Shake out ash? Tamp it down? Pipe cleaner double dip??

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jvs68

Lurker
Mar 15, 2015
38
0
Hey all,
So I'm really enjoying pipe smoking. It's been a great addition to my life and I want to thank you all for your help so far. I have another couple of newbie questions:
1 - After smoking about 1/3 - 1/2 of the bowl there is a significant amount of ash. Do you recommend lightly tapping it out into the ash tray or tamping it down and emptying the bowl completely at end of the smoke?
2 - Pipe cleaners? I use one after each smoke to clean out the stem and I bend another one in half and clean out the bowl. The one that cleans the bowl gets quite dirty so I toss that one, but the one I use for the stem is often not very dirty. Do you use these ones again or chuck them even if they're barely dirty?
Thanks!

 

jkrug

Lifer
Jan 23, 2015
2,867
8
I do the same as mrenglish but after using both ends of the pipe cleaner I fold it in half and swab the inside of the bowl with the folded center section. :puffy:

 

tarak

Lifer
Jun 23, 2013
1,528
15
South Dakota
1. While many don't dump ash, I'm finding, for whatever reason, about half way through the smoke it becomes ashy tasting and flat if I don't dump at least the top layer. So, generally, about half way down I'll give a light stir and dump.
2. I tend to use one to swab down the stem and a second folded in half to clean the bowl- but doing as the above folks suggest is perfectly fine.

 

newbroom

Lifer
Jul 11, 2014
6,087
6,394
Florida
If your pipe has been partially smoked, and you let it go out, maybe, you dump.

Stirring in ash might contribute to the taste?

 

freakiefrog

Part of the Furniture Now
Dec 26, 2012
745
2
Mississippi
This depends on the blend for me some blends make a powdery fine ash that is easy to draw through, while others have a black thick ash. Sometimes if I find that I can't tamp with out smothering the ember with the ash then I'll dump. but for the most part no I don't dump the ash. I've found that good packing and smoking technique have more to do with if I need to dump than anything else.
Pipe cleaners are the cheapest part of this whole hobby. They like politicians and baby diapers should be changed often and for the same reason.

 

settersbrace

Lifer
Mar 20, 2014
1,565
5
Flakes smoked whole tend to create chunks of charcoal like ash that around the mid to 2/3 point causes the pipe to get finicky and requiring relights. I scoop those chunks out, tamp the pipe , ,ash and usually the flavor intensifies a bit and I'm good to go until I'm down to the heel. Then I get sad.

 
May 3, 2010
6,423
1,461
Las Vegas, NV
1. I usually just tamp it down. If it gets difficult to relight and I know there's more tobacco in the bowl I'll dump it out.
2. I use the one end to clean the stem and shank. Then I fold it in half and clean out the bowl. After that it gets chucked into the trash can.

 

bigpond

Lifer
Oct 14, 2014
2,019
13
I lightly tamp until ash inhibits the burn. At which point it just turn the pipe upside down and lightly tap it against my palm. Tamp to flatten the new surface and relight.

 

peteguy

Lifer
Jan 19, 2012
1,530
906
I am a dumper. :)
I usually use two pipe cleaners per smoke but never worry about how many as they are cheap.

 

cmdrmcbragg

Lifer
Jul 29, 2013
1,739
3
If my tobacco is being affected by an ashy/flat taste then I give it a good tap on the cork knocker on my ash tray ... or with the palm of my hand if I'm away from home. Give it a little tamp and get back to work usually without a relight. As for what I do when done, I only clean my pipe with cleaners every so often. I just wipe the stem to get my saliva off of it, stuff a paper towel in the bowl to ream it, and let it cool down and air out outside.

 

delro

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jan 7, 2015
204
2
Dump lightly, and like many others I use both ends of the pipe cleaner and fold to swap out the bowl.

 

brass

Lifer
Jun 4, 2014
1,840
7
United States
I smoke and tamp very lightly until the draw is affected. Then I stir the ash layer a bit and dump. Finally, I tamp and/or stir the remainder and relight.I smoke it down to the floor but should probably shouldn't.
Pax

 
Aug 14, 2012
2,872
123
2-I read Alfred Dunhill's book when I started smoking, back in the 50s. He says to only use a pipecleaner once, as I recall. But who cares what a dead Englishman says. I use each end and if they are not dark, use them again when they dry out. As far as cleaning the bowl goes I almost never do it, and if I do, I use the same pipecleaner that was used to clean the draft hole. But even with this economy, I am such a fanatic about a clean taste that I go through about 3 cleaners per smoke.

 

saltedplug

Lifer
Aug 20, 2013
5,194
5,097
I used the scoop on a czech tool for years, emptying ash every 1/8 inch or so. It was a lot of work. Then I got lazy and tamped the ash, which I still do, but now with a finger instead of a tool (more laziness), until relights were a problem given the amount of ash tamped. At this point I began tapping the side of the bowl to loosen the tamped ash, and dumping it. Some unburnt tobacco usually falls out while dumping, but I can live with that as the whole process is now 5 Xs easier than what I used to do. If too much tobacco falls out I put it back in the bowl. Oh, and I also tamp with a finger without burn issues. I've gotten accustomed to being careful until I know how far I can tamp without any burn. I also tamp with my finger after the initial light, to compress the tobacco mushroom, and this really does take attention given the proximity of the burning tobacco. I do this very quickly. I have nothing against pipe tools to do these things, and to be sure using one is more elegant, but to me they are no longer worth the bother.

 

bigpond

Lifer
Oct 14, 2014
2,019
13
I don't think there's any reason to keep ash in the bowl. I'll flip over the bowl and dump out any ash that comes out willingly. Pipe cleaners...they're made to be disrespected and tossed away. Use and abuse those things. Buy in huge bulk from Amazon. I think I get them for like $10 for 1,000.

 
May 4, 2015
3,210
16
"But who cares what a dead Englishman says." Ha. Words to live by. I stir the ashes gently with my pick around the edge of the bowl and dump at 1/2 bowl. I fluff and stir the remainder and tamp flat and relight - basically like it's a new bowl. I don't know if this is traditional or whatever, it's just how I have always done it. I like comparing how the second light differs for better or worse than the first light.
Pipe cleaners - one and done. Both ends down the stem/shank, fold, wipe the bowl and File 13.

 

settersbrace

Lifer
Mar 20, 2014
1,565
5
I've learned or I should say I've been reminded that if I'm getting that ash taste in a bowl it's because I've scorched the tobacco by over use of the flame. I've been playing around and holding the flame well above the bowl on the initial light up procedure and relights and have noticed a much cleaner tasting smoke and a much better finish near the heel even with whole flake. It makes sense, (to me anyway) that it's very easy to scorch your tobacco by puffing down the flame deep into the pack and essentially charring the entire bowlfull. It's been providing a much cooler smoke stream too since I started being more careful with the lighter. Something to think on I'd say.

 
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