Interesting Problem

easterntraveler · Apr 24, 2013

I am having an interesting problem when I smoke. The tobacco on the edge of the bowl is not burning. Infact I cook a hole straight through the middle. I am smoking Mac Baren HH Vintage Syrian. I let it dry for about an hour or so, pack my Sir Jacopo Bulldog, light, tamp, light again, tamp and I generally have a decent time. My bowl does not get hot. I have no tongue bite. I normally have to relighting once or twice and I tamp throughout the smoke. However My pipe goes out and every time I have an ashy hole burned through the middle of the tobacco. Any thoughts?.
Edit: Corrected capitalization in title, Rule #9, L.

peckinpahhombre · Apr 24, 2013

The tamper I used is shaped like an angled wedge. When I tamp, I tamp all along the sides so that the middle of the bowl in con vexed (bulging upward). It creates a very nice even burn across the bowl.

spartan · Apr 24, 2013

I'd love a picture of the pipe. I've never heard of someone smoking a whole bowl and having left over tobacco on the sides of the walls.
Is it a lot on the walls of the pipe? Or just a flake every now and again.
There's usually some leaf leftover on the bottom, but never really on the sides.

snewton · Apr 24, 2013

I have had this before, usually when going at it like a freight train. Don't know if that might be your problem, you would expect it to be too hot.

kashmir · Apr 24, 2013

This'll happen to me if I don't tamp properly. The first tamps are a light touch. But tamps beyond the midpoint will be much more aggressive. Don't be shy to re-light or swab the shank during the smoke. Sometimes I'll leave the cleaner in whilst I tamp. That way I maintain the air pocket beneath the plug.

pstlpkr · Apr 24, 2013

It sounds (to me) like you are not using employing a False Light and True.
Pack as you would normally.

(False Light)

Light, very well, the entire surface of the tobacco.

Allow it to go out.

Tamp down lightly and employ a twisting/sanding motion to the charred tobacco.(by doing so you should create a flat smooth surface of ash and char on the top of your tobacco.)
(True Light)

Light entire surface of tobacco thoroughly.

Then tamp (frequently) and smoke as per normal.
This will allow you to control the ember throughout the entire smoke.

And, it will aid in extending the duration of your smoke.
These of course are part of my methodology, and my opinion, not hard and fast rules.

Hope this helps.

: puffy

:

easterntraveler · Apr 24, 2013

No it's not a piece of tobacco here and there it's probably at least 1/4 of the tobacco. This happens evrytime. Really strange. Yes I am more firm with the tamping as I smoke.

numbersix · Apr 24, 2013

I think it's natural for the flame to hit the center of a bowl, but if you're using a direct-flame torch-style lighter, it will likely do what you describe.
Even with a good pipe lighter, most of us will aim the flame to the center to avoid scorching the rim - so it does take some conscious tamping and lighting to get the sides lit as well.

taerin · Apr 24, 2013

What I do is blow back up into the pipe every once and a while, what happens is the embers do tend to gravitate towards the center and away from the edges, and this really helps keep the sides burning more evenly. It can also help with gurgle issues. I have heard others say it makes the pipe burn hotter, I have never found this to occur myself. Just blow very gently or you're going to have a mess on your hands (and perhaps be in need of a new shirt).
And of course if you're not false lighting properly, what Lawrence described will fix that part of the problem. I always use extra false lights until the whole thing is lit evenly (as many as it takes).
As a side note, I would love to one day misspell every word in like 10 posts just to see what Lawrence would do... Or maybe just leave out all the punctuation! That could be fun!

easterntraveler · Apr 24, 2013

Thank you for the insight. I can tell you I use matches and generally light in a circular pattern. As for the the false light I am doing this however I not not being that extensive.

cortezattic · Apr 24, 2013

Your Ser Jacopo bulldog is obviously defective. Send it to me -- I collect curiosities like that. :D
(I think Lawrence has identified the problem.)

judcole · Apr 24, 2013

I think Lawrence is on the money as well. I smoke a ton off HH VS,and have never had this issue with it or any other tobacco that I recall.

waznyf · Apr 24, 2013

+1 Lawrence
I have had this problem a couple of times before as well. I don't know if it was more of less severe then the problem you are facing, but it was solved after adjusting how I pack and light the bowl. Don't have that problem anyomore!
-Frank

dlattim · Apr 24, 2013

Sometimes when I tamp I feel the tamper going deeper in the middle of the bowl where the ember has taken up residence. When this happens I tamp around the edge a bit and knock or scrape the unburned tobacco towards the hole in the center, tamp the center again while puffing lightly and continue to enjoy my smoke. Over the course of the bowl this tends to even out the burn.

hfearly · Apr 24, 2013

These kids today... bla bla bla ... how come nobody uses good old matches anymore? They burn low temperature, slow, and you can tease the flame evenly across the whole surface of the tobacco to get a wonderful even burn going. Honestly, one of the things that made my whole pipe smoking experience so much better was taking my time in lighting the pipe, packing it evenly and hard on the top, charring, re-charring, charring again and then getting an even burn across the whole surface on true light.

trailspike48 · Apr 24, 2013

I have had this problem before. Thank you Lawrence for the advice. I haven't always let the first light go out. I didn't put the cause and affect together. I just blamed Bernoulli's principle, and I've been living with the problem. Good advice is one of the reasons I read this forum nearly every night. :D

Interesting Problem

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