Wet smoke/Bite issue

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guitarguy86

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 6, 2012
703
0
I just took about six blends out of my box because they were biting as well as accumulating moisture in the bottom of my pipe. I noticed that those ones I took out were darker than the ones I kept/preferred. Do darker tobaccos tend to bite more than lighter ones? I’m assuming maybe darker ones have more additives as well, which melt off to create wet smoke in the pipe. I’m fairly new to pipe smoking, and I don’t want to quit because I couldn’t find enough blends I liked.

Thank you for any advice.

 

weezell

Lifer
Oct 12, 2011
13,653
49,163
Smokin wet and technique.Ya need to find the right band, and a good gig.Read what some of these forums have to offer my friend :D

 

pstlpkr

Lifer
Dec 14, 2009
9,694
31
Birmingham, AL
Good question.

In my experience, (I smoke Aromatics and generally right out of the pouch... no drying) too rapid smoking and packing too tightly will lead to a hot smoke and an excessive accumulation of moisture in the bottom of the pipe producing "gurgle" and steam. Steam will irritate your tongue as one would expect.
As for "dark tobaccos" tending to bite more than lighter tobaccos... as a general rule... no.

Burly tobacco blends can bite, (perceived as a tightness in the back of your throat) they generally appear lighter in color than some others.
YMMV... IMHO

:puffy:

 

spartan

Lifer
Aug 14, 2011
2,963
7
Are they aromatic blends?
A lot of aromatics will have the goop that makes them never really dry out and are almost garunteed to gurgle and leave a wet mess in the bottom of your pipe.
If drying them out and smoking slowly don't work then it's no fault of your own. Blame it on the goop.
You might want to give a higher caliber of aromatics a try? I could only reccomend Lane Limited's selection.
We do have a few aromatic specialists here who should be glad to steer you in a good direction.
If it's an english blend... then dry it out more and smoke slowly.
And your first assumption of darker tobaccos being bitey and more wet is wrong if it's an english blend. There are plenty of all natural tobaccos that are black as night, but just have been processed in a way that darkens them to bring out a different array of flavors.
As for the blends that bite. I haven't come across a remedy yet that will fix a blend that bites.
To be clear when we pipers talk about a tobacco "biting" it's not the heat or steam that we are refferring to. It's just a chemical reaction (or PH levels) between the smoke and your mouth. Some blends will just bite you and you can't smoke them because it literally hurts too much to keep smoking the blend.
Keep pressing on and trying every style you can get your hands on. Won't be hard to find some great smokes.
Welcome to the forums and good luck on your journey. :puffy:
Edit: Lawrence is correct that a mouthful of steam won't feel very nice on the tongue/mouth, but steam and a tobacco that bites are two separate feelings. Neither are enjoyable.

 

cigrmaster

Lifer
May 26, 2012
20,249
57,280
66
Sarasota Florida
Welcome guitarguy. If you tell us which blends are biting we can probably give you even more info than you have already received which has been great so far. I have an adverse chemical reaction to any Virginia blend produced by McClellend. I have tried so many over the years and didn't realize why I couldn't smoke them until I came here and understood about PH levels. It could be that simple for you, or it could be an issue of smoking tobacco not dried enough, or packed too tight or smoked too quickly. I think you get the point. The more info you give the easier it will be for us too help.

 

taerin

Lifer
May 22, 2012
1,851
1
The darkest blends I have have zero bite and I am very tongue sensitive. I think heavy latakia blends typically have less bite.

 

ohiopuffer

Can't Leave
May 18, 2012
351
0
I know I have said it before on here but give some of Boswells tobaccos a try they make great aromatics and I have never had a gurgle or bite problem with any of their tobacco.

 

guitarguy86

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 6, 2012
703
0
I took out of my box; Black Cavendish, Midnight, Cherry Cream, Black Cherry, and Highland Whiskey. All of these were from John T's Gifts. I just purchased Captain Black white bag, as well as some Super Value Vanilla. I really like these two. I plan on purchasing a new pipe or two next month as well as a lot of different tobaccos. I am going to read up on everyone's suggestions. Thanks everyone :)

 

baronsamedi

Lifer
May 4, 2011
5,688
5
Dallas
Try a couple of English blends, like the Frog Morton series, or my favorite, Black House. Latakia is strong smelling and smoky, but it's smooth and I've never found it to be bitey at all. gotta warn you though. The Dark Side is addictive! If it turns out you're a Latakia lover, you're home free!

 

judcole

Lifer
Sep 14, 2011
7,147
32,909
Detroit
Are they aromatic blends?
A lot of aromatics will have the goop that makes them never really dry out and are almost garunteed to gurgle and leave a wet mess in the bottom of your pipe.



If drying them out and smoking slowly don't work then it's no fault of your own. Blame it on the goop.
Black Cavendish, Midnight, Cherry Cream, Black Cherry, and Highland Whiskey. All of these were from John T's Gifts. I just purchased Captain Black white bag, as well as some Super Value Vanilla.
Spartan nailed your problem.

 

tiltjlp

Can't Leave
Apr 9, 2011
396
0
Cheviot Ohio
guitarguy86, I'll offer my dad's advice from when I started smoking a pipe back in 1959. I still use his tips, and have never had any problems. You'll need to follow all of the pointers for a week or two in order to see if they work for you.
The Vernon Cool & Dry Method
Dry your tobacco more than you think you need to.

Pack looser than you think you need to.

Smoke slower than you think you need to.

Tamp less, and more lightly, than you think you need to.

Clean your pipes after every smoke, using pipe spirits.

Don’t worry if you have a few relights.

 

spartan

Lifer
Aug 14, 2011
2,963
7
So to cigrmaster, are you saying that different people have different reactions?
Yes.
A blend may bite one person, and yet appear as smooth as silk to another.
Can you MAKE yourself like brussel sprouts? No. You can mix it with other stuff to lessen the taste. But the veggie you hate is still in there!
It's the same with tobacco that bites. It's very personal and noone's fault really.
I have asked if aging a blend would lesson the bite of a blend over time, or if something simple can be done to it to lessen or get rid of the bite... but have not found any answers yet.

 

mluyckx

Lifer
Dec 5, 2011
1,958
3
Texas
Yep... Spartan nailed it absolutely
So to cigrmaster, are you saying that different people have different reactions?
Many here love Latakia blends. It seems to give me a sore mouth. Others here have the problem with Virginia's. I love Virginia and especially Virginia/Perique blends. Not a single issue.
I also second getting some high quality aromatics from Lane, Cornell & Diehl, Hearth & Home. They've got a ton of good ones that should suit your flavor palate.

 
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