Interesting use for a charcoal starter

[bigbearomaha]

Recently experimenting with a charcoal starter I had gotten. You know the type.  looks like a big metal coffee can...put coals on top, under divider you put kindling to fire up the coals all without using lighter fluid.  Love it, use it all the time.

Then I thought, "HEY, I have an extra starter that has never been used."

So, I used some paper to fire up my material ( I like to use soaked wood chips, they smoke forever and have a pleasant odor for the most part, nice cool smoke.)

Now, instead of having to get my material fired in the smoker itself, I just go out a bit earlier, fire up the starter and have a whole batch going, empty the material once it's going good into an outdoor fireplace and scoop the material into the smoker, ready to go and plenty left if I need more or if there is more than one bee handler in the yard, plenty to go around.

just sayin,

Big Bear

[G3farms]

I light my smoker with a propane torch and have been wanting to drill a small hole near the bottom of the smoker to put the tip of the torch into to light the smoker material. Instead of lighting the material and then trying to stuff it into the smoker.

G3

[Bee-Bop]

Around here the common practice is, fill smoker about have full with what ever wood fuel you have, a couple of squirts of liquid charcoal fluid, fill remainder with your wood pieces and light.
This is one of the first things they do, as they get ready to work the hives.
Those with a hundred or so hives don't play around, they have a lot of work to do.
Bees don't seem to mind.

I realize there is a difference in hobbiest and those that make a living beekeeping.

Bee-Bop

[bigbearomaha]

This is how the charcoal starter" got into my head.  In the past, I and the fella I helped also fired up before we entered as you describe ( sans lighter fluid).

With the smaller yards or locations  I visit, same thing.

but, in the new bigger yard, there will be anywhere from 1 to 4 ( or more, who knows) bee handlers present and having a single, already going source of fuel for smokers at the ready will be advantageous.

Just stop by the fire pit on the way in, fill your smoker with already burning fuel and get to the yard.

Big Bear