Pine cones for my smoker?

[Troutdog]

Might want to check on the poisons emitted from burning pine cones in your smoker. Not a good idea. Burlap and blue jeans for me.

so much to learn so little time

[Richard M]

Just want to add that there's a project here for somebody ....

The design of smokers hasn't changed for decades, yet there's a basic design flaw: they need to be lit at the bottom, and yet fuel is introduced via the top.

Sure - once lit (and going well), additional fuel can always be added to existing smouldering fuel - BUT - the hassle is getting them started in the first place, which invariably involves starting-off a fire from scratch

Is that really that much of a hassle? Light some paper, drop it in, puff puff, drop some small fuel in, puff puff puff, drop more fuel in while puffing and pack it all down.. takes about 45 seconds or so generally.

I have also seen people use a propane torch - drop what you want in the bottom, apply the torch until you have embers, and then place in more fuel.

Would a propane torch through the air inlet work better than what you experienced?

I use a propane torch. You can't really go poking it into small holes though because as soon as you put the flame in a restricted place, it just goes out.

I lay my smoker on the bellows and half fill it and blast the heat into the bottom (or back as it is when laid horizontal) and give it a good zap so all the twiggy stuff gets going, then stand it up, give it a tap and a shake to settle the embers into the bottom, then lightly pack in more fuel, give it a few toots to get it flaming then drop a biyt more in, then leave it a while and get kitted up in suit. After 5 mins, give it a few more toots to get it flaming and then drop more stuff in, which I pack in tight and solid, so more toots and then on with the lid.

I don't worry about collecting fuel, my hives are now in dry mixed eucalypt woodland with sheoak understorey, so there's always inches deep of dried bark, twigs, leaves and needles all around, as in this photo:



It's a bit of a bummer in the fire season though.

[GSF]

Richard, as I was reading I couldn't help but think; Hot smoker, dry floor, dry fuel, big mess. I was lighting my smoker near some hay. Of course residue hay was all over the ground. A bit of fire fell on the ground and I had a time.

[richter1978]

Might want to check on the poisons emitted from burning pine cones in your smoker. Not a good idea. Burlap and blue jeans for me.

so much to learn so little time

Can you elaborate on the poisons. I couldn't find much information. I burn a lot of pine needles.

[KeyLargoBees]

For the record do not use burlap that is used as vegetable sacks...they are impregnating it with pesticides these days to deter pests....might not be all of them but there are enough out there to be worrisome.

[BeeMaster2]

Richard, as I was reading I couldn't help but think; Hot smoker, dry floor, dry fuel, big mess. I was lighting my smoker near some hay. Of course residue hay was all over the ground. A bit of fire fell on the ground and I had a time.

A new beek friend of mine that lives close to my farm was working his bees when his wife calls him from his house saying he had an important phone call about land next to him he wanted to buy. He put his smoker on the plastic truck liner and walked to the house. When he came back out an hour later, his truck, bee suit, and smoker were completely burned up.
You have to bee very careful with your smoker. Several apiaries have completely burned, bees and hives, due to smokers being left on leaves or tall grass.
Jim

[Troutdog]

Might want to check on the poisons emitted from burning pine cones in your smoker. Not a good idea. Burlap and blue jeans for me.

so much to learn so little time

Can you elaborate on the poisons. I couldn't find much information. I burn a lot of pine needles.

All pine needles contain lignols, resins, mycotoxins which can produce toxic reactions
Here's a link I got from another forum ...thx tim
WWW.ehow.com/list_5976996_pine-trees-poisonous_.html



so much to learn so little time

[KeyLargoBees]

Ok Troutdog...so they are bad for humans and livestock to eat.....thats not news...but you cant extrapolate toxicity of smoke from that article...or any article I have seen. I would hazard to guess that virtually every beekeeper in Georgia uses pine needles in their smoker so I think it is safe to say that pine needles aren't toxic to bees as a smoker fuel.

[sc-bee]

I knew I was losing it mentally for some reason...It has to be the toxicity of the pine straw I use in my smoker. And : I promise I did not inhale...

[KeyLargoBees]

that explains the bulging eyes and blueish complexion too ;-)

[Hops Brewster]

I'll make certain that none of my bees eat any of my pine straw or pine cones.
Meanwhile, the combination of pine straw and aged pine cones has worked rather well in my smoker.

[GSF]

Meanwhile, the combination of pine straw and aged pine cones has worked rather well in my smoker
Good point Hops, Sometimes I'll crush an old dried up pinecone and use it towards the bottom in hopes it'll make a small bed of coal.

[Eric Bosworth]

>The design of smokers hasn't changed for decades, yet there's a basic design flaw: they need to be lit at the bottom, and yet fuel is introduced via the top.

I made this insert: http://www.bushfarms.com/beesmisc.htm#smokerinsert

You can light it from the bottom (and I do) and you can leave it out where the breeze feeds it until it's going well and then drop it in the smoker.

I've seen one that opened on the bottom (as well as the top).  But I didn't find a picture of it.

I like it... Now I just need to find a coffee can that is the right size.

[Michael Bush]

>Now I just need to find a coffee can that is the right size.

The large Campbell's soup can works perfectly.

[CliveHive]

I am a new guy, so hardly an authority (on anything) but I am fortunate enough to live in cotton country.  During harvesting you can get all the raw cotton you want along the side of the road, and I have scooped-up a trashbag full.  The hard seeds are just the right size to soak in gun solvent, and ram down the barrel of a 30-06.  Works great - -

I found yesterday that it also packs real well into a smoker - - produces a not-too-harsh smoke, and burns 'clean', with little resin and fine ash - - -

[Richard M]

Richard, as I was reading I couldn't help but think; Hot smoker, dry floor, dry fuel, big mess. I was lighting my smoker near some hay. Of course residue hay was all over the ground. A bit of fire fell on the ground and I had a time.

A new beek friend of mine that lives close to my farm was working his bees when his wife calls him from his house saying he had an important phone call about land next to him he wanted to buy. He put his smoker on the plastic truck liner and walked to the house. When he came back out an hour later, his truck, bee suit, and smoker were completely burned up.
You have to bee very careful with your smoker. Several apiaries have completely burned, bees and hives, due to smokers being left on leaves or tall grass.
Jim

Not to worry, it is something I do think about.

I've been involved in bushfire risk management for about 25 years, (I'm an accredited Bushfire Hazard Management Practitioner amongst the other things I've been called). I also spent 15 months helping in the clean-up/rebuild after this debacle - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_Tasmanian_bushfires so that aspect is never far from my mind.

First things first, I never light her up on Total Fire Ban days, or on hot windy days that for some reason aren't declared.

I light the smoker on the concrete driveway near to the house.

I have concrete pavers on the ground in the near to each hive - the smoker sits on these when not in use - either that or on a sandstone outcrop at one end of the site.

I also carry a water bottle with me on dry days (dual use - extinguisher/drink).

And lastly, when I'm finished, the water bottle is poured into the smoker and shaken/swirled to make sure it's all out before tipping out the residue.

[Eric Bosworth]

>Now I just need to find a coffee can that is the right size.

The large Campbell's soup can works perfectly.

Good to know. I looked at an old syrup can that came with a package but it was too big.

[FlexMedia.tv]

I just wanted to use pine cones because there sure are plenty laying around here. On the same note I have plenty of jeans I can't fit anymore laying around here I can cut up!

[Oblio13]

I just wanted to use pine cones because there sure are plenty laying around here. On the same note I have plenty of jeans I can't fit anymore laying around here I can cut up!

I use pinecones all the time, but not for producing smoke, just to get the smoker going.

Light a piece of paper or birchbark. Drop it in the smoker.

Drop in some pinecones. Puff it a few times.

GET A RAGING INFERNO GOING. YES, A RAGING INFERNO.

Now drop in something for fuel. Sawdust, pine needles, dried sumac seed heads, or best of all, dried horse manure.

Puff once in a while as you pack it all down.

Stuff a handful of green grass on top of it all, to cool the smoke.

[FlexMedia.tv]

I have two metal discs with vents for the smoker I have. Where do they go?

Art