea but I think a banjo would burn better......

 

[Bumble Bee Slim]

Mandolins a good ideabut I think that a banjo would burn better.......

 

[Curly green finger's]

Mandolins a good ideabut I think that a banjo would burn better.......

 

[pargyle]

As Pargyle, I use a dadant style, actually the same one he has put in his 1st link. I use whatever I can get my hands on, wood, cardboard. I only smoke b4 opening the hive and when putting it back together. The rest of the inspection is done with spray water with a dash of lavender oil which the better half seem to have misplaced

Very careless of her to lose the lavender oil - you are doing her a service by looking after it ...!

 

[hemo]

Loose outer bark ripped from redwood firs, eggbox, Lavender got bags of it from dried out clippings, Now and then I fill my container up from the Mrs. bag of dried grass nuts, free hessian and straw type packaging for lighting.

 

[WoodenBeam]

Hi all,

I burn wood shavings in my smoker but it stops burning and I have to relight also the lid jams very difficult to open to relight. Anyone with the same problem and how did you resolve it.

cheers

Make sure you don’t have any rubbish in the cylinder that goes from the baffles to the base of the burning chamber, this restricts air flow giving burning problems

 

[Jaymac]

Thanks for all the good information, I will start looking for better items to put in my smoker other than wood shaving. I got a blowtorch and cleaned my smoker and now working as it should.