Good or Bad Smoke, I Don't Get It!

I've have a smoke every once and while that is an utter transcendental experiance, just thirty or forty minutes of knock out taste and maybe a slight nicotine buzz augmented by glass of wine or scotch. The pipe and all the day's cares evaporate in a cloud of pleasure. If I have to deal with a tight draw, relights or gurgling or tongue bite or any other distraction I'm dragged back to the real world. The pipe needs to be able to just about disappear for this to work.

This is very subjective. Each smoker is going to have his or her expectations from pipes, thus we have a plethora of different types of pipes out there. While I am a firm believer that skills are what makes the experience and each pipe has its way of being smoked for optimal experience, there are those that will argue the virtues of an open draw, or the way the button and slot are carved, or even the quality of the briar being used. There is no one set of qualities that can ultimately be stated as being essential for everyone. If you start off with an artisan pipe, you may learn to expect those qualities. Corncob smokers another set. And, factory pipe smokers another. It's all in what you grow to expect.
If you start off with cobs, Dunhills may not be what you expect. If you start off with factory pipes, artisans may just be a waste of money. I would suggest just learning to get the most from what you have or enjoy. Smoke slow, and pay attention to how your pipe responds.
Good post though, and others may argue for other virtues to look for in pipes. But, all in all, we had hundreds of years of guys smoking from small clay tubes, and thousands of years of stone bowls with reeds jammed in them. It's just what you get used to...

We don't have a lot of details about your pipe or blend but I would venture to say that if you are getting consistent gurgling, your are smoking either bad tobacco or a bad pipe.
To get a handle on it, dry out your tobacco to the point where it doesn't stick together when pinched. Pack it using whatever method you like, but get the draw resistance to that of sucking a milkshake through a straw.
If you're still getting a wet smoke, e.g., gurgling, try a different pipe. I'd recommend a Missourie Meerschaum cob. They're just about foolproof, smoke great (at least all 26 plus of my cobs do), and are inexpensive. Note these are not throw-away pipes. They'll last for years.
If switching to a different pipe solves the issue, and you want to smoke briars, save a bit and get a Savinelli, Stanley or other name-brand pipe around $100. I haven't tried them but know that you can get a Stanley for around $50 and have heard they smoke well. Estate pipes are a terrific option.
I would avoid exotic shapes for your first couple of purchases. The guys here will be happy to answer your pre-purchase questions if you find a pipe that attracts you. I'd just not buy pipes to build a collection. Keep looking until you find one that you fall in love with. A good pipe will draw you as much as you draw it.
It is normal for a pipe to need several relights, especially during the last third of the bowl. Master Blender Greg Pease says that he still lights up multiple times during a bowl. Tobacco that is too moist can cause the tobacco to burn-out and can also cause tongue burn. (I use this phrase to differentiate from tongue bite, which is a biological reaction to the alkalines in your blend) Packing too tightly also affects the number of re-lights required.
IMO, the best smokes are when your are not thinking about smoking. It becomes a centering, relaxing activity you conduct while having a conversation and sharing a beverage with friends or a companion to a good read or a clarifying stimulant over a chess board.
Learning to smoke a pipe takes a bit of practice and persistence but it isn't rocket science. Fiddling with pipe tools, tampers, and cleaners becomes part of the ritual. Keep at it and you'll be experiencing great smokes consistently without thinking about it.
Hope this helps. Take what you like and ignore the rest.
Pax

When I'm under stress, I seem to subconsciously puff harder and faster. What I really need to do is consciously slow down, take smaller and fewer puffs per minute.
I recently caught myself getting into the habit of puffing so fast I thought the pipe was going to melt in my hands. Now that I think about at the start of the bowl, I've slowed back down and I enjoy the bowl more and more.
So, keep smoking and try different pipes/tobaccos/techniques. We all don't have those "ah-ha" moments every smoke. But when you have one, you know that the world just slips on by and you go to another plane.
Best of luck, keep posting questions/update, and happy puffing. ::

Sorry my post doesn't cover all three questions you've posted. Yes, smoke slower. Once you are going as slow as you think you need to, slow down more. Or, do what you want and deal with the gurgles. Whichever works for you.

There are so many variables to why it might gurgle. Tobacco not dry, curved stem on a bent pipe, the draft meets the chamber at dead bottom, smoking too fast.
Drying your tobacco and slowing down are the things you can do. Besides, smoking slower only gives you better flavor, longer smoke, and cakes you pipe better. Good things come to those who smoke slowest. ::

Others have ably addressed your questions, so I will not reiterate what has been already said. I would add only that it sounds like you may be smoking the same pipe more than once a day. While that practice can be perfectly fine, the garbage vomit taste you describe may mean you need to rest your pipe more between smokes. Resting your pipe may also cut down on the gurgle you are experiencing.

As many have said before, it's just subjective. It's all about you. What you may find to be a great smoke is all about the right conditions lining up in the right way. Some very experienced pipers have horrible smokes, but when you have that great smoke, it's one of the best feelings and you just know. Slow down, and focus on the basics. Rest the pipe, and don't focus so much on getting everything right, just keep the basics. I know it's not a black and white answer but when it happens, you'll know.

I've got a couple of pipes that do stand out from the rest. They're not really expensive pipes and both happen to be made in Italy. They both seem to smoke effortlessly without the tendencies of gurgle or self extinguishing.

When you discover your pacing and become adept at filling, a pipe that is consistent for you can produce a pleasurable smoke with a codger blend or a high priced tinned blend.

These two both load up very easily due to the generous size of their bowls. They both 'breathe' so well that combustion of the tobacco happens rather easily and they both feel great in hand and when clenched.

I counted up most of the pipes I'm smoking regularly yesterday, and was surprised that the number exceeded 20.

I try to keep them fairly clean and dry them out if I've either drooled too much, or sucked too hard and caused moisture to form within the works.

Almost half of these are cobs. Cobs are renowned for their dry smoking characteristics and can be abused with repeated smoking with little or no deleterious effect.

The pipe is half the battle. Some do smoke much better than others. I hope you find a few.

Very well said.

... Same pipe, same tobacco, one day, I'll find it great, the next I think it tastes like if garbage could vomit...

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My best smoking experience would usually be on one those days with nice weather and that my mind is not too preoccupied with work and worries, when I revisited a treasured tin and picked a pipe that I managed to smoke well.

Which are other criteria ... when trying a new pipe?

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I think the most obvious would be trying to follow your past experience of good smoke. For example, if you love the look of a current shape and size (say large bent), but then your best smoking experience came from those smaller straight pipes then you have to decide whether you should explore the smaller straight pipes more.

Hi guys,
I have a question that must have been asked a million though I can't find a lot of information.

What is good smoke?

I just don't get it.

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A good smoke is a pleasant experience. Pleasant means different things to different folks, but most will have relaxation somewhere in there, and very likely at the root of the meaning.

What makes a pipe a good smoker?

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A good smoker is a pipe that doesn't add stress to the smoking experience. For example, if you're smoking an old blend with a new pipe and you have to relight twice as often, or pull noticeably harder, or if you have to tend the pipe while smoking, it probably does not smoke well.
A good smoker is all about ease and so too is a good smoke.
At it's most basic, a good pipe is an aid while a bad pipe is an impediment to a good smoke. Ultimately though, when you're new to the pipe you have a long way to go before the pipe (any pipe) is the bottleneck for your smoking experience. Did you know pipe smoking used to be taught in the classroom as part of a rounded education?
When I started this post I had intended to write concise answers to your questions and realize now I've failed horribly. I guess that show's these aren't easy questions to answer though it seems like they should be.
Anyway, here's the relevant bit, at some point you'll try smoking your old crappy pipes and realize they actually smoke pretty well. They haven't changed of course but you've learned how to smoke well.

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+1 from big pond

One thing I will mention is that it is very important to keep your pipes clean to get a great consistent smoking experience.
My procedure for cleaning my pipes is as follows. I let my pipes cool over night then break the pipe down. I will take one or 2 fluffy cleaners depending on size of the bowl and wipe the inside of the bowl and then blow through the shank. I then take either one or 2 brislte cleaners again depending on the size of the shank, double them over and run them throught the shank, first twisting them and then running them back and forth. I will continue with the bristle cleaners until they come out clean. I then take one or two bristle cleaners and run them through the stem. I then take one or two fluffy cleaners and run those through the stem. Many of my pipes have stems that can take two cleaners and some of my pipes have a shank diameter greater than 4mm which can handle two cleaners doubled over through the shanks.
For deep cleanings I use Everclear, shank brush, bristle and fluffy cleaners along with Obidisian Stem Oil and pretty much do the same as above. I have never or will I ever use anything that is not drinkable on my pipes. Isopropyl alcohol has never touched one of my pipes. I also never rub the inside of my bowls with any type of alcohol. When needed I will take a pipe knife and use that to scrap and even out my cake.

A good smoke to me is having that pipe that fits my hand just right. 2 matches and I can smoke for an hour. A good drink with good company and some aged Virginia flake.

Everything has been said, that I could think of. After that, in my opinion, when you get your part together at some point you will just be setting there someday sipping on your pipe, watching the smoke waft into the sun creating beams of rolling light, and feeling nature breathing with you, and a warm awareness comes into your mind........ this is fantastic. You will not be having a smoke, not even a good smoke, you will be having a GREAT smoke!

Well that is what it is for me anyway :wink:

The good smoke: There are some basics of packing, lighting, tamping and establishing some cadence. There are variables such as selection of a blend, it's status of dryness and age, the weather/humidity, and the selection of a pipe and its condition. There's the subjective aspect of your mood, body chemistry at the moment, and the time you have available. Everything doesn't have to be perfect. It helps to try around under different conditions with different pipes and blends, not for one perfect situation, but for many different situations that can work -- a little like sailing a boat in different winds and seas. You can have a really good smoke or a great one, or you can learn a little something if you don't, either of which is a good experience.