making incense burn

I often burn some dried herbs as incese, like artemisia rosemary or the like. The problem is that they don't burn all that well, how do you make them burn properly?

I asked a similar question:

Angelika Maier wrote:I am a fan of smoking. It eats away odours. I use mainly artemisias.

Anne Miller wrote:Since some artemisias are poisonous which one do you use and how do you use it as smoke?  

Tarragon (A. dracunculus) is a very popular edible herb so is this the one you use?

I spent several days trying to find the answer.  I found how to make incense, how to smoke herbs in place of tobacco, how to grow plants that clean the air and such.

DH is not a fan of candles so I only have them for emergencies and have never used them.  That said, the only way I could figure out how to use herbs other than incense would be to put them in candles.  This seems pointless as the candle itself would eliminate the odor.

I do know that some folks have a diffuser to use with essential oils and another method would be using a electric potpourri warmer.

there are incense burners that have a fine wiremesh above a candle

Tobias Ber wrote:there are incense burners that have a fine wiremesh above a candle

They are tough to get in North America at least. I imported mine

That actually might be an idea you have a candle and a mesh on top and burn your dried material on top of it. Doesn't the herb fall into the candle?

Angelika Maier wrote:That actually might be an idea you have a candle and a mesh on top and burn your dried material on top of it. Doesn't the herb fall into the candle?

The mesh is quite fine and I leave the herbs whole(ish). So no, not really. Works pretty good. Here is an example on what they use in Germany: https://www.amazon.de/Berk-KH-280-R%C3%A4ucher-Zubeh%C3%B6r-R%C3%A4ucherst%C3%B6vchen-Blume/dp/B002W0U3E4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1489010616&sr=8-1&keywords=raeucher

what I've seen in Ladakh and among Tibetans is a charcoal censer. They put some hot embers from the fire into it, and then pile the incense materials on top, and then carry it briefly around into each room of the house every morning.

yay.... we have the same burner as in simones link

could you get fine steel mesh where you are?

what about using a steel sponge? putting the stuff into it and hanging that above a candle? if you get the right height in relation to the power-heat-output of the candle, then it might work.
or use very thin (copper?) sheet metal?


coals/ambers burn too hot for most herbs and flowers IMHO.
i think, low heat and long time work best for these "gentle" flavours. it s more an evaporization of the plants "essential oils" than a burning and smoking of the whole thing.



EDIT: what about using a wire mesh tea sieve /colander?
there are stainless sheets on ebay (search "steel wire mesh")

what about one of these: http://www.ebay.de/itm/Stainless-Steel-Fine-Mesh-Wire-Flour-Colander-Sifter-Sieve-Oil-Strainer-Tool-UK-/132010862121?hash=item1ebc75e629:g:XjQAAOSw4GVYNAFk

From the research I did a few days ago, I found a lot of resin burners for frankincense that use a charcoal tablet as the fire medium. Some looked like Rebecca's example.  Lots of them on ebay.

Angelika Maier wrote:I often burn some dried herbs as incese, like artemisia rosemary or the like. The problem is that they don't burn all that well, how do you make them burn properly?

The quick lighting incense incorporates sulfer or saltpeter with charcoal...but you would have to be able to grind the herb to powder for this to work. Google search this:
Thunder Group SLTB006 Tea Ball 5-1/8"
Its from www.tigerchef.com
That might do it, suspended over a candle. If not, go onto google shopping and type in 'electric incense burners'. Never used one before so no idea if it would handle whole herb.