Best smoker fuel

SCPossum · June 22, 2014, 12:04:02 AM

I used field cotton today for the first time. Mixed with pine straw. The cotton never went out. Some puffs and it starts right back up.

BeeMaster2 · June 22, 2014, 03:48:07 AM

Quote from: SCPossum on June 22, 2014, 12:04:02 AM
I used field cotton today for the first time. Mixed with pine straw. The cotton never went out. Some puffs and it starts right back up.

SC,
How good/bad does burning cotton smell?
Jim

GSF · June 22, 2014, 08:21:01 AM

SCPossum;

What a great idea, I grew up with my grandparents. We worked cotton all of my adult life. One thing I remember about cotton. Once lit and packed the embers will last for days. On several occasions my uncle would dump a basket of cotton in an empty trailer. We would dig around looking for the fire. Once we went through it the next day we would fill the bottom of the trailer to see if it had a hot spot. I don't know about the smell but at least it may be good for a base.

Wolfer · June 22, 2014, 11:01:39 AM

There's not any cotton grown where I live. That's not an issue, my old denim jeans I believe are mostly if not all cotton.
Once lit, and there easy to light they never go out. I can check one yard and drive to the next a few miles away and it will still be smoking.

Around here you can usually find cotton rope at farm stores. It's great for working horses since it won't burn the horse or your hands like nylon will.
Some 6" pieces cut and frayed out should work great. I'll try it if I ever run out of old jeans.

RC · June 22, 2014, 11:55:55 AM

Be careful with the cotton, I remember reading about someone using cotton and killed a bunch of his bees. The cotton is sprayed with insecticides.
The post was probably on this site.

GSF · June 22, 2014, 07:44:53 PM

RC, can you remember about how long ago that was? I'm getting mixed signals about this hybrid cotton. I was under the impression you didn't really have to spray it. Then again, it could have been the defoliation spray mixed with the heat that took them out.

Santa Caras · June 23, 2014, 01:15:03 PM

I have lots of trees around and I use the punky wood that falls from them. It's just dry rotted limbs that are easily torn up or mashed and I let it dry in the sun and its ready. Burns cool and puts out a LOT of smoke. Packed....lasts about an hour but if I'm not done, I just throw some more in and keep going.

RC · June 23, 2014, 09:24:57 PM

GSF, I think it was last year. If I remember right, the person had picked up some cotton that had fell out of the gin. It could have been the defoliant or the growth regulator, I don't think he knew for sure. Maybe Allenf will remember, I think he responded to the post saying he'd had bees on cotton without any ill effects. I'm just remembering bits and pieces of it and may have it wrong.

RC · June 23, 2014, 09:54:13 PM

After a quick search, I'm thinking I may be full of cr*p. I can't find the post I referred to. I apologize, didn't mean to mislead anyone.

GSF · June 23, 2014, 09:57:43 PM

No apologies necessary. Heck, you might be right.

(about the cotton) :-D

SCPossum · June 23, 2014, 11:05:52 PM

Quote from: RC on June 22, 2014, 11:55:55 AM
The cotton is sprayed with insecticides.

Of course it is. Never knew any cotton that wasn't sprayed at some point.

Our cotton is organic cotton AFTER we spray it. :-D. Just kidding.

I think if you pull it out of the boll after it has been in the field open for a good while it is probably fine. Mine is picked up late in the year for kennel bedding for my dog in the winter. It has been rain and dew washed many times by the time I get to it. I had some from last year because the kids also make Christmas wreaths out of the burrs to sell for spending money. It lights quick and never went out the whole time I used it. A couple of puffs and it started right back up.

We are running some hives on cotton fields this year. Hopefully everything will be fine and we will add to it next year.

I wouldnt want to use it right after it is sprayed with defoliant. Almost forgot: didn't notice a bad smell. To me pine needles are pungent. Might just be my nose though.

BeeMaster2 · June 24, 2014, 12:01:01 AM

Quote from: SCPossum on June 23, 2014, 11:05:52 PM
Quote from: RC on June 22, 2014, 11:55:55 AM
The cotton is sprayed with insecticides.

Of course it is. Never knew any cotton that wasn't sprayed at some point.

Our cotton is organic cotton AFTER we spray it. :-D. Just kidding.

I think if you pull it out of the boll after it has been in the field open for a good while it is probably fine. Mine is picked up late in the year for kennel bedding for my dog in the winter. It has been rain and dew washed many times by the time I get to it. I had some from last year because the kids also make Christmas wreaths out of the burrs to sell for spending money. It lights quick and never went out the whole time I used it. A couple of puffs and it started right back up.

We are running some hives on cotton fields this year. Hopefully everything will be fine and we will add to it next year.

I wouldnt want to use it right after it is sprayed with defoliant. Almost forgot: didn't notice a bad smell. To me pine needles are pungent. Might just be my nose though.

Thanks for the feed back SC. If I get a chance to get some, I will try it out.
Jim

GSF · June 24, 2014, 06:57:54 AM

Hey 'possum, keep us posted on the cotton thing. I'm interested in all the details.

JackM · June 25, 2014, 09:21:34 AM

I would think most any agricultural product would have pesticides....

Again the "I prefer free" works for me. I happen to have lots of sawdust of varying density.

I pack the bottom of the smoker with coarse shavings and then at an angle put sawdust over that. I tilt the smoker to do this. LIght the shavings and get the bottom of the sawdust to form a central red spot then put enough in to do the deed. I only have 4 hives but the smoker will keep going for the rest of the day sometimes, depending on the humidity and moisture content of the sawdust. Aggressive bellows will cause sparking

chux · June 25, 2014, 10:29:26 AM

As was said already, keep a box/bag of fuel stored away where it will be dry. I use pine straw. Got a ton of it. Wad a small bit up and hold half in the smoker. Light the bottom with a long lighter. Once flames start coming up, I put the straw down in the smoker and puff a few times. When the flames start coming out the top, I slowly push a larger/thicker bunch of pinestraw down while puffing. I can add a pinecone if there is room. As long as I am patient enough to wait for the first bit to catch good, and not too fast stuffing the second ball in, the smoker will stay lit for a long time. And, as has been said, It is simple to stuff more pinestraw in at any point. I don't see a need to spend money on fuel, when there is so much free fuel that works fine.

So, what about a commercial beek with 500 hives to work in the hot sun. Doesn't his smoker need to stay lit for 10 hours straight??? I guess. But if it were me, I'd like to take a little break every couple of hours to drink water, straighten my back, and add fuel to my smoker. Doesn't take 3 minutes. And did I mention that it is free???

hjon71 · June 25, 2014, 08:03:50 PM

I belong in the free is best camp.
I used dry leaves. I live in a wooded area so leaves are plentiful. They like to congregate under my shed so I always have a dry supply. Lucky me.

beee farmer · June 26, 2014, 03:12:29 AM

Whoop whoop! on the Pine Needles. Works great, cheap and easy. Burlap use to be my fav but since feed started coming in paper bags its not easy or cheap any more.

10framer · June 26, 2014, 10:49:36 PM

pine straw and i pretty much do it the way chux does. pack it tight and it will last a long time. you can tell by the color of the smoke when it's time to add more. we used to light them in the morning and keep adding straw until we were done. we left them in a metal bucket n the back of the truck with either a stick or pine cone shoved down the hole between yards. you could get out and hit the bellows a few times and be back in business.

SCPossum · June 28, 2014, 05:33:47 PM

Used the cotton again last night. Thought it went out one time when I had a little down time, but puffed a bit and it started right back. I kind of like it. Checked into what they are selling as smoker fuel and it is cotton fiber and cotton seed husks. Hmmmm...same thing I am using basically. I might try to compact it some and see what happens.

Oblio13 · July 09, 2014, 09:40:52 AM

Dallasbeek, I like dried sumac seed heads and dried horse manure best, but I think that how you get your smoker going is more important than what you're burning. Use birch bark, pine cones, paper, whatever, to get a RAGING INFERNO going. I'll say it again: RAGING INFERNO. Then stuff your fuel in, and top it off with a handful of green grass to cool the smoke as it comes out.