pipe tamping and lighting

[mihailo]

I am wondering just how char/lit you let your tobacco get, and or how much it is supposed to be? additionally how frequently do you tamp, and with what amount of force, I ask because I try to tamp every so often and with the weight of the tool, but i dont seem to get any difference in level with the ash, which seems too large/packed to me.

 

[grue]

I char for 2-3 seconds by letting the flame just graze the tobacco while I give it 3-4 good puffs. Then a few more puffs after I put out the lighter and then the tobacco usually goes out as well. I leave it for a couple of minutes and then tamp and light once again by puffing a few times again. That usually lasts me for 5-10 minutes until the next relight.
Now, about tamping. I only tamp just before a relight. If I'm about a third down the bowl or more I might tamp a bit harder so if there's any bit of charcoaled (is that a word?) tobacco it will break instead of keeping a pocket between the ash on top and the tobacco further down.
Oh, and some of the best advice I've read in here was to pack the bowl looser than you think it's loose. Big difference in lighting, tamping and puffing.

 

[ahmadothman]

I normally char by rotating my Zippo lighter around the bowl surface..so It gives the top of the tobacco a uniform red colour and it starts to expand..Then I smoke this for about 5-6 puffs.. Then tamp it down firmly with the tamper and check the draw... Relight in the same method, and tamp gently this time to make it even.. And enjoy the smoke.. You'll need to tamp afterwards ONLY if the smoke body you enjoy is getting thin.. Tamp very gently while taking slow puffs not to put it all off.. and so on.. If it goes out, don't tamp..Light first then tamp..Hope this helps

 

[shutterbugg]

I normally light my pipe, tamp just what rises, and keep smoking. Only do a 2nd light if I let the pipe sit long enough to go out. Tamping is done gently, when the draw starts to feel loose or the smoke peters out. No need to make a ritual out of it.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Bingo! What sb says......

 

[jndyer]

I always char light until when the tobacco goes out I have just a hint of grey ash on the top of the tobacco with the rest being a nice burned black.
Tamping is like SB stated.
I will add, the way that I learned to tamp was to commit to not tamping my pipe for at least 15 minutes (even if the pipe needed a relight.) This was great at helping me learn what effect that tamping had because it let a decent bed of ash form. Please understand, I only followed the arbitrary rule until I effectively learned to tamp. Of course YMMV.

 

[lotharen]

Interesting read here guys. I've been doing the same - Char, tamp, relight. Have not quite figured out when I'm suppose to dump the ash, is it when you think your at half a bowl or below? Then rake it out, tamp and relight?

 

[sailortodd]

I don't typically do a char light. If I start to light and the tobacco expands appreciably I'll stop lighting, tamp it down and start lighting again. If it is sort of lit, but not great, I'll tamp as I'm puffing and it generally gets the tobacco going faster. And then similarly to Ahmad and shutter I gently tamp when the smoke starts getting thin. I tamp with very little force while taking short puffs.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Dump the ash as needed! I dump only if it inhibits a relight.

 

[shawnofthedead]

Light whilst rotating works, but if certain parts of the surface is hard to light, focus the flame on that part more. When the entire surface had been charred, tamp very gently until the surface is flat again. Light again in the same way, this time it should be easier to get the full surface lit. In the case that it is still difficult (happens to certain tobaccos and certain cuts), do another charring light. I personally like to do a final light tamping after the "true" light. The weight of your tamper needs to be taken into account: if your tamper is very light, use a little force when tamping; if it's fairly heavy, you should use no force or even hold it back a bit.

 

[philobeddoe]

I light the tobacco to char the surface. I then tamp down to extinguish the embers and create a uniform surface. I then relight and start puffing. I start tamping whenever the bowl starts to draw "differently", as I cannot think of a better word. After a light tamping I relight, if needed and keep puffing. I dump ash once it gets fluffy enough to move in the bowl. It's hard to describe these actions, as I've been doing them for so long, they are more muscle memory than conscious action. I tamp as often as needed, using the tamp to measure how much tobacco is left in the bowl, until the bowl is done.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Light whilst rotating works, but if certain parts of the surface is hard to light, focus the flame on that part more. When the entire surface had been charred, tamp very gently until the surface is flat again. Light again in the same way, this time it should be easier to get the full surface lit. In the case that it is still difficult (happens to certain tobaccos and certain cuts), do another charring light. I personally like to do a final light tamping after the "true" light. The weight of your tamper needs to be taken into account: if your tamper is very light, use a little force when tamping; if it's fairly heavy, you should use no force or even hold it back a bit.

If your tobacco is at the right moisture level, all that becomes ritual. Nice for some, but wholly unnecessary, the tamping, re-tamping and relighting for most bowls. Sometimes you have to char and relight, many times not.

 

[jabo]

Ramping and lighting come from experience.Experience comes from smoking your pipe. I've found that different tobacoos require different techniques the same as packing. In other words, there is no pat answer. An art, not a siencr.

 

[dottiewarden]

Many good tips here.
If you read closely you will notice our object with both the charring light and the tamping is to achieve and maintain an even burn. A charring light is common practice and the purpose is to toast the top layer of tobacco to ensure an even burn right from the start. This is unnecessary if the tobacco is quite dry, correctly packed and lit with care. Careful packing also is done with the aim of assuring an even burn with no fuss. However, if you are a sloppy packer as I am, codger scoop usually, tamping is necessary to even up the burn. I usually do this by pulling the unburnt tobacco away from the edge of the bowl and into the center. I then tamp lightly just to put the unburnt tobacco in direct contact with the ember.
This all requires some fiddling and time on the pipe. As jabo suggests, with experience you'll get the hang of it!