Tell me the right way emptying the bowl

Log in

SmokingPipes.com Updates

Watch for Updates Twice a Week

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Status
Not open for further replies.
Jul 28, 2016
7,632
36,752
Finland-Scandinavia-EU
Hi Folks , I d like to hear your opinion,may I dumb (not always though,keeping a proper cake build up in mind)the last third of a bowl,if there is left a bit of unburned tobacco,or shall I relight that often a bit moist leftover and then try to smoke it to the white ash'the goal which I never seem to be able to achieve,at least by this very day. Thanks for you tipping me off on this matter,have a Great day Y'all,Paul

 

ericthered

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 29, 2014
511
2
Suffolk, VA
The answer to this is hugely subjective, and is based directly upon what your goals and priorities are. Are you trying to build cake in the heel of the bowl? Then yes, you should try to burn it all the way down, white ash notwithstanding. If you've got a juicy clump of dottle down there, however, you're going to have a bear of a time trying to smoke it all the way down. In this situation, I might use delayed gratification, let the dottle dry, then come back sometime later to finish the bowl. The best way I've heard to build cake in the heel is to smoke 1/2 bowls, but I've never tried this.
If your priority is strictly to get as much enjoyment as you can out of a smoke, then don't worry about the last bit of un-burnt tobacco. Forcing your way through that last bit will likely involve many re-lights, increased potential for gurgle, and an increased ashy taste in the smoke. All factors that will likely reduce your enjoyment.
Your thread title asks the "right way emptying the bowl". Again, let your priorities drive your decision. If you want to preserve the integrity and finish of your pipe, I would advise against knocking the ash/dottle out against a hard surface. This will mar the struck surface and if done wrong, could break the shank/stem. My preferred method of emptying my pipe is to dislodge the ash/dottle with the spade end of my pipe nail, then gently tap it out against my knuckles. A quick swab with a pipe cleaner takes care of any stubborn moisture or ash build-up.
Ultimately, there are very few "wrong" ways to do things. Just identify what matters the most to you- what you want to get out of your pipe-smoking experience, and make your decisions accordingly.

 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,432
109,330
Smoke it until you are finished enjoying it. Half bowl, two thirds, or all the way to the bottom. Once you have reached the point that you are content, lightly scoop out the remains of tobacco with your pipe tool, and clean as usual. It's all about your satisfaction with the smoking session, and not how much to stress over the pipe. Sit back and enjoy my friend. :wink:

 

tmb152

Can't Leave
Apr 26, 2016
392
5
I try to get an even cake all the way down as close to the bottom as I can, and while smoking most blends, especially flake, when it goes out, I will let it rest a bit, let the pipe cool off a few minutes, maybe remove a little ash with a match stick, then poke my finger in there and pull the tobacco crumbs away from the wall out into the main air path. This helps retard cake buildup and moisture as it gets more air along the bowl, gets more of the tobacco burning fresh and evenly, and better distributes the tars so that I can smoke longer, closer down towards the bottom of the bowl. I usually end up with no more than 20-25% unsmoked tobacco at the bottom, or less.

 

ray47

Lifer
Jul 10, 2015
2,451
5,613
Dalzell, South Carolina
When I'm finished I stir what's left in the bowl with my pipe tool pick and then tap the bowl on the cork in the ashtray. I then bend the pipe cleaner in half and swab out the bowl.

 

sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
19,765
45,330
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
All good suggestions above. Smoking past the point of enjoyment isn't a good idea, but building a layer of cake to the bottom is important to the long term health of your pipe. If your tobacco is consistently becoming too moist to enjoy, try letting it dry a bit longer before packing, and try a looser pack.
While the "smoked effortlessly to the bottom of the bowl and left a fine white ash" is an appealing myth, it's mostly a myth. Different blends smoke differently and while some will easily smoke to the bottom with no effort, many require relights.
Once you have finished a bowl and dumped the ash, take a pipe cleaner, double it over itself, and wipe the walls of the chamber to remove tobacco fragments. Use two if beneficial. You will still build a cake, but it will be one that is solid, and not compromised with bits of unburnt tobacco embedded in it.

 

dottiewarden

Lifer
Mar 25, 2014
3,053
57
Toronto
While the "smoked effortlessly to the bottom of the bowl and left a fine white ash" is an appealing myth, it's mostly a myth.
It is interesting on how we put emphasis on certain aspects of the smoking experience. I'm sure certain tobacco reviewers are tempted to use this line a it sounds as if they are masters of pipe smoking. Fact is most pipe smokers operate on autopilot without even considering their packing technique or counting their relights. This is the result of experience and part of that experience is giving some of the tips you find here a try and see what works for you.
As far as emptying your pipe is concerned, just smoke it until the taste is no longer delicious. This may be right to the bottom or just half way through, and many factors contribute to this. If the tobacco is nearly all smoked then a tap on your hand or a soft surface (my granddad used the bottom of his shoe)and the ash and dry unburnt tobacco should fall out easily. If a clump of tobacco or dottle remain, your pipe tool can come in very handy. In a worst case scenario, I just dislodge the remaining tobacco in the heal with my finger. A good wipe with some paper towel works well for me when coming to the removal of loose build up.
Keep in mind, I learn as much from the codgers as I do the hobbyist, and I consider myself as a codger in training.

 
Jul 28, 2016
7,632
36,752
Finland-Scandinavia-EU
All right.Dear Gentlemen, again Thank you for your thoughts and suggestions, they are most appreciated,I shall keep your good and valuable advises in mind, since I do concider you all as what they call 'experienced pipesmokers,Muchos Grazias,Paul

 
I have a team of gerbils trained to dig out the last bit of dottle in the bowl.
And, if the last little bit of tobacco has a name, dottle. Then it must be ok to have some left in the bowl. Otherwise, we would instead have a name for someone who cannot finish an entire bowl down to the white ash.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,459
Okay, here's a minority report. Mostly I concur with what's been said; however, a sturdy minority of Forums members do not build cake. You need to be sure you have a thin carbon layer all the way to the bottom of the bowl. If you're not cake building, you scoop out the ash and any dottle and wipe out the bowl with a piece of paper towel (you don't need the whole square), paper napkin, or tissue, and blow out any remaining bits into an ashtray or waste basket. Then do the pipe cleaner, and buff the whole pipe with a soft rag, bandana, polishing cloth, or whatever. Enough bowls smoke low enough to create the carbon layer in the bottom of the bowl, but I never smoke after the flavor ceases to be pleasurable. The pipe serves me, I don't serve it. One or two of my pipes, bought new, are nearly 40 years old, and smoke better than ever, so in my opinion, this approach does not harm the pipe. The chamber remains the same size. I don't have to own a reamer and the chamber is never exposed to that additional wear. Many feel building cake is part of the grand tradition, but if you can stand to abandon it, you will find it is not needed for a good smoke.

 

willc

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jun 7, 2014
117
0
Not sure if you are in the minority mso489 as I don't let cake build up in my pipes.

I keep it way less than a dimes worth and can keep a consistent very thin layer by using a pipe cleaner to scrape the bowl after each smoke.
This works well for me so I go with it but I've bought plenty of estates where I could barely get a pencil in the bowl so I know some people must like lots of cake.

 

jpmcwjr

Moderator
Staff member
May 12, 2015
24,725
27,323
Carmel Valley, CA
An even fewer of us rinse the bowl with water and dry with paper towel. That removes all ash and unburnt leaf. Keeps cake build up to the minimum and what is there is hard and sturdy. Removing cake from the rim is also a good idea if the rim has good wood. Now I see I've mentioned both wood and rim in the same sentence, but I am talking pipes here, nothing more. Move along, nothing to see......
:oops:

 

shutterbugg

Lifer
Nov 18, 2013
1,451
21
Have you ever smoked a filtered pipe and looked at the filter when you changed it out? The same brown gunk is what is trapped by the bottom third of the tobacco in the bowl, although it's camouflaged by the brown tobacco. I treat the bottom third as a filter, and dump it. Up until pipesmoking became "a hobby" and guys on the internet turned it into a competitive manly sport with a set of rules, nobody said shit if you dumped it. Smoking to the bottom is like crushing a beercan against your forehead...a neanderthal act of machismo. If you like it, fine, smoke it. If not, dump it. So you won't medal in the pipesmoking olympics, so effin what?

 

jpmcwjr

Moderator
Staff member
May 12, 2015
24,725
27,323
Carmel Valley, CA
Those of us who choose to smoke all or most of the charge are doing so not due to your odd notion of machismo.
Those who smoke too wet are doomed to have an ugly plug of dottle. (shutterbug)
To each his own, but your experience and conclusions are just that.

 
Jul 28, 2016
7,632
36,752
Finland-Scandinavia-EU
All right, dear Gentlemen, what I've learned from this topic is that if and when you dont taste your tobacco being enjoyable to smoke,or getting tired , you are free to put pipe aside for a while or by your choice,dumb the remaining last tobacco - all good advices and much appreciated .Thank you, chat later, Paul

 
Status
Not open for further replies.