I normally use pine needles, but long ago I tried newspapers that are
slurried and dried into slabs then broken into chunks. It took a long time
for them to dry, so put them in a corner and eventually they were forgotten.
Found them a few weeks ago and they make excellent long term or short term
cool smoke. Easy to put out when done and easy to start- if they are
completely dried out.

They take a while to make which mitigates against their use.

Take a bunch of newspapers, dump into a bucket, trash can or garbage can
depending on how much you want to make. Mix (the hard part) into a slurry so
all the paper is saturated. Pour out into or onto something that will strain
them and allow drainage.  Old supers make a nice frame. I let them dry into
2-3" slabs so they will fit the smoker, and, after they dry, cut to fit.

Let them dry a very long time before use, so make them in the fall for use
the next year.

I start them with a butane lighter and put them out by wiping the lit end on
green or wet grass. For a hobby beekeeper, it makes a great fuel because it
is easy to start and stop and reusable many times, which makes for ease of
use with a few colonies.

Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine

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