Little Wood Pellets for Smoker ? How to Light?

[DayValleyDahlias]

Well Friends,

I just sat there looking inside the smoker with the firestick lit trying to catch the pellets on fire.  Whats the trick to getting these lit?

I have been using burlap, buy boy it burns out kinda fast....hhhhmmmm

[abates99]

It will take a hot fire the first time around.  I used wood pellets last year and I had good luck with them.  I started with a small amount of pellets in the bottom of the smoker, next I added some firestarter shavings(the kind soaked in parafin) and lit them, after a lot of puffing when the shavings are hot I slowly add a small amount of pellets.  You need to constantly keep air going to the fire, eventualy you will notice the pellets starting to burn, it works best to keep your smoker just under half full, but you will need to add them slowly and keep the top open with constant air supply.  Fresh pellets will emit a large amount of nasty smoke with a tar like liquid, so by only adding a little at a time you will keep that down.  It seems like a lot of work the first time but if you plug your smoker when finished it will go out and the partially burnt pellets will start very easy next time, when they start and get to burning  good throw in a handfull of new pellets, get them to burning and shake the smoker to mix them up, this will help with the nasty smoke and tar.  When you have partially burnt pellets the fire will start much easier, it will only take about five minutes.  Just make sure to plug you smoker when finished or the pellets will burn up.  This worked for me, but I suggest try it and see what workes best for you.

[DayValleyDahlias]

okie doke i may give them a go....

[steveouk]

I've been testing these recently. I found the best way to get them lit and keep them lit is to scrunch up some news paper or the paper that separates your wax foundation and then add a BBQ Coal. After about 10 minutes the smoker is really going you don't need allot of pellets as a handful seems to last about an hour.

Stephen

[the kid]

I take 1/4 sheet of news paper crumpuled up ,, lit it put in smoker pufff 3 -4 times push down and puffffff  til you hear fire ( sound will change   )  put in some pellets pufffffff     more pullets    puffffff put amount of pellets you want in      ppuuuuffffff     close    puffffffffff      now pufffffff   afew times at 2 min apart   after 6 min it should bee going
try starting out with 1/2 sheet of paper to get the hang of it
to put it out ,,,get one of those round tin peanut or candy cans with the tin lid ,,,dump the smoker in the can put the lid on and it will go out soon ...
those wax starter stick mess the smoker up fast ,,, 

[ElDoBill]

I have used the pellets in the past.  They didn't produce the great smoke that the burlap does but they last a lot longer.  If I have a long inspection I use a combination. Get it going with paper, add small handfuls of pellets until it's about 1/2 full, add in the burlap.  by the time the burlap is gone I don't need a lot of smoke but I need a little to last a long time.  I bought a small blow torch with a butane bottle on it for less than $25 at Walmart. I found it is much easier to light and keep them lit using that. 

[Gena]

I save the lint from the dryer and use a propane torch to light the whole mess - with pellets on the bottom (or sticks from the yard). g

[Sean Kelly]

I use an old telephone book, tear out a bunch of pages and stuff those down on the bottom.  Get that going real good and just dump a bunch of pellets on top.  Keep that going like mad and eventually it will stay lit.  I've had the same problem with the tar, makes the lid of the smoker really nasty (had to replace my old smoker cause of this).  I found that after the pellets are going good and hot to stuff a huge wad of green grass on top.  Cools it down and keeps the coals going plus gives a nice cool heavy smoke.  The biggest problem I've found with the pellets is that it turns the smoker into a blowtorch!  Wasnt paying attention and had the thing way to hot and went to drive the bees down off the top bars and torched several dozen bees.

Sean Kelly

[abates99]

Great ideas!  I have been thinking about the propane torch, I know a lot of people use them to light smokers no mater what kind of fuel they use.  It should make for a very quick and effortless start.  Also I for those thinking about pellets dont buy them from the bee suppliers, you can buy a 40# bag of pellets for a pellet stove usually under $5, I burn wood pellets so I always have them on hand.

[Michael Bush]

The self igniting torches are well worth having for lighting smokers.

[trapperbob]

I take a few peices of pine boards or sticks it really does'nt matter. Pick up my propane torch lite the wood puff the smoker a few times to get the wood to burn well and when I think that its hot enough I dump the pellets in and puff the smoker a few more times to get them going and off to the bees I go. Those torches are great I have been using the same bottle for three years now and even use it at work in winter to thaw things out on the company truck and cant seem to run the thing dry I have a extra bottle that I bought at the same time as the torch some day I will get to use it. The great thing is if your tender is a little damp no problem torch it it will burn or if you just cant get it to light the traditional way torch it and alls good. Also if you get to much tar build up in the smoker or you just don't like the way it looks inside torch it and in a minute or two you have a clean smoker that is also oder free since the tar is gone this is good if you own a mini van or car or a grandwagoneer like I do. :-D

[rast]

 The beeman I watched just heated the pellets from the outside of the smoker with a propane torch. Never opened it. Said I could get them from Tractor Supply as pet bed stuffing. I use the pine shavings out of my joiner catch box with two long pine shaving sticks 1/8 X 6" in there to keep it lit.

[ronbert]

I start with shredded paper.

[buzzbee]

Heres what I use to light my smoker:
http://www.bernzomatic.com/bernzomatic/consumer/jhtml/detail.jhtml?prodId=BernzoProd100016

[trapperbob]

 Yep looks alot like mine. Also works real well to burn pin feathers off turkeys when your done plucking them.

[JP]

I find the best smoker fuel and the one that lasts the longest is my bellybutton lint, and its easy to light, I use a torch also. :-D


...JP

(Ok, I use anything that burns, cardboard, dead grass & weeds, pine straw, burlap, etc...)

[Bill W.]

If you have a hard time starting, spray the pellets with a little WD40 before lighting.  That is what we do to start our ancient pellet stove when paper doesn't cut it.

[the kid]

isnt wd40 kind of toxic for use in honey supers ????
the kid

[Sean Kelly]

I find the best smoker fuel and the one that lasts the longest is my bellybutton lint, and its easy to light, I use a torch also. :-D

JP, is it best to start your bellybutton lint with the torch while it's still in your belly button or after you take it out?  And does it make any difference if you have an "outie" or "Innie"?

Sean Kelly

[DayValleyDahlias]

oh that must be one huge umbilicus JP!