Hello! And what does a good cake look like?

patmustard · Nov 17, 2011

Hello!
Thought I'd introduce myself and get started with a question. I'm new to pipe smoking having been an occasional cigar smoker for years. I've done a fair bit of reading on this and other sites and have picked up a nice briar that I am currently trying to break-in.
Now I'm a visual learner and I'm curious because I've read a lot of descriptions of pipe cake but don't have a good feel for what it should look like when done right. So, does this look like it's heading in the right direction? Do you have any decent examples you can share to help get this noobie started?

Cheers!

tedswearingen · Nov 17, 2011

This is what I think a good cake looks like:

dd951 · Nov 17, 2011

Looks like you have A good start

philip · Nov 17, 2011

Looks good to me.
Be patient. They build up slowly.
@ tedswearingen - Yours looks good, too. It will build you up quickly.

drsam · Nov 17, 2011

LOOKS OK...JUST DON'T LET IT GET LIKE THIS ONE. BY THE WAY WELCOMR.

Strike Anywhere · Nov 17, 2011

Don't worry or fuss over cake. If you try to build it too quick, it will be brittle and fragile. When you're done with your smoke, run a pipe cleaner through the stem, then double it over to make a 'U' and use that to swab out the bowl. You don't have to be too aggressive, you just want to get excess moisture (especially if you smoke aromatics) and any big pieces of tobacco. The cake will build slowly, but it will be much harder cake. I also think my pipes smoke better with minimal cake -- too much can be a bad thing.

olderthandirt · Nov 17, 2011

I do the same as Tab with great results, and darn sure not a thought given to it (-:
For another example of what not to let occur, an estate I'm cleaning up:

Strike Anywhere · Nov 17, 2011

OTD -- that's an awesome picture. Good luck with that one!

olderthandirt · Nov 17, 2011

It has been a trial TAB!
@ patmustard

I don't have any pics of the cake in any of my pipes. Being a strictly point-and-shoot sort of picture taker, pics of the chamber are amongst the hardest for me to get right.
Hopefully someone else will have something for you to view. And for sure, welcome to the forum!

spartan · Nov 17, 2011

That's some legendary cake right there!
I still don't have much cake on my pipes at the moment, but only smoking MAYBE 1-2 bowls a day, and not all of those in briars (mostly cobs atm) it's going to be a long time before I'm able to post a good pic of what a decent pipe protecting cake will look like.
MORE PICS! Pics about what YOUR pipe cake looks like.

markw4mms · Nov 17, 2011

Welcome to the forum! You look to have a good start on building a cake in that pipe.

dylan793 · Nov 17, 2011

WOW! @ those massive cake build-ups 8O the one OTD posted has got to be years of hard smoking and neglect on that thing. Just out of curiosity, what are you hoping to get outta that one? :lol:

olderthandirt · Nov 17, 2011

what are you hoping to get outta that one

A smokeable pipe (-;

dylan793 · Nov 17, 2011

A smokeable pipe (-;

Shoulda seen that comin' :D

chopz · Nov 17, 2011

pat, hello and welcome. stick your finger in there. i bet it's hard as a rock, right? in which case, yes, it's good.

matchstickman · Nov 18, 2011

Welcome to the forum! It looks like you have a very good start on building the cake.

When you're done with your smoke, run a pipe cleaner through the stem, then double it over to make a 'U' and use that to swab out the bowl.

+1 to that. I do this with every pipe I have, be it a restored estate pipe, a pipe with a pre carbonized chamber, or a brand new pipe that is bare briar on the inside. I have also heard of fellas reaming their pipe with a paper towel for the first few smokes to insure good cake buildup. Its the same idea as doubling over a pipe cleaner, but instead, you just swab out the inside of the bowl with a paper towel and youre good to go. I have heard people say that you should ream the cake when it gets to be either the width of your nail of the width of a nickel. I have pipes that have a little more cake than nickel width, and they seem just fine, but I always keep a close eye on it. If cake gets too thick, the heat of the tobacco will make the cake expand faster than the wood, and the cake will put excess pressure on the wood and possibly split the pipe. Hope this helps!

patmustard · Nov 18, 2011

Cheers for all the responses, nice to know it's starting properly.

I'm not exactly worried about building the cake so much as I want to look after my new toy, and I find smoking down completely to be a bit of a chore.

yuri66 · Nov 18, 2011

do the same as Tab with great results, and darn sure not a thought given to it (-:
For another example of what not to let occur, an estate I'm cleaning up:
Welcome patmustard, great bunch of guys here. Their always helpful, and on occasion a bit nutty, or should I say always nutty.....

@ OTD that aint CAKE thats pure Mudded up. have fun with that project.... :puffpipe:

gecko13 · Nov 18, 2011

Welcome aboard. I don't think I've ever seen a build up like that, let alone ever even think it could be possible. Amazing. I think I'd keep it as is and make some kinda new age art display with it. Maybe call it "Clogged Pipes"
:roll:

chopz · Nov 18, 2011

"I find smoking down completely to be a bit of a chore."
2 suggestions - first, put the pipe down and smoke the rest later. i do it all the time. sometimes i need to pick it up 3 times to finish the bowl. also, sometimes i only fill the bowl part-way.
sometimes i smoke a bowl halfway and set it aside, finishing the remainder the next day.

Hello! And what does a good cake look like?

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