I've read here a number of times that folks recommend drinking something acidic to offset the pH of most tobaccos, which are on the alkaline side. And I would have thought most drinking water would be neutral, i.e. 7. (Are they?)
I have also seen the same thing several times here in the forums. I will try to explain the situation:
Well-known master tobacconist, G. L. Pease, points out these details concerning common tobaccos and their pH and sugar levels:
Burley and Virginias have a similar pH of 5.4 to 5.8, Turkish is somewhat more acidic, generally about pH 4.9, the alkalinity of the water soluble ash from Burley, however, is 2-3 times that of Virginia.
So we know the pH of tobaccos, let's look at the smoke pH of them now. When the tobacco is burned, the sugars will tend to join with oxygen to form water and turn neutral. This will cause the alkaline components to dominate the smoke. The higher the temperature, more sugars will become neutral and the smoke will be more alkaline. That's why smoking a hot bowl of pipe will cause you not to feel any sweetness. That's why all experienced pipe smokers and master blenders advise not to puff very fast.
So one might think that just because Virginia has a lower pH, it will be easy on the tongue and because Burley has a higher pH, it will be harsh on the tongue. The problem is, tobacco with a higher sugar content tends to burn faster and burning faster is equal to an alkaline smoke. If you want to experience a nice, tasty, flavorful smoke then smoke very slowly and patiently.
Now, let's look at our bodies. The pH of a healthy body is 7.4, so it is more on the alkaline side. And we know that pipe smoke is also alkaline. It sometimes gets to 8-9 and that's what causes the tongue bite. So drinking water with a pH of 7.5 will bring the alkalinity level of our saliva down gradually. Try drinking a coke (acidic drink) while having a tongue bite. We know that tongue bites are caused by the higher alkaline levels in the smoke, so we are trying to decrease the pH level or balancing it as others state. Thousands of needles and pins on your tongue, right? Put a spoon of baking soda into a glass and pour some vinegar on it. Well, literally you are doing the same thing to your tongue if you are drinking something acidic while smoking pipe.
Also the question is how acidic the drink is you are having. Coffee has a pH level of 5 when cokes have around 2.5. If your smoke is alkaline and you are having a coffee with that, your tongue won't hurt that much. However you will be hurting your tongue more with a coke.
Last but not least, according to the statistics 20 percent of US population suffers from GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease):
Nicotine, a key part of tobacco, is thought to relax the ring of muscle in the lower esophagus that keeps acid in the stomach, where it belongs. When that ring relaxes, acid can trickle up and cause that burning sensation.
In order to prevent the heartburn, you will need to have a healthy body with a healthy pH level. I will give two different examples to explain the situation better.
Example No 1: You just had your dinner and decided to smoke a bowl of your favorite blend. You grab your pipe, tobacco and a coke and start smoking. You are smoking a blend which has a high alkaline smoke and to balance the pH level you are drinking a coke. After 1 hour of smoke you will have a relaxed ring of muscle in the lower esophagus, everytime you swallow your own saliva you will feel the heartburn, you will have a tongue which has been a fighting platform between base (tobacco smoke) and acid (coke), you will have a stomach with lots of acids which will make the heartburn worst.
Example No 2: You just had your dinner and decided to smoke a bowl of your favorite blend. You grab your pipe, tobacco and water and start smoking. You are smoking a blend which has a high alkaline smoke and everytime pH level of your saliva goes above 7.5 and you start feeling the tongue bite you drink water to bring it down to normal. After 1 hour of smoke you will still have a relaxed ring of muscle in the lower esophagus, you won't have any heartburn because you have had enough water, you will have a tongue with a nice protective layer on it that hasn't been damaged by acidic drinks, and you will have a healthy stomach.
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