Building carbon cake

sagar · Jun 23, 2011

Since I am a new pipe smoker,I am not an expert about taking care of my briar pipes.Someone told me to build up a good carbon cake inside the pipe bowl,I should leave the ashes inside the bowl as it is after each smoking.Is it true?I am confused!! If I leave the ashes uncleaned inside the bowl,whenever I put fresh tobacco for smoking, doesn't it mix up with ashes and tastes bad? Actually I clean my pipes thoroughly with a pipe cleaner after each smoke.I don’t keep any ashes inside the bowl.So please can anyone tell me how to build up a good carbon cake and how long does it take?

nemrod · Jun 23, 2011

You shouldn't leave the ashes in the pipe. You seem to be doing it just right, empty the bowl and run a pipe cleaner through the stem/shank and some bend a pipe cleaner and clean the bowl with it as well. The cake will still build up, it takes time though, but it doesn't really have to be very thick at all.

sagar · Jun 23, 2011

Thanks very much...i was really confused.

cortezattic · Jun 23, 2011

I too have heard the advice about leaving the dusty ash on the sides of the bowl wall, and I don't agree with it.

In fact, I do quite the opposite: for a few weeks or so, I'll stuff a paper towel into the bowl after every smoke

and twist it so as to burnish the inside of the bowl. At first this removes the initial stages of carbon build-up,

but slowly a thin carbon layer of incredible hardness develops.

jimbo · Jun 23, 2011

When the tobac is completely consumed, I stir up the ashes with the spoon end of my pipe nail and pressing my hand over the bowl, I shake up the ashes inside. This absorbs any moisture left in the heel as well as coating any unburned tobac. Then I dump the ashes and "screw" a tissue or paper towel all the way into the bowl. first clockwise, then counterclockwise. Like cortez says, this latter operation builds the cake slowly. Use a couple of pipe cleaners thru the stem/shank like you have been doing.

schmitzbitz · Jun 23, 2011

Fully agree with what both of the fine gentlemen have posted above, but I would add that you should let the bowl cool down somewhat before you start messing with the ashes. Also, I've been using a piece of copy paper rather than a paper towel to dry ream the bowl post-smoke, it seems to do a better job sluffing off any gummy crap, and it doesn't leave any little fluffy bits or fibers behind, just shiny-hard cakey goodness thats smooth as a babies bottom.

zunismoke · Jun 23, 2011

I have friend who loosens the ash and unburnt tobak at bottom of the bowl and then puts his hand over top of bowl and shakes to distribute ash inside bowl. He then dumps it out. I loosen the dottle, dump it out and then blow through the bit forcefully. We both build cake. I think what it comes down to is if you smoke your pipe, it will build cake without much regard to what else you do.

hippie · Jun 23, 2011

I've heard you should wet a little ash into a paste and put that on the inside of the bowl....what do you guys think about that?

romeowood · Jun 23, 2011

I've heard you should wet a little ash into a paste and put that on the inside of the bowl....what do you guys think about that?

I believe it was uncle arthur who suggested this with buttermilk. Personally I don't let much cake develop at all in the bowls; that's my preference, and I've not noticed any improvement with my pipes that do have a bit of cake.

unclearthur · Jun 23, 2011

Buttermilk, sour cream and powdered charcoal is a common coating for new bowls or restorations that have had to go back to the wood. About the best cake builder (if you are in a hurry) I have heard of is a light coating of grape jelly followed bu powdered tinder dry tobacco. Dump in the tobacco shake to coat well and let dry for a day. All that said, I just fire up and let the cake build on it's own. I do the paper towel trick as well.

hippie · Jun 23, 2011

Thanks you guys

punkpiper · Jun 23, 2011

I just smoke and clean with the cleaners when the bowls cool. If you have any peterson system pipes youll want to run a bent cleaner through the moisture reservoir as well. As for the cake, that seems to be building up nice and slow.

cortezattic · Jun 23, 2011

I think schmitzbitz is onto something here ...better than paper towels.

I just might have to buy another pipe to try it out from scratch. :lol:

I'll tell the War Department that I really didn't want one, but did it in the interests of pipe science.

.

.

Hmmm. That brings to mind what might be a potential perk for Kevin, given his occupation. If he buys pipes

and reviews them, can he claim an income tax deduction?

igloo · Jun 24, 2011

Hard to beat a corkscrew paper towl , as others of greater wisdom than I have stated .

ssjones · Jun 24, 2011

It appears that the Stones advice seems to work for me....time is on your side. I've found a nice cake builds up after a week or so of smoking.

locopony · Jun 24, 2011

Yea I have a hard time keeping a carbon cake from building on my meer, but in my briars not so much they dont seem to want to cake. I been just sticking a paper towel on my little finger and running it around the inside of the bowl. All my pipes have big bowls. I use a bit of pressure that maybe I shouldnt use.

clanobucklin · Jun 24, 2011

Smoke your pipe gently, dump out the dottle and ash, wipe out the bowl with a pipe cleaner. When pipe cools take a part and clean (tapered pipe cleaners + Everclear) - always works for me. A solid cake will start to form after a while.

jankomatic · Jun 25, 2011

I help my cake along by doing the following with a new pipe:

Put a pipe cleaner in the shank till you can just see it sticking into the bowl

Coat the inside of the pipe with a dollop of honey and spread it around on the inside

Load and smoke like normal
I find that having the a nice cake makes the pipe smoke better for me for sure, though I know some people don't let much cake accumulate.

smoker · Jun 25, 2011

Hi guys i have just bought a big bowl parker reject and using it for dedicated smoking of kentucky twist this tobacco comes in the guise of a large cigar very thick. I have smoked it 4 times now from new and already a cake is starting to form. Like it has been mensioned already i too use a piece of tissue and insert it into the bowl after smoking and is cool i also insert some into the smoke chamber to soak up the moisture from there. I also use a pipe cleaner through the stem too.

Building carbon cake

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