Smoker fuel ?? your go too

[Tommyt]

What is your Go too smoker fuel
Just whats on the Ground
Bought
Home made (recipe)
Other
Whats do you think Is this "The Best Fuel" even if you don't use it.

Tommyt

[Scadsobees]

For a quick burn, I like pine needles.

For a medium burn, sycamore bark.

For a really long burn, start it with sycamore bark and then use wood pellets. 

But I usually use whatever happens to be on the ground and dry.  I do have the kids bag up some pine needles for me in the fall, and pick up the sycamore bark when it is plentiful, and that will last a while the next year.

If you haven't guessed, I have both a pine tree and a sycamore tree in the yard. I use whatever is handy.

Rick

[JP]

I mainly use burlap as a buddy of mine is a landscaper and I can easily get it from him.

I hear wood pellets are an excellent fuel.

In a bind just about anything will do, but I would steer clear of pine bark, will put out too much heat.


...JP

[Robo]

This topic has been discussed many times before, you may want to try out the search function of the forum.  Here are a couple links to check.
Not trying to be mean, but many folks just won't respond to something after a few times.

http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,4456.0.html
http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,212.0.html
http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,28051.0.html

[bulldog]

i get a lump or two of charcoal burning and then put woodshavings on top of it. the really stringy stuff you get from cutting pine boards on a table saw.the charcoal will keep buring a long time and i add some of the shavings every now and again, makes pretty good smoke just doesn't last a long time because if you add too much at once it will smother.

[caticind]

My lot is covered in pine trees, so, pine straw scooped off the ground, plus the occasional bunch of fallen oak leaves.  If it's damp out I will save dryer lint to use as a starter.

[Kathyp]

burlap but i'll scrounge pine needles/scraps if i run out.  haven't had much luck with pellets.  must be doing something wrong.

[wouldliketobee]

I use wood pellets with some grass or pine needles on top after I use a self igniting propane torch to light the wood pellets , I just angle the smoker enough to put torch tip above wood pellets and start pumping the smoker slowly until the pellets start to burn then add needles or grass.

[JP]

Kathy, try adding the pellets after your smoker is going good with the burlap.

Same idea of starting a fire with large branches, don't work, need kindling to get it going.


...JP

[AllenF]

I like to start the fire with the free packing material that comes when you order stuff and when you are out by the hives, pack it with what ever in on the ground that is dry enough to burn.   Leaves are free.   I have also rolled up cardboard and stuck in there.  Anything that burns  will work.

[Bee Happy]

I'll use green cedar boughs if I can get them, but dried oak leaves are all over the place down here. - I tried rolled up bluejean material early on, but I had a hard time keeping it lit.

[L Daxon]

Rolled up corrugated cardboard is my main thing.  I take strips about 5" by 20"-30" and roll them into a cylinder about 2-3 times around.  I wrap that around several times with twine and tie it off to keep its shape (the twine is another good fuel).  I frequently make these out of the cardboard boxes my bee supplies come in.  You can make them up ahead of time in the winter or when you have spare time and keep to just pop in when needed.  I put one into the smoker on top of wadded up newspaper which I light and get a good flame going, then pump the bellows.  Then I stuff pine needles, dried leaves, wood mulch, drier lint, whatever is handy into the center of the cardboard cylinder and light that from the top.  Shut the top and I am good to go for quite a while. 

[L Daxon]

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[Tommyt]

Rolled up corrugated cardboard is my main thing. 

Thanks for the Pictures

Tommyt

[bassman1977]

Burlap.

[hardwood]

Pine straw.

Scott

[Culley]

I find dry grass clippings good to get it going, then whatever is on the ground near the hives, which is pine needles, pine cones, sticks, grass, cow dung. Can put damp stuff in once it gets going, but I avoid mold.

[Scadsobees]

The trick with pellets is that you've got to get a good burn going first.  I start it up with pine straw, stoke it really hot with the sycamore bark, and then if it is going to be a while, pile the pellets on top of that.

Or, if I happen to have a fire going, I'll throw a hot coal on the pellets, and that will keep it going for a while.  Once the pellets are going they stay going for a long time.

[woodchopper]

Pine needles.

[garys520]

I love dry pine needles mixed with paper from my paper shredder.  It stays lit.