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thomasmartin

thomasmartin

Can't Leave
Jul 13, 2015
324
1
Unesco world heritage
I read in some books, that the ash on top of your bowl should be kept during smoking since it would "protect" the glowing tobacco. I found it rather suffocates it and makes the pipe harder to remain lit. I tend to dispose of the top ash layer from time to time. What's your take on this?

 
A

aldecaker

Lifer
Feb 13, 2015
4,407
42
More than likely, both are equally true, depending on your personal packing, tamping, and smoking style. I de-ash with some tobaccos, and not with others, so cut and consistency probably play in as well.

 
pipesmokingtom

pipesmokingtom

Lifer
May 4, 2015
3,210
16
I usually tip at about halfway. Really for no other reason that I start to taste ash... May or may not be actually true, but I feel that way. Tip, stir, tamp, relight.

 
hawky454

hawky454

Lifer
Feb 11, 2016
5,338
10,221
Austin, TX
When I get down to about the last third of the bowl I use the poker on the pipe tool to loosen the ash and dump some of it out.

 
sailortodd

sailortodd

Might Stick Around
Nov 2, 2011
76
0
My recent habit has been to keep the ash on top. I will continually gently tamp down as I go, compressing the ash even. I smoke outside on a ship, which means it's almost always windy, so the ash protects my thumb when I cover the bowl to keep the wind away.

 
tmb152

tmb152

Can't Leave
Apr 26, 2016
392
5
I'm of the school that if it lights and burns, leave things alone. Once you play with the ash, you will likely introduce soot into the tobacco you are smoking and it harms the taste. If I'm having trouble keeping it lit, then tip, take some ash off, find the good tobacco, maybe loosen a bit to allow it to aerate and dry better (since it has absorbed all the juices from above, and relight. Often times you will find a core of white ash down the middle that once removed, reveals good, unburned tobaccos along the pipe wall.

 
mso489

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,459
I agree, it varies with the blend and the packing. I usually don't have to dump, but now and then, the ash on top seems to stifle the relights. If I turn the pipe bowl upside down over the ashtray and the ash falls out, then I tamp the remaining unburned tobacco, it improves the rest of the smoke. It works for me.

 
jvnshr

jvnshr

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 4, 2015
4,616
3,875
Baku, Azerbaijan
I agree with aldecaker and mso. It varies with the packing, blend, tamping, etc. I try to keep the ash as much as I can in the bowl, however once it prevents the tobacco from burning well I loosen the ash with the poker of the pipe tool (as hawky does) and then dump it. It is usually somewhere between the halfway and the last third of the bowl.

 
cosmicfolklore

cosmicfolklore

Lifer
Aug 9, 2013
34,000
75,782
Between the Heart of Alabama and Hot Springs NC
Growing up with lots of pipe smoking around me, I've never seen anyone dump a bowl before it's completely finished. I smoke a few tall chimneys and never have an issue with the ash. Dump it if you want, but I've never had an issue that needed the ash removed. And, I rarely have to relight.

I don't think it matters, but I'd rather not fidget with my pipe while I smoke.

 
jpmcwjr

jpmcwjr

Moderator
Staff member
May 12, 2015
24,744
27,344
Carmel Valley, CA
I've never had an issue with the ash making it hard to keep it lit. Under some circumstances, a layer can make relights more difficult but that's about it.

 
briarcudgel

briarcudgel

Starting to Get Obsessed
May 6, 2016
108
108
Never thought about t until reading this thread, but I always only tamp. Might try to dump ash to see if it makes any difference.

 
J

jamestye

Lurker
Jun 7, 2016
2
0
Often when I smoke to half or a bit more, I find that the ash build up tends to ' suffocate ' the burning then I would tip the ash after using the tamping tools to lightly touch the surface ash.

I notice that every time I do this, I will have a sunken hole in the middle of the bowl while a lot of unburnt tobacco stuck to the edge of the bowl, still trying to figure out why is it so. Could someone enlighten me on this as I am getting frustrated.

Btw I'm very new to pipe smoking.

Cheers

 
andrew

andrew

Lifer
Feb 13, 2013
3,043
402
I would think if the ash is being suffocated then the bowl is probably packed too tight or you're tamping too hard and too much. I usually only tamp before I relight as the ash is preventing the relight from happening, which is usually at about 2/3's of the bowl.

 
cigrmaster

cigrmaster

Lifer
May 26, 2012
20,249
57,280
66
Sarasota Florida
Anytime my pipe goes out, I stir the ash gently and then dump it. Trying to relight through a pile of ash sucks as does the flavors you will get. Once I dump, I use my tamper to scrap around the edge of the bowl, then re pack and light. I get nothing but good tobacco flavors using this method.

 
mcitinner1

mcitinner1

Lifer
Apr 5, 2014
4,043
24
Missouri
Anytime my pipe goes out, I stir the ash gently and then dump it. Trying to relight through a pile of ash sucks as does the flavors you will get. Once I dump, I use my tamper to scrap around the edge of the bowl, then re pack and light. I get nothing but good tobacco flavors using this method.
Click to expand...
Same thing here.

 
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