What's the best thing to burn in smoker?

[whynothot]

Title says it all

I still have problems lighting my smoker and keeping it alight. Use wood chips after council cut down trees locally and left big piles of chips in hedgerow a few years ago. Dried them out for months in polytunnel before use.

But what's the best thing to use? Fed up of smoker going out just when I need it!

Any advice appreciated

 

[Finman]

.
Rotten birch is my favorite.
If the wood is moist, keep a while in microwave oven.

Egg package is good too.

 

[Motobiman]

That compressed cardboard egg packaging, topped off with a mixture of dried teabags and strips of old clean denim works pretty well for me.

 

[Newtobees]

Straw from Pets r us . Easy to light, pack it in tight lasts a long time.

 

[linoleum bonypart]

Hessian coffee bags cut and rolled

 

[Tom Bick]

Title says it all

I still have problems lighting my smoker and keeping it alight. Use wood chips after council cut down trees locally and left big piles of chips in hedgerow a few years ago. Dried them out for months in polytunnel before use.

But what's the best thing to use? Fed up of smoker going out just when I need it!

Any advice appreciated

It's not a bad start but if you can mix them with some wood shavings or course sawdust, shavings from chainsaws are great then you should have no problems and easily keep the smoker alight most of the day.

 

[Poly Hive]

Dry rotten wood from a fallen tree. Works a treat.

PH

 

[madasafish]

First buy a blowlamp if you do not have one. It makes lighting much easier. (I have a Wickes self igniting one with BIG propane and butane mix gas cartridges £2.99 from Home Bargains/B&M - camping section)

I start with a 1cm layer of woodshavings, heaped to one side. Then add some dry 3-8cm long max 1cm wide sticks..- 4-5 will do - on top of the heap. And some rotten wood - not a lot - just enough to form a base as it will smoulder.
Place smoker on its side titled at c45 degrees so the heaped wood is at the bottom.
Light with blowlamp. Odd puff with bellows. When burning strongly, place upright and puff away, adding handfulls of wood shavings - slowly so they don't totally put the smoker out.

Puff away and fill up with shavings.I also use dried pine needles but very tarry so very few.

The mix of wood and shavings leaves air pockets for the fire to continue - and it burns for 60-90 minutes with lots of smoke.

Woodshavings are sold as pet bedding..

 

[Truble]

What size smoker are you using? I found the smaller diameter smoker versions very difficult to keep alight with some fuels, such as wood shavings. Moving to a larger diameter model solves most of those problems. I think they have a better through draft which keeps things smoldering better when not in use.

 

[alldigging]

I second pet bedding.

Lit a smoker last inspection, did a couple and then went away whilst someone else did their hives in the apiary. Came back to finish mine and a few blasts of air through it and it was away again.

Once it's going properly you can press stuff down gently and put plenty in so you don't run out.

Learning to spot when you're out of fuel and need to put some more in is useful too. I've got a big plastic sweet jar full of it in my bag.

 

[nantmoel]

I have been using wood shavings, mainly from a planner and thicknesser. I have also just started using wood turning waste, both burn well.

 

[alldigging]

I have been using wood shavings, mainly from a planner and thicknesser. I have also just started using wood turning waste, both burn well.

These are very good too, but husband doesn't quite produce enough. Do you think I should suggest he makes me some bee kit that involves using the planer and thicknesser?

 

[madasafish]

What size smoker are you using? I found the smaller diameter smoker versions very difficult to keep alight with some fuels, such as wood shavings. Moving to a larger diameter model solves most of those problems. I think they have a better through draft which keeps things smoldering better when not in use.

Diameter about 11cms..

 

[Eyeman]

It's more of a crusher than a shredder. Deals with branches upto 2" thick. Use the wood ontop of some burning paper/card and the pieces are just the right size. A 1 hour session provides me enough fuel for the season

 

[Truble]

Diameter about 11cms..

Yes, the smaller ones are about 7cm diameter.

 

[MartinL]

I collect planer shavings from chap who makes hives locally.

Also use straw, Fried leaves, hay and roll it in cardboard.
Stems from Jerusalem artichokes are good too, they're hollow and allow it all to breath.

I use a candle lighter to get it all going, it's long enough to light the bottom without tipping everything out of the smoker.

 

[DerbyBee]

I use egg cartons to get it started then add wood shavings, chippings on top.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Diameter about 11cms..

What's that in real money? now that we're out of Europe we really should stop using that filthy foreign stuff

I use a candle lighter to get it all going, it's long enough to light the bottom .

fond recollections of lighting bottoms on board after Sunday evening port, grown out of all that now though.

 

[Magwat]

Whatever fuel you use it is essential to get a good hot bottom in the fire. Once that is burning well then fill up the smoker with stuff to damp down the fire and cool the smoke. If you are needing to keep it alight for a long time give the fuell a good shake down every so often and some vigorous puffs to liven it up again.

 

[Zante]

Strips of old jeans and egg cardboard.