[Troutsqueezer]

Much has been written here over the years about ways to light your smoker and keep it going. I've been known to contribute some questionable advice on that topic myself. Actually, about every topic I've ever chimed in on. :shhhh:

Here's some more useless information for ya as long you're reading this forum and not out in the yard where you should be and maybe it's been brought up before but I'm too lazy to search on it. :no: Yesterday I had a brain fart when I was grabbing for the smoker and looking for something to light the small pieces of fencing cedar I put in the can so that I can get a nice bed of coals before adding the burlap. I heat with wood and this year I tried some fire starter squares I hadn't seen before, now they are all over the place, probably because they work so well. The brand is Rutland Safelight and it is comprised of little squares that you tear off which look and feel like cardboard. They light extremely easy. I cannot detect any smell nor residue on my finger when I handle them. I just love them for starting the wood stove and now I love them even more because they start my smoker in a nanosecond (without any flareup). For twenty bucks or less, you can start your smoker 144 times. I think even WalWart stocks them now.

On a side note: For a lifetime supply of wood, I buy one cedar fence board from Home Depot and saw it into foot long chunks. When I need some for the smoker I take an old chisel and hammer and pop pieces off by striking the board on the end of the grain. Cedar burns quickly and since it is not incense cedar, the bees don't mind it.

Anyway, this is my contribution to Beesource for this year, now I can go back to my Playstation...

Oh... if somebody has already mentioned this product in a previous thread, well, I hope your picture was as pretty as mine...

 

[dadandsonsbees]

:applause: very good info. I just use pinestraw. But this is good.

 

[Acebird]

Way to much work for me. Corrugated cardboard rolled up in a roll that will fit in the smoker. You can light it with a match or if impatient or its windy use a propane torch. This by itself will last 15 minutes. If I know I will be longer I sift sawdust in between the flutes. Give the sawdust a chance to get going before you add a lot in otherwise you will just smother the fire. No need to buy anything except a smidgen of propane.

 

[KPeacock]

Those fire starters are pretty decent for what they are. I've used them in the past for starting the woodburner out in my shop. I've never tried them in a smoker, but I'm willing to give it a try. I usually use either propane, MAPP gas, or oxy-acetylene to light up stick and twigs from the yard. gather my gear/suit and stuff her full of pine needles. We've got a dozen or so ponderosa pines and the supply of needles far exceeds my use of them.

 

[Nabber86]

I found a noval way to light the fuel in my smoker. We received 500 pounds of potassium permanganate and I grabbed a sample in a gallon jug. I got back to the office and somebody told me to mix it with glycerin. I use to light the coals for my BBQ as well.

 

[Mac Harper]

I use dry, rotten wood, propane torch for a few seconds, then dry pine needles. Works really well, burns long. Sometimes need to use a little paper towel with beeswax if it's a really damp day.

 

[KPeacock]

Well shoot, if you're looking for a quick light, you might jsut as well mix yourself up some rust powder and aluminum dust. Careful with it though, it's got to be pretty easy to burn a hole right through the bottom of your smoker.

 

[Mac Harper]

A little off-topic, maybe, but here's a way to fix a troublesome tight-fitting smoker lid.
Remove your smoker lid and place the inside of the rim over the nose of an anvil. Using a light hammer (ball-peen is best), tap gently around the full circumference of the rim. The rim diameter will expand a few thousandths, leaving you with a much better fit. You will be able to open and close it easily, even when it's loaded with creosote.

 

[Mac Harper]

Boom!

 

[GLOCK]

I use dried out garlic tops and sumac berries and dry grass{I use a little paper to get it going} . Takes less then a min. to lite and stays lite for almost 3 hours I packer tight.

 

[Nabber86]

Well shoot, if you're looking for a quick light, you might jsut as well mix yourself up some rust powder and aluminum dust. Careful with it though, it's got to be pretty easy to burn a hole right through the bottom of your smoker.

A thermite reaction is difficult to start. It takes a lot of energy. permanganate and glycerin is a perfect combination to get a thermite composite reaction to get started.

i tried that too.