More Tobacco Causes More Problems?

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sebastian

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jan 5, 2013
147
0
Ive not been smoking a pipe very long. For the most part, (after much reading on this site as well as others) I've enjoyed a good bit of success, and have had few problems...until now.
My first pipe was a very short, no name pipe, with an almost Rhodesian shape, and a fairly small bowl. I never had any trouble with it. It never got too hot, and I may have to relight it a couple times during a smoke, but never thought much of it.
My second was a Dr. Grabow, also with a pretty small bowl. Aside from the cheap plastic stem, it has always been a pleasurable smoke as well. It stays relatively cool, and I can easily smoke it all the way to the bottom without a problem.
For my third pipe, I found a pretty good deal on a Peterson box set. It is a Donegal Rocky 106, that came with a Zippo pipe lighter. Lastly, my fourth pipe, is a Savinelli Spring, in a bent bulldog shape. Both of these pipes are still in the "breaking in" phase, and as such, I've mostly smoked half full bowls in them. However, these pipes can hold nearly twice the amount of tobacco as the first two.
Ive not had any problems with the half bowls. I actually thought I was really getting the hang of it, until last night. The Peterson had been resting longer than the Savinelli, so I loaded it up nearly to the top with a blend of tobacco that I get from my local B&M that he refers to as "Picadilly". This was to be the first time I had smoked a full bowl from this pipe since I've owned it. About halfway through, it seemed like the smoke was wet, and thin. The pipe started getting hot, yet did not want to stay lit very well. So, I decided to just cut my losses, and emptied the bowl.
My thoughts are that even though I laid the tobacco out to dry, the humid air we've had lately with all the rain (in the Houston area) did not let it dry out well enough. I plan to attempt a full bowl again tonight, but I will do it in the Savinelli, while I give the Peterson a thorough cleaning. I also think I may try drying the tobacco in the microwave for a few seconds, as I've read others on here use that method.

 

hans

Starting to Get Obsessed
Dec 3, 2012
189
1
There are many factors that could affect this.

Smoking too fast, puffing like a freight train, the way it's packed, the tobacco itself and the pipe itself.

Just keep trying and be careful of your packing technique next time.

I'm sure you'll get tons of advice very shortly!

 

pstlpkr

Lifer
Dec 14, 2009
9,694
31
Birmingham, AL
Welcome Sebastian!
Thanks for joining and posting up.
Please check rule #9 at the bottom here:

http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/forum-rules-read-before-posting-please-1
I fixed the title for you.

 

cortezattic

Lifer
Nov 19, 2009
15,147
7,637
Chicago, IL
Welcome Sebastian! I think you're smart to consider the local temperature and humidity as part of the equation. IMO, too dry is better than too moist -- and in Houston the humidity will always be a factor. Although it's generally more comfortable in Chicago, where I live, we still have some humid days in the summer. I'm a big advocate of using a hot air blower to dry the tobacco; and the one below has a nice low velocity so tobacco doesn't fly all over the place.



 

sebastian

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jan 5, 2013
147
0
Thanks for the encouragement and suggestions. I will give it another go tonight, and report back.
Thank you for the correction, Lawrence. I will get it correct next time.

 

knightmare

Lurker
Apr 10, 2012
36
0
Sebastian:
I agree completely with Rothnh and your own speculation. If you start smoking and start noticing the pipe is getting hot, and when you draw in, you're getting basically no smoke just warm-almost-steam-like air, stop smoking. Your tobacco is too moist. The method Rothnh described is very good, especially with the pinch test. I personally would not use a microwave to dry tobacco. That just seems like a sure fire way to ruin the tobacco, though I've never personally tried it.
Either way you did the right thing abandoning that bowl. If you continued to smoke it, it would have only gotten hotter and potentially endangered the pipe itself. Not to mention burn your tongue.

 

sebastian

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jan 5, 2013
147
0
Success!
When I came in from work today, I found that the Magical Brown Truck of Happiness had visited and dropped of my order from Smokingpipes.com. I opened the box to find a brand spanking new Peterson Bent Bulldog and the 5 tin sampler that I've been dying to get my hands on.

It wasted no time in deciding which tin to open first...Old Dublin it would be.
I did not want to chance ruining this tobacco, and so did not try the microwave method. I instead sprinkled a bowls worth on a small teacup saucer and left it to dry. A half hour later, I carefully packed it in the Savinelli, chared the bowl and lightly tamped it down. I then opened a fresh bottle of Shiner Farmhouse Ale and lit the pipe. I had no idea what I had been missing. This Latakia stuff is absolutely wonderful. So, I have managed to smoke my first full bowl (in this pipe), tried my first tinned tobacco, and my first Latakia blend, all at once. This must be as good as it gets.

 

bigboi

Lifer
Nov 12, 2012
1,192
3
It is pretty nice isn't sebastian. A little later tonight I am going to sit down with a Jack Lee Blend called Honey Malt and a 21st Ammendment brewery Brew or Die IPA.

Welcome to the forums by the way!!!

 

lestrout

Lifer
Jan 28, 2010
1,758
283
Chester County, PA
Sebastian - a gentler way to dehumidify the tobacco without toasting it (making it into a different animal) would be to get a desk lamp with an old fashioned incandescent light bulb and tilting it so that it's a few inches over the tobacco. A few minutes of that will dry the tobacco quickly.
hp

les

 

nsfisher

Lifer
Nov 26, 2011
3,566
20
Nova Scotia, Canada
Here is another thought for you mate. I find with the small bowls, there is not as much time, during your smoke to accumulate alot of moisture, but with the larger bowls....... there is. When smoking your larger bowled pipes, about twice during your smoke, run a pipe cleaner tru the stem to the bowl. This will help reduce the moisture and enable you to enjoy it longer.

 

cigrmaster

Lifer
May 26, 2012
20,249
57,280
66
Sarasota Florida
Welcome to the site Sebastian and congrats on having a great smoke. I am with roth on this, patience is a virtue. I love in Sarasota FL so I know all about humidity. There are certain blends of mine that I let sit out for hours before they get dry enough. I just smoke something else while waiting. I have plenty of blends that are ready to smoke out of the tin so I will plan my menu of smoking.

 

dragonslayer

Lifer
Dec 28, 2012
1,026
7
Pittsburgh
Harris I didn't know you lived in Sarasota, spent 2 winters there in '80 and '82 was fantastic. Single at the time I really enjoyed the weekly selection of new vacationing girls ;) Is Ledo beach still nude? Heading north on 40 is an Outside Bar/gas station still in business? My grandparents had a house a couple blocks in and used to start the evening there, playing on the 6' pool table drinking the buck a beer games. Then into town to a bar I can't remember the name, but had about 5 different sections. Some of the best times in my life were there!
Ummm the Oyster bar... Newspaper, buckets and warm Budwieser. Heaven.

 

guitarguy86

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 6, 2012
703
0
Welcome Sebastian.
Some of the other members suggested to me that if my pipe starts to goop, then run a pipe cleaner through the pipe and/or cover the bowl while blowing through the stem. It works great for me. However, like others have said here, if the pipe gets too hot, let it rest.
:puffy:

 
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