Ashy Taste

[dpkrause]

I have been smoking Boswell's Piper's Pleasure lately. My first time smoking it was perfect. A mild flavored tobacco with a hint of chocolate and nice room note that wife did not find offensive. The next 2 times I smoked it, it had an overwhelming ash flavor. I smoked it in the same pipe. I am wondering what I did different that would cause this? The tobacco did sit in the tobacco pouch for about 36 hours. Could I have inadvertently over dried the tobacco? Does dry tobacco cause an ash-like flavor? Your input would be appreciated.

 

[nsfisher]

I have never tried this baccy mate, sorry, but what pipe had you smoked it in? Did it have a filter? Did you run a cleaner through it afer using it? Did you let the pipe sit awhile before using it again? Need a bit more info mate.

 

[dpkrause]

I smoked it in my Peterson 408 Harp. This is the only tobacco I have smoked in this pipe. I always run a cleaner through the stem after smoking a pipe (after it has cooled). The pipe was also smoked about 24 hours later with the same tobacco. I also tried on a different pipe later in the evening with the same results.

 

[captainprophesy]

Are you stirring or mixing the lit tobacco in the bowl, instead of tampering evenly?

 

[dpkrause]

I tamp gently and not very often.

 

[keith929]

While drying does seem to have an effect on the taste of tobacco I have never had the problem you have described.

Are you sure you weren't at the bottom of the bowl?

 

[captainprophesy]

Is the taste throughout the entire bowl? or just at the end as Keith mentioned?

 

[dpkrause]

It was throughout the bowl. It was worse in the Peterson than the DiMonte. I do have some more of the tobacco sealed in a jar. I will give the fresh stuff try later and see if that makes a difference.

 

[captainprophesy]

Are you drawing very hard?... man I dont really know LOL because dry tobacco although does taste a bit different than moist tobacco shouldn't taste "ashy"

 

[dpkrause]

Maybe I am just drawing too hard. Both pipes are still a little new to me.

 

[pipewife]

Did you also wipe the ash out of your bowl? I've been happily smoking multiple bowls of Boswell blends pretty much daily since I got them - I am loving these tobaccos! - and the only time I notice an ashy taste is when there is just ash left in the bowl. I've also been sipping slowly, trying to prolong and savor the experience. Despite this, I am out of No-Bite Delight already.

 

[sparroa]

Upon occasion, I used to get an extremely ashy taste from latakia. I used to blame it on my pipes but even after they were cleaned thoroughly I still had a problem.
I'm now more inclined to believe that it has to do with tobacco moisture AND problems with my own tastebuds...

 

[crpntr1]

I've notice any blend I smoke that has va in it, if I smoke it too fast , will have a cigarette/ashy taste. Could be your issue

 

[colcolt]

My experience with this problem is smoking too fast and not "ashing" after it gets down to about half way burned. I always take a napkin or paper towel after it cools and wipe the bowl and run stems through the mouthpiece several times.

 

[lazydog]

Perhaps there really is a problem with this batch of baccy, and you just got lucky with the 1st bowl. Can you call the seller & ask his opinion????? :roll:

 

[bcirka]

Interesting comments from everyone. I experience an ashy taste in tobacco when I am smoking to fast and it gets too hot. The cooler I smoke, the more pure flavor comes through.

 

[cigrmaster]

If you are not dumping ash on a regular basis you will taste it. Also, how often are you cleaning your pipes? What is your procedure for after every bowl and how many bowls do you smoke before you do a deep cleaning.

 

[lordofthepiperings]

I don't ash midway through a smoke, but I usually don't get an ashy taste until the bowl is completely smoked and I'm trying to get one last sip out of the blend lol.

 

[nightmarejones]

Have you tried matches instead of a lighter? Because I too have had a similar issue with one of my local B&M blends.The first 2 bowls were great but after that they started getting a lil ashy,granted my blend is a golden cavendish and chocolate, but I have tried it in another pipe and same affect...Though since I have experimented with a few different packing methods and using matches instead of a lighter and the last 4 bowls have been much better.

 

[floridaboy]

Just tripped over this thread since I was having the same problem. Lots of good tips here, but in this case I think dpkrause was onto the proper cause: the tobacco was too dry. Here's why I think his first hunch was right:
I had been enjoying multiple bowls of Lane 1Q between 2 briars. I'm a slow smoker and I always clean my pipes after smoking. I stored the 1Q in a canning jar. Bowl after bowl was just great.
The 1Q sat for a couple of months before I came back to it. I let a few pinches sit for just a few minutes as usual and it smoked great. Just a few days later, though that last bowl smoked well, I remembered how prior smokes a couple months back demanded lots of relights, so I decided to let it air longer than usual. That bowl was very ashy and had none of the 1Q taste. I thought it was the pipe so my next bowl of 1Q I also let sit out longer than usual, smoked it in a different pipe, but got exactly the same ashy taste. Virtually unsmokable--I really didn't want to finish the bowl.
The ONLY difference was the drying time: same batch of 2 month old 1Q; short drying time = great smoke; long drying time = ashy taste in 2 different pipes. So I know that is the cause. Different blends may vary and there may be other causes in some instances, but this is definitely one cause for some blends to taste ashy.
For my next bowl, I'm going to let it air my usual time or less and I'm betting it'll be just fine, just like the bowl a few days ago.
Hope this helps anybody else with the same problem. Oh, I guess if you find yourself stuck with something too dry in your storage container, you could probably use one of those moisture discs to rescue it.