Tarry Taste

jeff59 · Feb 6, 2013

I've been smoking pipes for a long time. I would like the opinion of others on something. I have seemed to aquire and dislike the tarry taste I am getting in my pipes. Yes they are aged somewhat and I do a regular cleaning but still get the nasty taste when I smoke. I have tried the salt treatment, cleaning with alcohol, etc. It seems fine for a little while, but returns. I usually smoke burleys, mostly OTC brands, PA and Granger. All or almost all my pipes are the bent style, just like the way they feel. Could it be the tobacco I smoke? I tried varying the tightness of how I pack it, noticing if I pack it a little tighter, it is not as bad, but remains. I am not a big fan of aros, but if I do smoke them I mix with the burley. Maybe I need to change pipe style to a straigher stem? Any thoughts out there?

crpntr1 · Feb 6, 2013

Maybe you should just try a retort kit...I recently retorted one of mine that I had just cleaned and it was still pretty nasty

tbradsim1 · Feb 6, 2013

#1 Chris, a lot of bent pipes have a lot of crap where the tendon mates in the shank, heavies are there and only a retort will clean it up. The old cajun

gray4lines · Feb 6, 2013

Maybe dry the pipes out longer after you smoke?
Maybe the pipes you have just need more rest in between smokes.
Bent pipes are a little harder to keep clean, more stem, sometimes harder to pass a cleaner, but I don't imagine that would cause such a big and noticeable problem.

judcole · Feb 6, 2013

How often do you run cleaners through your pipes between your alcohol cleanings? It sounds to me like the stems,not the bowl, which is what a salt treatment is for.

pstlpkr · Feb 6, 2013

Maybe dry the pipes out longer after you smoke?

Maybe the pipes you have just need more rest in between smokes.

That's the same thought I had as well.

OTCs tend to have a lot more PG (Propylene Glycol)than the "boutique" blends... (tins)

PG keeps the moisture in OTCs to extend the shelf-life of these products.

While some OTCs are (IMHO) great, the PG can have some unwanted effects on pipes.

That being the retention of moisture causing the souring of your pipes to occur a bit faster than one might expect. (May not be a fact, but that's what I think is happening in my pipes.)

My remedy for this is to simply let the pipe rest for a month or more allowing it to completely dry out; then, I'll give it a good cleaning.

Voila!... a wonderful smoke.

That's what I do when I have issues like you're experiencing.

Good question. :clap:

: puffy

:
T minus EIGHT

crpntr1 · Feb 6, 2013

T minus EIGHT

Posts: 8,992

somebody talks a l o t
:lol:
Edit: That doesn't include the "edit" comments. :nana: : puffy

:

jeff59 · Feb 21, 2013

Thanks everyone for your help. I noticed a few things. Yeah, I took two pipes and cleaned them with everclear and let them dry out for about a week. Yes I know I should dry them out a little longer but I was curious. What a difference! Also over the years I guess I seemed to aquire a fast cadence while smoking. Didn't realize I was puffing away. I slowed everything down a bit and that seemed to help a lot. I guess I need to get one or two more pipes for my rotation. Yeah that sounds good !!!
Jeff

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