Am I doing Something Wrong?
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Maybe, maybe not. Some pipes tend to gurgle, even if you are an experienced pipe smoker and do everything right.
What are you smoking and is it too moist? Some over the counter tobaccos are notorious for being too moist, and that can lead to gurgling. Even "higher quality" tobaccos are sometimes shipped a bit on the moist side. Seems that the optimum moisture for processing tobacco is somewhat higher than what most people find to be the optimum for smoking.
So, you could try drying your tobacco a bit before you smoke. Spread out some tobacco on a paper plate or coffee filter or paper towel and sit it under a desk lamp for a bit (half hour?) and see if that helps. Some recommend the microwave, though I've never tried that myself.
But, it could be you. Perhaps you are puffing too hard. Slow down. Take your time. There is moisture in the tobacco and water vapor is one of the by-products of combustion and if you puff too hard, moisture can collect.
Finally, get yourself some extra long pipe cleaners and if you get some gurgling run a pipe cleaner down the stem to dry it out.
What are you smoking and is it too moist? Some over the counter tobaccos are notorious for being too moist, and that can lead to gurgling. Even "higher quality" tobaccos are sometimes shipped a bit on the moist side. Seems that the optimum moisture for processing tobacco is somewhat higher than what most people find to be the optimum for smoking.
So, you could try drying your tobacco a bit before you smoke. Spread out some tobacco on a paper plate or coffee filter or paper towel and sit it under a desk lamp for a bit (half hour?) and see if that helps. Some recommend the microwave, though I've never tried that myself.
But, it could be you. Perhaps you are puffing too hard. Slow down. Take your time. There is moisture in the tobacco and water vapor is one of the by-products of combustion and if you puff too hard, moisture can collect.
Finally, get yourself some extra long pipe cleaners and if you get some gurgling run a pipe cleaner down the stem to dry it out.
dont take it apart while the pipes is still heated, you can mess it up to where the parts wont fit tightly.
Basic tobacco 101
only clean pipe after it has cooled down
dry your tobacco for smoking, while it is packaged with enough moisture to help the aging process while its still enclosed that moisture is generally to much for smoking. Rub out your baccy or if its loose cut then let it air dry anywhere from half hour to six hours depending on how wet it is.
bent the tip slightly and it should help get the pipe cleaner past any bends.
and last but not lest, after you have a stable ember in the bowl sip the pipe dont give it a BJ lol(ie dont puff) Puffing too much will make the water content of the baccy build up, and churchwardens are longer stemmed to cool the smoke which will also add more moisture in the pipe to make it gurgle. Nice slow sips will help.
Basic tobacco 101
only clean pipe after it has cooled down
dry your tobacco for smoking, while it is packaged with enough moisture to help the aging process while its still enclosed that moisture is generally to much for smoking. Rub out your baccy or if its loose cut then let it air dry anywhere from half hour to six hours depending on how wet it is.
bent the tip slightly and it should help get the pipe cleaner past any bends.
and last but not lest, after you have a stable ember in the bowl sip the pipe dont give it a BJ lol(ie dont puff) Puffing too much will make the water content of the baccy build up, and churchwardens are longer stemmed to cool the smoke which will also add more moisture in the pipe to make it gurgle. Nice slow sips will help.
I think you will find it is the general design of the church warden. In essence warm smoke, going down a long narrow passage way that is cooler, by virtue of outside surrounding temperature will cause condensation - same principle used for distilling scotch, moonshine etc. If my memory serves me correctly aren't these the pipes they used to stick out of church windows to smoke during boring and highly political sermons in the 1700s?
No matter how moist the tobacco (I don't dry mine, with few exceptions) no pipe should gurgle, no matter how you smoke it. Just my opinion, but if I have a pipe that gurgles, I either chamfer the end of the stem with my knife, or get rid of it. Chamfering usually does the trick, because it seems that that is usually where the gurgle happens as a moisture bubble can accumulate there.
Some pipes just gurgle - so I would guess that it's the pipe (but I think everything Wilson wrote is true too). I will say that I have found that many of pipes build up moisture while smoking in the winter. I attribute this to my pipes being on the cold side and when heating tobacco - hot meets cold = moisture. So you could try "warming" up the pipe before smoking to see if that helps any.
That said, even though excess moisture builds in even my best pipes during winter, none of them gurgle.
That said, even though excess moisture builds in even my best pipes during winter, none of them gurgle.
+1 w/others ~ It could be just bad engineering of the pipe ( what model is it? ), smoking too fast, bacci has too much moisture ~ Try drying out bacci a lil more, smoke a little slower and if all that still doesn't work it could just be the pipe's engineering; just run some pipe-cleaners through it while smoking to dry it out and enjoy the smoke :
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No worries, just try those other suggestions; Make sure there is not too much moisture in the bacci, smoking speed ( slow-slow and SLOW ), etc. to see if that reduce the gurgle. I have pipes/bent models from top pipe masters that "gurgle", I just pass a pipe cleaner through it to dry and continue on the smoke ::
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Practice and patience will make this problem go away. It's common with new smokers who clench bent pipes, regardless of how long you dry your tobacco. Try touching the button very lightly to the outside of your lips and take gentle sips. Mind your cadence. As your lips moisten, move the pipe to the other (dry) side of your mouth. Repeat. Try not to clench for very long. Hold the pipe in your hand and just gently rest it on your lips. This will help you smoke dry and avoid the unintentional introduction of saliva into the stem.
As mentioned above, DO NOT remove the stem while the pipe is hot.
As mentioned above, DO NOT remove the stem while the pipe is hot.
I don't think that's an issue. IMO one would be hard pressed to intentionally introduce saliva in the stem. It's surely a condensation process.
You may be right Cortez. But remember that tobacco causes salivation. And with a bent stem held in a conch, it's possible that saliva makes its way down the stem. I notice this when I'm clenching a pipe for longer than I normally would if I'm working outside with my hands full. If I hold the pipe in my mouth for too long, the stem gets moist as the tobacco causes salivation (a more mild version of what chewing tobacco might cause, or a novice cigar smoker with an overly moistened stogie held for too long in the mouth). And I'm a life-long smoker. So I'm assuming a beginner might struggle more with misdirected salivation in an extended clench with gravity in play. But I could be wrong. It's been known to happen 
Werebear, you almost seemed determined that its the pipe, and it very well could be; but, try following the above suggestions before you cast the pipe aside- Dry the tobacco, puff slowly, and don't even think about gurgling until it starts to happen. You may just want to leave the churchwarden be for a bit, and get a pipe you can easily clench. Look up breathe smoking on YouTube, and try to master that.
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