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csquared

csquared

Lurker
Aug 4, 2012
13
0
I've been working on my smoking technique. Less relights, a good puffing rhythm and a much better burn. I always seem to think the bowl is done, but when I empty the ash there's still half a bowl of tobacco left. Is that because there is too much ash? Do I empty the ash and tamp and relight?

 
lyle

lyle

Can't Leave
Nov 10, 2012
366
39
Des Moines, IA, USA
As long as the bowl still tastes good, yes, I'd advise dumping the ash and relighting. Depending on what tobacco is being smoked, sometimes the last bits are the tastiest.
I agree with mmjk in that you shouldn't take it too seriously, but I also don't think there's anything wrong with working at it a little in order to get a good technique. My smokes got so much better once I got "good" at it.

 
cigrmaster

cigrmaster

Lifer
May 26, 2012
20,249
57,280
66
Sarasota Florida
If your technique is good, you will get much more enjoyment out of your tobacco and your pipes. Anytime my pipe goes out, I take the pick end of my tamper, stir the ash, carefully dump it and then relight. I smoke to the bottom with no dottle using this method.

 

csquared

csquared

Lurker
Aug 4, 2012
13
0
If it's an english blend I like to smoke to the bottom if I can. Aromatics get goopy towards the bottom.. so i'll just leave it as if it tastes good then keep doing it...thanks guys going to try some english style when I get home from seeing my pops

 
philip

philip

Lifer
Oct 13, 2011
1,705
6
Puget Sound
I rarely have dottle let when I am done with a bowl.
If your pipe is well made, it's just a matter of drying your tobacco sufficiently, packing loosely, tamping lightly and smoking slowly. Keep working on it, but don't worry about it. Your technique will improve.

 
csquared

csquared

Lurker
Aug 4, 2012
13
0
Working on a bowl of 1Q. Savinelli Trevi 111KS. This is a huge bowl. I'm a little more than halfway and it's getting bitter after the ash dump.

 
mso489

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,459
I think the objective should be to reduce the unburned tobacco, but if you go for no dottle,

I think you'll do some unpleasant smoking. I'd say I have negligible dottle (unburned tobacco)

about half the time, and usually not much. The objective is good flavor and enjoyment, not

wringing every last bit of smoke out of your bowl. Not necessary. So, work on the technique.

Get that dottle down to not much. And don't obsess about trying not to have any. It depends

on the tobacco, the pipe, your mood, the humidity, and who knows what. This is not a contest.

Go for flavor.

 
salewis

salewis

Can't Leave
Jan 27, 2011
412
0
I agree with MSO489 that pipe smoking should be an individual endeavor and what ever seems right for you is how you should approach pipe smoking. When the bowl is down to a point where you need to dump some ash do it by mixing very lightly and dumping your used ash. Relight and smoke until you don't like the taste and stop. Don't worry about a little dottle at the bottom of the bowl. The only reason to try and smoke to the bottom of the bowl once in while is to establish caked tobacco evening throughout the bowl.

 
cigrmaster

cigrmaster

Lifer
May 26, 2012
20,249
57,280
66
Sarasota Florida
csquared, Through experimenting, you will find that certain blends do better in certain pipes. It maybe that 1Q would be better in a smaller pipe with maybe a different shape. Also drying an aromatic is key to not getting that bitter nasty flavor. Most aromatics have a large amount of casings and PG which are chemicals, to much humidity will have a detrimental effect on the flavors. It may be that you just don't enjoy smoking aromatics and may want to branch out into other types of blends. When I dabbled in aromatics last summer, I did notice how they would get very bitter towards the end of the bowl. I never smoked to the bottom of the bowl with aro's like I do with my flakes which is another reason I don't smoke them any longer.

 
ciderguy

ciderguy

Can't Leave
May 30, 2013
302
3
Part of it depends on the pipe's construction. If the draft-hole isn't at the bottom of the pipe, then you won't be able to smoke to the bottom.
I almost never dump the ash mid-bowl and I rarely need to relight. I just tamp and relight. Sometimes I'll let the pipe cool down and then I tamp and relight. A major part of this is simply packing properly and not smoking tobacco that is too moist. I like mine to pass the pinch test, and not any drier than that.

 
rockymtnsmoker

rockymtnsmoker

Can't Leave
May 31, 2013
418
3
So, gents, I have a related question. I have yet to really make it to the bottom of a bowl. Either run out of time, or just feel I have got there then realize I haven't when I''m cleaning out the pipe. The result is that I don't have cake at the bottom of my bowls. Is this bad for the pipe? Do I need to make sure I do smoke some bowls to ash?
Rocky

 
bigvan

bigvan

Lifer
Mar 22, 2011
2,192
12
I never dump the ash until the bowl is totally spent. I can't tell you WHY I don't, I just don't. When I get near the end and the fire has gone out, I stir the remaining tobacco and ash and relight, but I've never run into an "ashy" or bitter taste.
There are those who believe that everything everyone does is always great. I'm not one of those people. I believe there's a right way and a wrong way to smoke a pipe. If you can't smoke an entire bowl and you're leaving half the tobacco unburned, you're doing it the wrong way. Start with high quality leaf in a well made pipe, perfect your pack, and slow down. If a group 4 doesn't last at least 45 or 50 minutes and a group 5 doesn't last an hour or more, you're puffing WAY too fast.

 
barleynbaccy

barleynbaccy

Can't Leave
May 31, 2013
436
0
If you run out of time or just can finish I just dump the ash and run a pipe cleaner through. Save the rest for later, not a great amount of time but later. I tend to take my cob with me in the car and smoke it in thirds. Going to work, at lunch and going home. It may sound weird but I swear some blends seem taste better later. PandC burley kake being one off the top of my head. It almost like making chilli it's better the next day, or in this case later after it has gone out and sat a while.

 
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