[Hobie]

You'd think after 3 years I'd have mastered this. Can someone give me nice step-by-step instructions on how to load and light a smoker so that it is cool and stays lit?

 

[BjornBee]

First, get yourself a lighter "torch". I have had the stick type propane "lighters" and they worked fine. But my wife picked me up a "torch" type stick lighter that instead of having a flame, it is a torch type blowing flame. Lights in wind and while sticking it down in the smoker, where the normal lighter would go out.

Second, it takes some mastering of getting getting a "base" of fire going, then putting your fuel on top. I use pine/cedar shavings and get a small amount to really flame up, and then put more on top while pumping the smoker.

Third, depending on your fuel source, you will need to pump the smoker every so often to keep it going. Putting your smoker down for a length of time may have it going out. And of course damp cool morning has it dying faster also.

I think the biggest reason for my smoker going out was not having a good base fire to start with. Get a good fire going. Smother it with fuel and pump it a few times. Make sure it is really going.

The second reason my smoker goes out is just putting it down and getting busy with something. I think it' like 5 minutes, but in reality, it's like 30. But I will say with the right fuel, I've has smokers burn themselves out hours later.

 

[Charles]

Here's a visual:

[youtube:2iwb59pu]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUTOHbIFD9s[/youtube:2iwb59pu]

 

[Hobie]

He makes it look easy! Typically, by the time I reach for the fuel, the newspaper has gone out.

 

[Iddee]

If you watch closely at the end, I think it went out on him, too. He was pumping much too hard. A slow, steady breeze will do much better than fast, hard gusts.

 

[kustomizer]

I have not had much luck with a smoker, but am somewhat inexperianced, I have a bottle of sugar water, no hat, screen, suit or anything else, just me and some sugar water, and a bee brush, am I doing it wrong?

 

[riverrat]

a good golden bee suit and you wont need the smoker :mrgreen:

 

[Iddee]

A 35 dollar smoker or a 200 dollar beesuit. An easy choice.. :?

 

[riverrat]

yep if you are a true enviromentalist its a no brainer. got to forgo the smoker

 

[Iddee]

NO, NO. A true environmentalist knows ashes add potash to the soil and makes things grow better. Smoker still takes first place.

 

[riverrat]

IDDEE Dont makes me buy a plane ticket to come out there and steal the wheels off your house. Everyone knows dumpin ashes is concidered litterin :!: