I use paper from newspapers and cardboard from eggs packaging to light up then gray cardboard from boxes or from glass jars protectors and on the top various wood scraps including bark. I use long lighter to start the fire. In the past I used dry grass it works well. I have got cheap stainless Chinese smoker it works well I think I bought it from Thorne website together with bee uniform, leather gloves, hive tool and a couple of other essential things.
I use rolled cardboard but only use half the smoker height. I light it at the bottom to get it going and put it into the smoke by holding it horizontally so the flames don’t burn my hand. Once the cardboard is inside and burning, I hold it upright and pump it really good to get the cardboard burning well. I then use wood pellets that I use in my meat smoker BBQ. They are very small and you can fill the rest of the smoker and their is air gaps between them. I just pour them in and fill the smoker to the top. They are designed to burn in my BBQ meat smoker the same way they burn in the bee smoker. I keep a small bucket of them nearby and just poor more into the bee smoker as they burn down to fine ash. As they are designed to cook meat to eat, there is no dangerous chemicals. Works well. Very cheap. When done I take the smoker and dump it into my compost heap. The pellets expand and break up into sawdust when wet which causes them to compost really well. If you don’t compost, just dump it around your garden or trees and rake it into the soil. Your plants will love it.
What a great idea I’ve started making the cardboard cartridges as my wife keeps Amazon going on her own 👍👍 great video again
Cheers RIch!
I use paper from newspapers and cardboard from eggs packaging to light up then gray cardboard from boxes or from glass jars protectors and on the top various wood scraps including bark. I use long lighter to start the fire. In the past I used dry grass it works well. I have got cheap stainless Chinese smoker it works well I think I bought it from Thorne website together with bee uniform, leather gloves, hive tool and a couple of other essential things.
Great video, Thanks. As a newbie beekeeper I underestimated the technique in lighting a smoker which caused unnecessary frustration... Not anymore
No worries! :)
i was going to use it but thought in the manafactioning of cardboard there mite be chemicals in making of it something glues it together
I use the same cardboard but I light the other end of the cartridge so the flames are at the bottom of the smoker…..makes the smoke cooler
I use rolled cardboard but only use half the smoker height. I light it at the bottom to get it going and put it into the smoke by holding it horizontally so the flames don’t burn my hand. Once the cardboard is inside and burning, I hold it upright and pump it really good to get the cardboard burning well. I then use wood pellets that I use in my meat smoker BBQ. They are very small and you can fill the rest of the smoker and their is air gaps between them. I just pour them in and fill the smoker to the top.
They are designed to burn in my BBQ meat smoker the same way they burn in the bee smoker. I keep a small bucket of them nearby and just poor more into the bee smoker as they burn down to fine ash. As they are designed to cook meat to eat, there is no dangerous chemicals. Works well. Very cheap.
When done I take the smoker and dump it into my compost heap. The pellets expand and break up into sawdust when wet which causes them to compost really well. If you don’t compost, just dump it around your garden or trees and rake it into the soil. Your plants will love it.
I use pine cones in my smoker.