Cure Your Wet Smoking Pipe

Smoking totally dried out tobacco sounds like a torture.

And if I really like the tobacco I would rehydrate it somehow, so that I am not going to waste it.
Can there be a more automated human-free procedure? Such as putting the stummel in a low heat oven like how Dunhill described they did to drive out the oil from the oil-processed briar.
The 30-45 minutes in an 350F/200C oven works wonder for clay and meerschaum pipes, but we have to figure out the low-heat range for briar so that the stummel won't turn into charcoal.

Resting not required. The heat should start to drive moisture out of the stummel.

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I think the constant smoking without resting would prevent the pipe from drying out leading to a wet smoke. Regardless of how dry the tobacco is there is going to be some condensation I would think.

Can there be a more automated human-free procedure? Such as putting the stummel in a low heat oven

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I would wonder if this would then cause a loose fitting stem.

I don't think this is a very good idea. Why not just give the pipe a good rest, maybe sealed in a container with dessicant?
Maybe if you didn't wash your pipes in water after every smoke the issue never would have arisen. :rofl:

One of the reason pipes smoke wet is the shank opening is not large enough(4.0-4.5mm is good). Also the stem is a big reason pipes smoke wet. If it is too constricted and is not smooth on the inside, you will get a lot of turbulence. Most basket pipes or cheaper pipes have poorly constructed stems. If the drilling is off and too high that will also cause a pipe to smoke wet.
In regards to poorly cured briar, not really sure that would be a cause for the pipe to smoke wet. Yes it will taste bad but I am not sure about smoking wet. Maybe one of our resident pipe makers could comment on that.

Maybe if you didn't wash your pipes in water after every smoke the issue never would have arisen.

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Oh snap! That was grand!
In truth, I don't ever have problems with gurgle or a wet smoke as you say. If the pipe is properly engineered ya shouldn't have that problem unless you're smoking something like Molto Dolce, if that's the case than you just have problems... :nana:

Maybe if you didn't wash your pipes in water after every smoke the issue never would have arisen. :rofl:

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Boom!
Wet smoker? Pack your baccy cannon ball style.

I love these experimental ideas and suggested experiments jpmcwjr is putting forth. Always an interesting way to shake things up.
I have never smoked an entire bowl all the way down to dust. I'm always left with a marble's amount of sopping wet leaf (in every pipe with every tobacco). My wet smoking is surely caused by my own technique, and I believe it is because I allow too much of my breath back into the channel causing a lot of condensation.
Nevertheless, that certainly can't be the only cause of a wet smoke, as others have pointed out (poor drilling, textured airways...).
All that to say, I really enjoy all the uncertainty and mystery involved in this activity of ours. Carry on!

Smoking to the bottom seems more like an exception than a daily thing for me. Some superior tobaccos do burn completely but many don't. I've heard and agree on a fact that life is too short to force yourself with bad tasting smoke. A filter or a pipecleaner can fix gurgling just fine. If I had to suffer for 20 bowls to cure a wet smoking pipe (and if success was guaranteed) I probably wouldn't do it.

Rereading the OP, isn't that just breaking in a pipe?

menuhin I have read an article on pipe pedia on maintenance. It seems that an individual has tried this before, recommending to heat the oven at about 220, turning it off, and leaving the pipe inside for roughly an hour as the oven cools. Not sure I am willing to try this, maybe if I stumble over a cheaper estate that smokes wet and I wouldn't mind risking. here is the excerpt:

"I reamed the pipe almost back to bare wood, pre-heated my electric oven to 220°F, and turned it off. After removing the pipe's stem, I filled the bowl with activated charcoal pellets purchased from the local aquarium supply shop. Placing the pipe on a soft towel in the oven, I left it to sit while the oven cooled - about an hour... No perceptible difference was detected.
A couple of conversations with Trever Talbert, friend, pipesmith extraordinaire, and constant experimenter with briar, provided an important piece of information; briar heats very slowly. He explained that it could take several hours for a piece of briar's temperature gradient to reach equilibrium with the ambient temperature. Clearly, my pipe's short stint in the Sauna was insufficient to do the job.
I reheated the oven, this time setting the thermostat to 180°F, knowing from my tests that the temperature in my empty oven would vary between about 180°F and a bit over 200°F, well below the temperature at which the briar would scorch. Stemless and empty, I placed the bowl on its towel in the oven, on the upper rack, far away from the source of radiant heat, where it would be left to sit for three hours.
After removing the now hot pipe, I filled the bowl with the activated charcoal, and placed it back in the oven for an additional three hours. When the pipe was finally removed, and emptied of the charcoal, there was absolutely no trace of its prior scent ... After allowing the pipe to cool overnight, the stem was refitted, the bowl filled with a favored blend, delicate enough to allow any vestigial flavors from the pipe to come through clearly. I sat down to experience the fruits of my labors. Success! Only at the very bottom of the bowl was a slight hint of the previous aroma, and this disappeared completely after a couple of smokes."

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As a fairly new pipesmoker my smoking experiences aren't consistent. However I always try to smoke my bowls all the way. Damp tobacco needs more relights. I have noticed that when i smoke a dry oriental like Red Rap or lat like Nightcap, I smoke dry all the way down, and the pipe smells sweet and fresh afterwards. If I've smoked a poorly prepared SG flake, it smokes wet and the bowl smells lika a wet ashtray afterwards and definitely needs some rest.

Insufficiently cured briar will cause the pipe to smoke hot, primarily. So yes it might cause the pipe to smoke wet if one is not cautious. That is why most established pipemakers will cure further their plateaux and ébauchons because they know they need more curing.

Harry also pointed out extremely relevant circumstances generating a wet smoke. An off centered drilling, if not extreme, flush on the bottom and is still aligned between the shank and stem, will not have a catastrophic result.

Beaten up, poorly previously maintained pre smoked estate pipes having lied around in humid climate for x number of years can also screw up any potentially great pipe.

On the other hand, a perfectly well cured briar is not a guarantee of an ideal smoke. Some briars are jus not made to become a pipe, if you see what I mean.

Finally, the smoker and his technique can also factor into generating a wet smoke, either through his packing, puffing or the use of overly moist tobacco. :D

Interesting theory and maybe worth a try, however ...... if the briar has not been "cured" enough or "properly" there is little that can be done with a completed pipe. Franco Coppo ( Castello ) was asked if an un smoked Castello pipe was left for many years, untouched, if the briar continues to "cure". His reply was no. Why he did not specify, but I surmise that once briar has been "worked" and some stain applied the only thing that occurs is the briar getting older / aging, but it will do nothing if the briar block had not been boiled and processed correctly at the mill. If you've ever smoked a pipe that has that "green wood" taste you'll know that even after years of smoking the taste remains.
That being said, if the reason a pipe that has been properly cured smokes wet, it may be tobacco moisture levels, or the airway has some restrictions, OR ( and IMHO the most often reason ) is the smokers technique.
I have tried to bake a bowl in my oven. The pipe had been cleaned prior and the tobacco chamber sanded back to the wood. Stem removed, of course. All it did was make my oven smell like tobacco. Did little to the bowl itself. I only heated to 200 degrees F.
Also doing the bake technique runs the risk of having the bowl "alter" its shape. It is one thing burning tobacco from the inside, but heating the whole bowl ( shank and all ) may create problems.
Sasieni used to oven "bake / roast / heat" their pre drilled bowls. This was done prior to finishing. I have been led to understand that there was more than a few casualties. Bowls that split or twisted, and thus rendered useless.
I think better to work on technique as opposed to trying to fix a problem that is not the pipes.
Regards

Michael J. Glukler

A few misconceptions- and what little I know comes from having spent some time with a 3rd generation cutter in Italy. If there's a bitter taste, it's usually because the freshly cut briar wasn't boiled long enough or the water was not changed out between batches. The boiling gets rid of the sap and bittter crap. At this point, the briar is wet- when it arrives in the box, the exterior of the briar is cool from the water evaporating. If you tried to make a pipe at this point, you would see a moist ring around the area where you were drilling- that is water being driven out by the heat from the drilling. At this point, the blocks either need to be aged for at least a year or drilled and aged a few months- this will only air dry the blocks to the ambient humidity of the area.
Wet smoking, gurgling pipes have nothing to do with what I just mentioned- the pipe smoke contains the moisture from the tobacco and the moisture from the outside air being drawn through the pipe (that's why we have more issues in very humid areas like Florida). When that moist smoke comes through the shank and stem, if it's a restricted stem or has interuptions to the airflow, the moisture will condense on the walls of the shank/stem...When there's enough condensation, you will get a gurgle. Almost any pipe will benefit from having the airway and stem opened- it doesn't change the amount of moisture in the smoke, it's just not condensing on the walls of the pipe.
If you want a somewhat empirical test- take an ounce of tobacco, weigh it on a gram scale, and bake it in an oven at 200 degrees for 2 hours- wiegh it again- the difference in the weight is water- it will be a significant number depending on how wet the tobacco is. For the second part of the test- take a pipe- weigh it- smoke a bowl of tobacco- clean it and weigh it again- you'll find it weighs approximately the same as it did before smoking- ergo- the moisture is not coming from the pipe...

Damn Zack, that was pretty good. I followed you the whole time. Makes great sense to me. Kind of like Captain Call following Famous Shoes learning how to track.

Learnt something on this nice forum.
Some further questions after reading Zack's response:
1. Concerning moist or damp briar.

What if briar is not totally dried (or oil-cured briar without driving out majority of oil content), but if the drilling is totally on point - then there will be no gurgling right?

What smoking characteristics or performance aspects will be compromised?
2. Concerning drilling and opening airway to prevent gurgling.

"...Almost any pipe will benefit from having the airway and stem opened- it doesn't change the amount of moisture in the smoke, it's just not condensing on the walls of the pipe..."

Then will opening the airway too much do any harm (except from affect the feel / resistance of draw as everyone can imagine) - and why aren't so many pipes have real opened airway? What is the optimal point of the airway in terms of performance aspects, e.g. gurgling, condensation, draw?