Technique Not Satisfactory

colcolt · Jun 18, 2012

I think I must be doing something wrong. I got my first order of baccy today and the first one I tried was C&D's Bailey's Front Porch then Peter Stokkebye's Black Currant Cavendish. This was about 40 minutes apart. I couldn't tell much difference in the taste. Maybe my taste buds are shot. I think I may have been smoking it too quickly. It takes me 10-12 minutes to smoke a bowl of each and I had to keep lighting and puffing on it. I followed the method of lightly packing the first third or so then a little heavier on the next and then more heavy toward the top. It first lit well but, I had to keep puffing on it and the bowl got so hot I had to hold the pipe by the stem. The pipe is a Nording Viking Bent Brandy. I did clean the bowl with a paper towel in between fills.
Keep in mind this is the first time I've picked up a pipe since the 80's so, to be be sure as green as I am I'm doing something wrong. Hopefully I'll figure it out soon. I found out one thing-pipe tobacco is stronger than I thought it was or remembered. Marlboro Mediums seem mild compared to those two. I can imagine what Haddo's Delight is going to be like when it arrives.

bigvan · Jun 18, 2012

"It takes me 10-12 minutes to smoke a bowl of each..."
Yeah, that's way, way, WAY too fast. An average sized bowl should last 45 minutes to an hour, so SLOW DOWN.
If you think the nicotine is too strong, look for a blend with little to no burley.

martiniman · Jun 18, 2012

IMHO, 10-12 minutes a bowl would leave my tongue a tingling and no taste. It takes me 40-50 per bowl. Anything faster and i get tongue burn. I do need to relight frequently. I also rarely smoke a fresh tobacco out of the tin. I let it dry quite a bit.
I'm sure you will get lots of good advice from the seniors here.... :D

johnnyxpipe · Jun 18, 2012

Defiantly smoking too fast. The tobacco being too moist could also contribute to not being much flavor.

colcolt · Jun 18, 2012

Both times it made my tongue tingle for some time afterward. My mouth tasted like the empty bowl smelled. I just watched a mini video of two fellows from the Tobacco Barn and the guy named Tom got more smoke than I did either time I tried and it kept burning without him having to light it over and over.
I forget the depth of my bowl but it's slightly over an inch. Several of the pouches that came today were in zip lock bags and one was a tin. They didn't seem to be dry or overly moist. The two I mentioned were in zip lock bags and came from Pipes and Cigars. Got to try this again tonight.

barkar · Jun 18, 2012

I agree with BigVan and others, you are smoking way to fast which often happens with ex cig smokers (if u were a cig smoker).

A full bowl in an average size pipe should take about 45 minutes to an hour. At this point you likely steam burned your tongue from smoking hot moist tobacco which as you mentioned will kill your ability to taste. Don't smoke anything for 2 or 3 days and then try again only this time pack your bowl as explained on this form in many places and smoke slowly. You might want to take out enough tobacco to fill the bowl and put on a paper towel and let sit for 30 minutes before packing bowl...enjoy... : puffy

:
P.S. Almost forgot. Check how the draw is when pipe is empty then after each of your stages of packing check draw again. It should be still easy to draw. If not its to tight and you need to empty and try again.

knightmare · Jun 18, 2012

Definitely smoking way too fast. I tend to smoke quickly when I'm working, but even still a full bowl lasts me a lot longer than 10 to 12 minutes. I would imagine the pipe would be too hot to even hold at that point.
I'm also surprised you didn't get tongue bite, or burn your tongue.
The factors that come into this are, 1. How you pack your time, and 2. How you smoke it.
For smoking your pipe, sip it, as if it was a cup of really hot coffee or tea. A little sip, otherwise you'd burn your mouth kinda-sip. I normally don't smoke this slowly myself, but for your case I'd definitely do this for a few bowls to get the feel for it.

tokerpipes · Jun 18, 2012

Here are some quick rules to remember and practice with. Every one here will agree with them
1- start with a cleaned pipe (clear of dobtle and stem clear of blockage.

2- pack looser than you think you should

3- test the draw it should be slightly tighter than drinking from a straw

4- leave a little room at the top of the bowl for the expansion char light

5- char light, light the top of the bowl then tamp gently just to level the top of the bowl

6- fully light the top of the bowl

7- sip the pipe don't pull on it to try and keep it lit.

8- enjoy the flavor exhale and enjoy the entire release. Beginning middle and end. Then enjoy the after taste.

9- tamp lighter and less frenquently than you think you should. If using a tamping nail its weight should be plenty.

10- most importantly it OK to relight. Even the most experienced pipe smoke will let it go out on occasion. Plus if its a wet bacci it may need to dry a bit before packing.
Hope these help and as you will see with trial and error once these are down you will enjoy smoking far more than sex... well maybe not sex but a lot more and you won't burn the taste out of your tongue.

colcolt · Jun 18, 2012

I never smoked more than maybe a dozen cigars in my life but have had more my share of cigarettes having started in 1959 when I became a teenager. Never could get the hang of cigars. One thing I didn't do is check the draw. I just loaded up and lit and puffed. Zippos are not good for lighting pipes I discovered and I have no matches so it looks like a pipe lighter may be in order. I didn't tap either before or during so that is another mistake.
Well, I'm trying and will try yet again. The video was good and I think I'll watch that again. tokerpipes pretty much hit on all the aspects of what I seen in the video. I'll wait until tomorrow late to tr this again and give my tongue a rest. Thanks for the suggestions and comments...most welcomed.

bigmike · Jun 18, 2012

Yeah, what tokerpipes said.................. : puffy

:

irishsmoker · Jun 18, 2012

+1 Toker!!!

martiniman · Jun 18, 2012

Colcolt, I use a Zippo with a pipe insert and matches. It's a basic zippo but the top has a hole in the side for the flame to enter the bowl easier. I use like matches better and can taste the difference. Zippo is easy until i get 1/2 way down the bowl.
Slow is the way to go, this is why pipe smoking is so Zenlike, i need to concentrate on how slow i smoke and that makes everything else go way. :D

colcolt · Jun 18, 2012

I wish I had a nickel for every Zippo I've had over the years...probably have half a dozen now. I was looking at their pipe lighters and they do look different than the standard. Still shopping around for a new lighter as my current one's not cutting it.
This is probably my favorite Zippo

cgrd · Jun 18, 2012

There's a current thread on packing a pipe for new smokers here

http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/packing-tips-for-a-new-guy
I didn't know any local pipe smokers before I picked up the pipe myself, so these guides and youtube videos are pretty priceless. One tip I've picked up that seems to work well for me is tamp while drawing on the pipe. I think it may compensate for newbie style heavy tamping, as it will heat the tobacco up and prevent me from crushing the ember, but I never use more than the weight of the tamper...so who knows. But it has lead to better smokes for me. Best of luck!

pstlpkr · Jun 18, 2012

All of the above is excellent advice...

I might add one more thing.

Make sure you have a cold beverage at hand...

Hydration, will help with "ash-tray" mouth.

A lot of us will have an adult beverage with a pipe in the evening...

Maybe not the best thing, because alcohol acts like a diuretic.

So... have a glass water handy.

In the AM... Coffee is always a good way to go.

And, like they said above... Slooooooow Down, and don't pack too tightly.

Happy puffin'

: puffy

:

colcolt · Jun 19, 2012

Well, I've made a bit of progress. I had a new pipe(Winslow Viking) come today and of course I had to try it out. I watched the video again and read the comments here a couple times and instead of having the problems before and smoking it all in 10-12 minutes, it actually took about 25 minutes so, there's a little progress and I didn't have to relight as much. The tamping made a difference as did the packing method. I'm still finding myself puffing too much and drawing to long which is making the smoke hot and harsh but, I'll get the hang of it sooner or later. I'm still having a hard time distinguishing between blends as they're all tasting about the same and I've tried three so far. I'm not sure what's going on with that.

taerin · Jun 19, 2012

My advice is to just get Zippo pipe lighter inserts from Ebay.com and stick them into your regular Zippo lighters. I both light pipes with Zippos and matches, depending on my mood. The inserts cost something like $8 each with free shipping, or less without free shipping if you want several at a time. I use the pipe lighter inserts that require the normal Zippo fuel and not the Thunderbird butane ones, it all comes to personal preference, most think the butane are higher quality, but they also burn significantly hotter.

mluyckx · Jun 19, 2012

Colcolt:

puffing too much and drawing to long which is making the smoke hot and harsh

As a cigarette smoker myself I found myself falling into this same trap in the beginning. You want this big waft of smoke that you can inhale and suck into your lungs. Almost like second nature. It takes a little effort to get rid of it while pipe smoking.
My experience: Puffing on the pipe is more like a fish mouth moving. More so than actually sucking on it like on a cigarette. So try to take short small puffs. What I did to practice is this: take a couple of small puffs to get the ember going, then a deeper draw, inhale. Move pipe away from mouth. Count to at least 30, a minute even better. 3-4 small puffs to get ember going, deep draw, wait.. repeat.

It helped me get into a rhythm while pipe smoking and now it's second nature
Still smoke cigs at work too though...

colcolt · Jun 19, 2012

Old habits are sure hard to break. I find myself trying to smoke it like a cigarette attempting to draw in about every 30 seconds like a cigarette. It takes me about 4 minutes to smoke a standard size cigarette but much longer with the pipe...if I can just get over the hot, harsh taste I think I'll be ok. It's my method I'm sure but having smoked only 3-4 bowls since the mid 80's I'll give myself some slack there.
I was amazed in the video how Tom, I think was his name of The Tobacco Barn, had such a humongous amount of smoke going when he first packed and lit up. I'd have to suck pretty hard to get that much of a volume. Of course, he knows what he's doing and no doubt has been at it for decades. I'd like to know what kind of lighter he has.

brian64 · Jun 19, 2012

I've got nothing to add to what all the others have said, but this is in honor of your Zippo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2G551KpNnA0

Technique Not Satisfactory

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