"ACW warships smoke question" Topic

I see most ships having black smoke coming from the smokestacks and white smoke coming from the cannon. Are there any ships that would have had white smoke coming from their smokestack or vents of any kind? Thinking particularly of "steamships", "steamboats" etc as maybe having white smoke? Or am I completely off on this one? What about monitors? Thanks.

The smoke is the product of whatever they burn in the boilers, usually coal by then I would think. Coal smoke is anything from yellowy-brown through grey to black.
The only white stuff is likely to be steam venting, like on steam trains.

It was always coal in the boilers unless they had some sort of supply problem. Coal burns hotter. The northern states had tons and tons of coal but sometimes getting it to where it was need may have been an issue from time to time. It was usually shipped by rail so that may be have been a sticking point if the lines were cut. It could also be transported by barges to naval stations further south as needed.

Black Powder smoke is always white.

Don

The only white stuff is likely to be steam venting, like on steam trains.

And that's a bad thing as your boilers are leaking or you are venting your steam. Not something you want in combat

During the Civil War along rivers, woodcutters would stack cord wood for the steamer to burn. So I certainly think a lighter wood smoke would be likely for riverine engagements. I recently (last couple of years) saw a magazine article concerning this specific issue when dealing with Shiloh and the ships involved there in supplying the Union forces.

Thank you all for your input. I just read in a book about NB Forrest "First With the Most" about gunboats and their "woodchopping details". Did sidewheelers and other steamboats use wood? Were the ship that burned coal also able to use wood if coal was unavailable? If so, would their smoke have been whitish/grayish like what comes out of the chimney when I use the fireplace?

Thank you Bill Rosser. It looks like we were writing our posts at the same time and they crossed in cyberspace. Note taken about the woodcutters.

Thanks Nashville. I see a lot of black smoke, but there IS someone in there burning white from the smokestack. Looks like a paddlewheel gunboat?

smoke form a steam engine is mostly gray being a mix of smoke from the fire box and steam used to force the venting of the fire box, the smoke turns blacker when the door is open and fuel is being put in and lightens when the door is closed.

modern run steam trains add oil and coal dust to the fuel mix to get black smoke for photo opps.

video if steam boat in operation very light smoke.

YouTube link

Darker colors for coal, White from wood. Here in Baltimore we had the William Mason, a period steam engine, out on a run a couple years back. She was burning oak, I believe. She definitely created a fine white to light grey smoke. That same day we also had a coal burner engine out. It produced a medium to dark grey smoke. Also, period steam engines do vent a great deal of steam. That is how you control the pressure, plus those boilers are not as air tight as a high pressure modern boiler. The type of coal also influences the color and amount of smoke. Higher quality coal burns cleaner than cheaper coal. I would guess because of the impurities. YouTube link

Thank you also for your input Mr DuBray and EJNashlll. I am beginning to understand. I knew that someone would be more familiar than I with the workings of the steam engine and the fuels used. This will help me with my naval miniatures. Again, I thank you all.