The importance of cake

texmexpipe · Nov 5, 2014

I've seen pleanty of comments about cake and it seems to be a generally accepted practice with pipes. How does this help the briar? And more importantly in my book the smoke? Is there a school of practice that keeps cake to a minimum in a bowl? I smoke about once a night and have about 8 pipes, will my pipes "suffer" or not smoke as well until I form said cake in them? Thanks for the help!

cortezattic · Nov 6, 2014

You don't need very much carbon build-up on the walls of the pipe chamber -- just a thin coating to protect the wood from charring. Most folks recommend keeping the coating to the thinness of a dime. The theory is that heating up a thick coating might make it expand enough to crack the bowl. I dunno about that. Here's the opposing view. I don't think the carbon coating contributes much to the taste of the tobacco -- except perhaps to prevent you from tasting the wood, as happens when you're breaking-in a new pipe. Here's a related thread from a year ago.
These cracked pipes might have been caused by expansion of the carbon coating, but I don't know for sure.

dottiewarden · Nov 6, 2014

I find a little cake build up greatly improves the way the pipe smokes. However to get the cake to build up you have to smoke the pipe anyway. Maybe it's purely psychological, but the more I smoke my pipes the better they get!

darwin · Nov 6, 2014

I'm convinced a thick cake is absolutely crucial. Especially if it's chocolate.

huntertrw · Nov 6, 2014

As I understand it pipe-tobacco burns in excess of 700-degrees Fahrenheit, so Cortez's comment above about cake keeping the briar from charring would be spot on. In seems to serve the same purpose as refractory material inside of a furnace or kiln, and also helps to insulate the smoker's hand from the heat.

cosmicfolklore · Nov 6, 2014

If you are having to insulate your hands from heat, could it be that you might be smoking it too hot? Well, I see it that way for me anyways. I beat back the cake at every opportunity, but it still forms. The slower you smoke, the faster the cake builds. I ream with a paper towel after each smoke, and when it still starts to build up, I will shave it back with my pocketknife. I would only suggest a knife to someone if they have a delicate and precise touch with tools.

texmexpipe · Nov 6, 2014

So it's universally agreed that some cake is beneficial? No one has so far said anything to the contrary.

cosmicfolklore · Nov 6, 2014

Well, to completely keep 100% of the cake out of the pipe, would be more of a hassle than it's worth. Cake happens. It just does. But, to let it build up can hurt your pipe and reduce the size of the chamber. Plus, it can hold the aromas of past ghosts. Just my 2cents.

blueeyedogre · Nov 6, 2014

Im have found that material plays a role as well. My Italian pipes (Lorenzo, Savinelli) tend to cake up much faster then my danish pipes (Big Ben, Stanwell). Perhaps briars from different regions have different caking properties?

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