> The rules:
>
> Your choice of reasonable, plausible smoker fuels (no gasoline) and
> smoker, and a book of matches.
>
> First to light and and set down her/his smoker wins, provided the smoker
> keeps going by itself for a set period of time -- I seem to recall five
> minutes.
I have won the Midwestern Beekeepers smoker contest before but usually let
the newbees enter and keep on talking bees and watch.
Our rules:
Each beekeeper either brings a smoker or the club provides a box of old
smokers for those forgetting smokers.
Each entrant is given a 2 in. by 10 in. ( size can very but ALL burlap
provided is the same size) and TWO wooden stick matches.
A time period is started ( 2-3 minutes) for all entrants to light their
smoker and set in place.
The smoker can not then be touched.
The judge turns over each smoker as it goes out until a winner is declared.
Rules vary but the above were ours.
One secret to winning usually is placement of the smoker so whatever wind is
available blows across the spout keeping the burlap lit. Another is to make
sure your burlap is going good before closing the lid.
After as many beekeeper picnics as I have attended you get a feel for what
the smoker smoke coming out the spout should look like. Not too heavy and
not too light. Those adjusting "draft" by smoker placement try not to be
obvious about what they are doing but at the next smoker contest notice all
the old timers smokers are usually facing alike.
bob
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