I almost never plan ahead. I usually get home and after dinner pick a pipe and then the tobacco or vice versa. If the tobacco is moist I microwave for a few seconds and let it sit.
Do You Plan Ahead On Which Tobacco?
- Thread starter indianafrank
- Start date
SmokingPipes.com Updates
Watch for Updates Twice a Week
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
Site Sponsors
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
- Status
@trailboss.
Sooo many choices, so little time, lol!
By the way, I have posted a few reviews, but not nearly enough to cover all of those blends.
Sooo many choices, so little time, lol!
By the way, I have posted a few reviews, but not nearly enough to cover all of those blends.
I don't really and I don't generally dry out my tobacco's unless I'm having a specific problem with it being very wet. I usually smoke a Falcon pipe not sure if perhaps they are good at dealing with the moisture in tobacco. Usually I will just adjust the way I smoke depending on how wet or dry a tobacco is and how hot or cool it smokes.
Guess there is no right or wrong just what works.
Guess there is no right or wrong just what works.
yo trail - a little more math for you: my 'puter tells me I have over 1200 blends on hand now along with over 400 tobacco burning implements. I average 3 bowls a day. How long do I have to live to get these all sorted? (assuming no more TAD or PAD, which is highly unlikely).
I do have some algorithms which set my puffing protocol: first of all, a carryover from my wine tasting days, I think in terms of sequencing a day's bowls. I start light, and end up heavy. If I have a particularly interesting Balkan in line, I might start the day with a light VA, since VAs make my Lats taste sooo much better.
Sometimes I line up a heavy blend to finish the day, so that means I have to decide how to calibrate and work up to it. Also, some of my pipes are dedicated to VA/VAPers or solely VAs, so not all the potential blend/pipe combinations are available.
The middle bowl of the day is often when I explore a blend that I'm not too familiar with, and if I get through it thinking my palate needs a reset, I'll straighten things out with a LatBomb like Old Ironsides or Pirate Kake.
A lot of my mentality is geared towards firming up my Top200 Cellar. Since I keep finding new candidates, I spend some time trying to find blends to demote off the list. When I am driving to or from ffishing trips, I'll often burn these bad boys up since I'm paying more attention to my ffishing planning and driving than to the puffing.
Then there is the problem of breaking in new pipes: I try to start off with known controls that are fairly neutral, and I try to qualify each new one as a potential dedicatee to VAs. So stuff like Prince Albert, MacBaren Virginia No.1 and such will occupy those first few bowls, which tends to interrupt my normal blend and pipe sequencing.
hp
les
I do have some algorithms which set my puffing protocol: first of all, a carryover from my wine tasting days, I think in terms of sequencing a day's bowls. I start light, and end up heavy. If I have a particularly interesting Balkan in line, I might start the day with a light VA, since VAs make my Lats taste sooo much better.
Sometimes I line up a heavy blend to finish the day, so that means I have to decide how to calibrate and work up to it. Also, some of my pipes are dedicated to VA/VAPers or solely VAs, so not all the potential blend/pipe combinations are available.
The middle bowl of the day is often when I explore a blend that I'm not too familiar with, and if I get through it thinking my palate needs a reset, I'll straighten things out with a LatBomb like Old Ironsides or Pirate Kake.
A lot of my mentality is geared towards firming up my Top200 Cellar. Since I keep finding new candidates, I spend some time trying to find blends to demote off the list. When I am driving to or from ffishing trips, I'll often burn these bad boys up since I'm paying more attention to my ffishing planning and driving than to the puffing.
Then there is the problem of breaking in new pipes: I try to start off with known controls that are fairly neutral, and I try to qualify each new one as a potential dedicatee to VAs. So stuff like Prince Albert, MacBaren Virginia No.1 and such will occupy those first few bowls, which tends to interrupt my normal blend and pipe sequencing.
hp
les
Sometimes if I know I'm gonna sit down later for a pipe I might pre-load the pipe and let it sit for a bit until I have a chance to go out to the shop and enjoy it. I only do that with flakes, cakes etc. Anything that's fairly moist. I rarely do that though. Most of the time I pick my pipe first and then based on the pipe I want to smoke I pick out a tobacco for that pipe. I'm one of the few that picks the pipe first and the tobacco second (most of the time). If after I've chosen a pipe and then choose a tobacco that is fairly moist I'll give it about 20 minutes before I load the bowl. Its not a long time to dry but it helps some.
As for the dampened experience I would say you could spin it in your favor for more enjoyment. If I've pre-loaded a bowl I can go about my afternoon doing whatever it is, and off and on think about how good that bowl of said tobacco is going to be really good once I sit down to enjoy it.
As for the dampened experience I would say you could spin it in your favor for more enjoyment. If I've pre-loaded a bowl I can go about my afternoon doing whatever it is, and off and on think about how good that bowl of said tobacco is going to be really good once I sit down to enjoy it.
The only time I "plan ahead" I guess would be when I crack a tin. Once I crack a tin I smoke it until it's gone. Then I go back to my daily bulks for a while. I have a variety of bulks and usually grab whatever I feel like at the moment.
Wow everyone has their own system.
Since you asked - I smoke a bowl a day, after dinner and maybe a few extra on the weekend. I rotate two pipes a week, which I have collected in pairs (two stanwells, two Canadians, two pots, etc) so each pipe gets a days rest between smokes and about four smokes per week. On Fridays I clean the two pipes and take out two more.
The pipe picks the tobacco. Through trial and error (or personal preference) I know which tobacco goes well with each pipe I have. I have about four or five tins open at any given time and smoke through those before I pop a new one.
I only dry the tobacco for a few minutes on the bar before each smoke. I think drying pipe tobacco excessively ruins the flavor.
On the weekend if it is nice outside I have been known to smoke a cigar instead.
Since you asked - I smoke a bowl a day, after dinner and maybe a few extra on the weekend. I rotate two pipes a week, which I have collected in pairs (two stanwells, two Canadians, two pots, etc) so each pipe gets a days rest between smokes and about four smokes per week. On Fridays I clean the two pipes and take out two more.
The pipe picks the tobacco. Through trial and error (or personal preference) I know which tobacco goes well with each pipe I have. I have about four or five tins open at any given time and smoke through those before I pop a new one.
I only dry the tobacco for a few minutes on the bar before each smoke. I think drying pipe tobacco excessively ruins the flavor.
On the weekend if it is nice outside I have been known to smoke a cigar instead.
I often plan, but often rebound from the plan and grab something else. Except with really moist tobacco,
I don't focus on putting it out to dry. Often I'll mix tobaccos and let it dry in the mixing bowl and use it
when the mood strikes me. I haven't had any dry out beyond being good. I like a variety of kinds of tobacco,
so I can bounce around in my rotation from English, to burley blends, to an occasional aromatic, to a mix
of tobaccos, to a Balkan, and so on. Often, the planned blend just isn't what I want, but usually something
else is. About half the time I'll plan and stick to the plan.
I don't focus on putting it out to dry. Often I'll mix tobaccos and let it dry in the mixing bowl and use it
when the mood strikes me. I haven't had any dry out beyond being good. I like a variety of kinds of tobacco,
so I can bounce around in my rotation from English, to burley blends, to an occasional aromatic, to a mix
of tobaccos, to a Balkan, and so on. Often, the planned blend just isn't what I want, but usually something
else is. About half the time I'll plan and stick to the plan.
I often plan but more often change my mind. Also I am quite inpatient to dry them out and I get relight problems all the time. See some folks microwave the tobac to quicken the drying time...does that leave the smell in the ironbox? How's the wives react? just curious
Mostly, no; but sometimes I will have a yen for a particular tobacco and will plan to smoke it at a certain time.
Today my plan is:
Irish Oak in a Chacom Canadian
Comoy's Cask No. 7 with a pinch of Irish Flake in a Bulldog marked Golden Age
Obester Vanilla in a Bulldog marked St. Regis
The IO is ready to spark. The No. 7 will be set to dry for a couple of hours or so, and the Cbester just requires 10 minutes air time.
Irish Oak in a Chacom Canadian
Comoy's Cask No. 7 with a pinch of Irish Flake in a Bulldog marked Golden Age
Obester Vanilla in a Bulldog marked St. Regis
The IO is ready to spark. The No. 7 will be set to dry for a couple of hours or so, and the Cbester just requires 10 minutes air time.
I only smoke a few bowls a week, so I plan out what I'm smoking for the month. I pick an arro, english/balkin/DFK, virginia/VAPER, to smoke for the month and then switch the jars to somthing else next month.
- Status