The Gurgling Pipe

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kane

Can't Leave
Dec 2, 2014
429
3
Hi folks,

I've got a good rotation of pipes now and have learned a good basic technique for smoking (thanks in the main to these forums!). I don't let my pipes get hot, I smoke slow with gentle sips to just keep the pipe going, but there is one pipe in my rotation that always gurgles. It's a good quality pipe I think, a W.O. Larsen; it smokes cool enough, yet it will always gurgle after a while. Why will a pipe be prone to gurgling, even when the smoker is keeping it cool? Is it a design issue? A mismatch of tobacco to pipe? Is there anything that can be done to remediate it? Or is it just the way it goes with some pipes? It's not the end of the world, I still enjoy smoking it. I just put a pipe cleaner in when it does it and let it sit for a bit before I go back to it, but it is a special case.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
kane, since it is only one pipe in your rotation, I would guess that it is probably a combination

of the design of the pipe and the tobacco you smoke in it. For example, bent pipes, especially

fully bent pipes, tend to gurgle more because of the shape of the stem and shank that is more

prone to collect moisture. Wet tobaccos such as some aromatics tend to create more moisture

and gurgle more. Sometimes you can counteract this by tamping down the tobacco so it burns

a little hotter and faster, enough to dry out the moisture. Also, you have to be sure to rest the

pipe several days between smokes so moisture doesn't accumulate. This may be a straight pipe,

and you may be smoking only carefully dried non-aromatic leaf, then the problem is in some

other aspect of the pipe's design. Those are my best guesses. A little more information might

have gotten me more on target. Welcome to Forums.

 

kane

Can't Leave
Dec 2, 2014
429
3
mso489,

It is a straight pipe, smoking fairly dry Dunhill english blends. It's a nice smoking pipe other than it's tendency to gurgle. Thank you for your input.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
Interesting ... something is backing up the moisture. Maybe the airway takes a hitch between

the stem and the briar and is building up condensation. You might try running a pipe cleaner

through it when it starts to gurgle and see if it comes out wet. If it annoys you, a trip to pipe

repair might improve if not eliminate this.

 

buster

Lifer
Sep 1, 2011
1,305
3
I have taken a drill to open up the draw on a pipe or three. Not sure if you should try this at home but it seemed to help on my $9 Ebay estates I had a gurgle in. Seriously this might backfire on you so I release my responsibility in advance of any actions you take.

 

michiganlover

Can't Leave
May 10, 2014
336
3
Check and see if the bottom of the bowl is lower than the point where the draft hole enters the pipe. Any tobacco brow the level of the draft hole will never burn, and just serve as a moisture trap causing a constant gurgle. This issue can be fixed by filling in the bottom of the pipe with pipe mud.

 

boilermakerandy

Starting to Get Obsessed
Nov 27, 2014
248
0
I can't stand a wet smoker, I have a Peterson that smokes wet and it is also a straight stem. I'm not sure what causes it in some pipes especially straight stemmed pipes smoking good English blend tobaccos like the Dunhill blends. I have other pipes that will smoke just about anything and remain dry though the entire bowl.

 

newbroom

Lifer
Jul 11, 2014
6,087
6,394
Florida
Sometimes I'll have gurgle with a specific pipe, and other times I won't. If the pipe I am using will accept a cleaner, I'll pass it through to the bowl and on many of these occasions I'll withdraw the cleaner to find it has grabbed a strand or so of ribbon cut VA or small pieces of baccy that may have got into the draw hole.

If the pipe has a screw in stem with metal fittings, I'll break it down and do the stem and bowl and reassemble to complete my smoke.

The one thing about pipe smoking that appeals to me is that it helps me to develop patience, which is something that helps with day to day stress.

 

mustanggt

Part of the Furniture Now
Dec 6, 2012
819
4
I think that some of the gurgling that goes on with some of my pipes is the construction. A gap between the mortise and tenon allows the condensate to drop out and be trapped. I have not tried it yet but I am going to try putting a little bit of super glue on the end of the tenon and let it dry then fit it, sand a little if necessary and see if that solves the problem. Worth a shot.

 

smokerman

Lurker
Jan 1, 2015
5
0
Santa Cruz, California
Gurgling - or a "Dottle" problem? I am new and have a question for you.....
Hi guys, I am back for more introductory pipe smoking tips.
This time I question the use of metal screens in pipes.
My new carved pear wood pipe arrived today, I am about to break it in for the 1st time.
I found this info, is this myth or truth?

---------------------------------------------------

"Pipe Screen
A metal screen made of brass or steel that is placed towards the bottom of a tobacco pipe about 1/8 inch from the bottom. It is used to prevent Dottle from forming and being drawn into the stem filter or into the smokers mouth.
Dottle is truly disgusting and for pipe smokers that "Push" (push saliva down the stem into the bowl accidentally) dottle is unavoidable without using a screen.
John used to avoid smoking black cavendish because it's sweet flavor would cause him to push, and the resulting dottle would ruin his pipe forever. Now that John bought a pack of pipe screens he can finally smoke black cavendish without forming dottle! "
--------------------------------------

Quote taken from:
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Pipe+Screen

 

mcitinner1

Lifer
Apr 5, 2014
4,043
24
Missouri
Does anyone here use a screen in their pipe?.....NOOO! Screens are for something else. Dottle is the bit of tobacco at the bottom of a smoked bowl that is dampish and mostly bad tasting. It is a normal result of burning tobacco. When tobacco burns it releases moisture that turns into steam that can cause bite if smoked too fast. I personally dump the dottle all the time. If it tastes bad, dump it. Some say they smoke to the bottom of the bowl. I say, dump, dump, dump it. 8)

 

michiganlover

Can't Leave
May 10, 2014
336
3
Pipoe screens are never used with tobacco, they're for wacky weed.
Dottle is a normal thing, its not going to "ruin your pipe forever".

 

boilermakerandy

Starting to Get Obsessed
Nov 27, 2014
248
0
I personally dump the dottle all the time. If it tastes bad, dump it.
Same here, I almost always dump it except for those fairly rare occasions when for some reason the combination of tobacco and pipe (probably has something to do with the moisture content of the leaf being near perfect) produces a perfect burn all the way to the bottom of the bowl. If you think about it dottle is a lot like a filter on a cigarette and must accumulate all sorts of tars and other nasties from all the smoke being drawn through it, that's probably reason enough to dump it.

 

joshb83

Can't Leave
Feb 25, 2015
310
2
That would make a good slogan for beginners, "dump that dottle!" I can hear them chanting now

 

menuhin

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 21, 2014
642
3
If I must smoke something a bit too moist in my non-filtered pipes, I would use these Denicool filter crystals. In no way I would not dump the resulting dottle when it approaches bottom of the bowl.
Denicool%20crystal%20filters.gif


 
Mar 1, 2014
3,646
4,916
Oh dear, and I just bought a sink strainer that looks like it would be perfect for keeping dottle out of the draft hole.

I don't care what people think, I'm going to try it.
The idea of keeping tobacco away from the draft hole is probably why I like the "air pocket" method so much. Now I'm just looking for a mechanical aid to make packing less fiddly.

At least now I know why people don't commonly use them.

 
Aug 14, 2012
2,872
123
Michigan: I haven't heard of "wacky weed" in maybe 35 years. Gurgling happens. Just use a pipecleaner while smoking.

 

joshb83

Can't Leave
Feb 25, 2015
310
2
completely agree with foggymountain. its a pretty normal thing that i'm sure we've all dealt with at one time or another. Keep in mind, temperature can effect it too. If you go from inside to outside and thhere is a temperature shift, it can cause a quick condensation of sorts and may also be an issue. Although, some pipes, and tobaccos just have that issue. pipe cleaner will fix it in seconds.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
Don't sweat dottle. If you happen to smoke down to white ash, with good flavor all the way, that's fun and it's great. But otherwise, don't worry about dottle. It's done its job filtering the smoke and acting as a bed for the burning leaf. It's not wasted. Forget the screen gizmo. Tobacco pipe smokers don't use those, never have, never will.

 
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