Inner protection for small smokers

01 · THE 25 MM UNDERNEATH

Why it draws better

The bellows push air in at the base of the smoker. If the fuel sits straight on the bottom it blocks that inlet and the smoker chokes: you squeeze and nothing happens.

The three feet of about 25 mm keep that space clear, so the air comes in underneath and travels up through the charge. The canister also holds the embers inside a stainless cup instead of leaving them loose against the wall.

02 · SPARKS MEAN SMOKE TOO HOT

A symptom worth reading

Embers coming out of the spout are a hazard in a dry apiary, and that is the obvious reason to fit a canister. But there is another one that gets overlooked: if your smoker is throwing sparks, it is burning too fiercely.

And the smoke that calms is cool smoke. Hot smoke irritates bees instead of settling them. Fuel packed firmly inside the canister and a gentle bellows — the aim is not a fire, it is smoke.

03 · MEASURE YOUR SMOKER

The thirty-second check

This is the small one, at 75 mm inside diameter and 115 mm of usable height. Before ordering, measure the inside of your smoker's body: the canister has to go in loose, not forced.

As a bonus, emptying the smoker means lifting the canister out with the ash inside instead of banging the body on the ground.

04 · BEFORE YOU BUY

This is the canister: