Tongue and Lip Bite .... Again

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highlander

Might Stick Around
Dec 5, 2013
58
0
I know this has been discussed before, but let me ask again....with my particular issues.
At least half of the time that I smoke, I get significant bite... basically tongue and inside my lips. Last week I had massive bite after smoking three bowls. I have asked for help locally and I consistently hear that I smoke too fast. Which I accept, and am trying to change. I am using bowl temperature as a gauge to stop smoking when it begins to overheat. However, if I don't smoke "fast", my pipe goes out. I can relight 20-30 times for a bowl.
In response to my huge number of relights, I have asked locally for help. I am told that I pack too tight or too loose...depending upon the cut of the tobacco. So I adjust, and still get the bite. I have determined that the tobacco's I have smoked are too often moist. So, I have dried them out. With absolutely no difference in some cases; improvement in others.
I can tell that certain tobaccos provide more bite. I had decided it was Virginias, but have been proven wrong for some blends. I do find that Burleys tend to bite less...and, it seems, some Cavendishes. But not always. I avoid Perique and Latakia, but many tobaccos have at least a trace of one or both. And I am concluding that Orientals may be a contributor.
The overall result is that I am smoking less and less. Which might lead to quitting. Which is something I want to avoid as, from time to time, I have a really enjoyable bowl.
Any overall advice?

 

zekest

Lifer
Apr 1, 2013
1,136
9
Some people have a reaction to Red Virginia's, but not with other Virginia's.
Try you some Burley blends for a change of pace. Perhaps a drug store blend like Carter Hall (which has some Virginia in it), or Prince Albert.
Try you some high falutin' blends like ODF, or other Burley flake.
Try you some aromatics like Lane 1-Q.

 

papajoe

Starting to Get Obsessed
Sep 9, 2014
181
5
As a newbie I can only tell you what have worked for me. I have also suffered in the beginning from tongue bites. And yes it was mainly due to two reasons which you already guessed.

The first was indeed because I smoked to fast. Now you ask how fast s to fast? Well only you can say that and you will discover it the moment you feel you smoke easy and enjoy it. The only way to find out is to slow down and then to slow down some more and more.

The second reason is packing wrong. Again I tried all the ways they show on vid on uTube and none worked for me. It was too light; it was too tight and as result it burnt to hot or went out every few seconds which made me relight a lot. Like you have to do. Again try and try again. Take the ways to pack that you see in vids and change then a bit. Try until you find the right way to pack. The moment you'll find it, you won't have to relight many times, it won't burn too hot, and you won't get tongue bites.

I'm smoking for about two month now and mostly I can now enjoy my smoke, and then again sometimes it does't smoke well and I know I didn’t pack right.

Try and try again and slow down.

 

highlander

Might Stick Around
Dec 5, 2013
58
0
I so smoke Prince Albert and enjoy it ... I have less bite than with others. Similarly with Carter Hall, but it is not my favorite flavor. And I have some Lane 1-Q somewhere about. I'll dig it out.
Thanks.

 

cortezattic

Lifer
Nov 19, 2009
15,147
7,638
Chicago, IL
Since you said that Burleys tend to bite less, I'm gonna suggest that it's not bite that you're suffering from.

Burley is an alkaline tobacco, and therefore should bite more, since bite is caused by alkalinity.
Rather, it sounds like the interior of your mouth is being scorched by heat (i.e., steam).

  • First, don't light your tobacco too aggressively, since that starts you off on the wrong foot. Many folks, who worry about keeping the pipe lit, will incinerate the top layer thinking that they need a hotter ember. That's just setting yourself up for a steamy smoke.
    Next, you may be puffing too aggressively in order to obtain more satisfaction than your current blend can deliver. So, consider moving to a stronger, more flavorful, or more full bodied blend, like Old Dark Fired, Capstan Blue, Peterson Irish Flake, Old Joe Krantz, Freight Train, Bayou Morning, most everything by G L Pease, C&D Burley Flake #3, etc.
    Lastly, since you may in any event be getting too much steam in the smoke stream, consider opening the draft hole in your pipe's stem (mouthpiece) to about 4mm diameter. This will slow the velocity of the smoke stream and give moisture a chance to precipitate out.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,459
I find moist aromatics seem to create steam and bite the most. Full strength burley blends seem to bite me not at all.

I was sort of surprised. Some of the blends that people suggested might be pretty rough turned out to bite the least

and not have that much of a nicotine buzz. Maybe this is just my particular body chemistry, but it surprised me. The

C&D burley blends seem to bite me not at all -- Billy Budd, Big 'n Burley, Pegasus, Dark Burley, Golden Ash, Old Joe Krantz, etc.

Same thing true of GLP Triple Play plug. I think this varies from person to person. Some can't taste burley, and others

find the flavor repugnant, to say the least. But if you like burley, a lot of good burley blends are being done right now.

With aromatics, let them dry out somewhat to reduce the bite.

 

highlander

Might Stick Around
Dec 5, 2013
58
0
I really appreciate the responses. In summary, what I am hearing is that, even though I have packed looser, I'm probably still packing too tight. And, even though I'm smoking slower, I'm still smoking too fast. And that, what I am feeling as bite might actually be burn. And that, by seeking more flavor in relatively flavorless tobaccos, I'm just aggravating my bad habits (I do love big clouds of smoke -- and burleys give me that without intense drawing on the pipe).
Some of the local guys who have given me tips seem, to my eye, to be barely smoking and puffing out very little smoke; they also seem to take a few puffs and put the pipe down for a while, then repeat.
All things to ponder and use to adjust my technique.
Again, thanks.

 

crusher47

Starting to Get Obsessed
Sep 29, 2014
230
0
Hang in there, I was in your situation last week....agree with the above poster, modify your filling technique using the known methods as a guide. I was able to smoke a bowl yesterday afternoon with only 1 relight so I think I'm finally getting the hang of this stuff... it is an artform for sure.

 

shaintiques

Lifer
Jul 13, 2011
3,615
228
Georgia
Read this thread. You need to learn the art of the slow sip. Guys seem to think that puffing generates more smoke than sipping, but a long slow sip generates plenty and doesn't burn your mouth. http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/the-art-of-a-slow-sip

 

highlander

Might Stick Around
Dec 5, 2013
58
0
Never smoked anything at all before.
As to the scantily clad women analogy, my local pipe shop lounge only has really ugly guys. Can I come smoke with you?

 

smeigs

Lifer
Jun 26, 2012
1,049
7
Sometimes I will get some tongue bite when I start smoking different blends. Usually harsher virginia/burley blends. After a week or so of smoking them it usually goes away and my mouth gets used to it.

 

mainman341

Lurker
Aug 18, 2014
23
0
For some training, Try smoking a Virginia and keeping it cool with a paced draw and choke up on the bit

to find a comfortable position a lot of lip bite is caused by to much pinching down.

..IMO.

 

highlander

Might Stick Around
Dec 5, 2013
58
0
My latest experiments have included much looser packing and much slower smoking using a much easier draw for each puff. Plus simply stopping when the bowl shows anything other than the mildest warmth. And working on the initial burn as if it is an action separate from the remainder of the bowl.
The results have been cooler smokes, much less smoke (drat, I love smoke), the appearance of tobacco flavor, and an incredibly longer smoke. In fact, I am now not finishing bowls because of the time. In addition, my number of lights has gone up even higher -- 30 to 40 -- and the puffs per light has gone down to 2-5.
Thanks to all.

 

gamxiaoyuan

Might Stick Around
Sep 12, 2014
80
0
China
IMO,going out too much stems from leaving too much space at the bottom of the bowl. Yea, I know most "mentors" telling us not packing too tight and leaving a air hole down the bowl. However, most newbies I know are actually so afraid of packing too tight that end up packing too loose, which means leaving too much space down the bowl. So, push down a little bit more. I'm sure it will help.

 

nurseman

Starting to Get Obsessed
Feb 8, 2014
187
2
The good news is the cells on your tongue regrow every 3 days - try a short break you may have fixed your technique but you are re irritating damaged areas

 

highlander

Might Stick Around
Dec 5, 2013
58
0
Again, thanks to all. I have been quite frustrated by not getting much enjoyment out of a hobby that others clearly find quite enjoyable and which, over widely spread moments, so did I. You all have alerted me to the wide number of variables and provided an approach to controlling them.
The gist of this entire exercise is that my last 4-5 bowls have not been an exercise in how much I can damage my mouth. They have been, all in all, enjoyable. I did note last night that, as I hurried to finish a bowl before dinner and found myself going back to the smokestack model -- increasing my smoking rate and intensity -- that I felt the beginnings of bite/burn. And, in those at least half of those bowls, I've thrown out unburnt tobacco. And, once or twice, I've discovered that I've been smoking without thinking about it. I now can detect the difference between bite and burn -- a chemical versus a "steam" reaction.
I do have a lot of new variable to consider and practice, so I have again become hopeful about the hobby.

 
Oct 16, 2014
6
0
If its any consolation, you're certainly not on your own. I've had very similar experiences and have tried the various pipe packing techniques along with slowing down - usually accompanied by multiple relights.
From the wealth of friendly advice comes a background of widely different experiences, of tobaccos, pipes and techniques. I think its easy to become yet more confused, so I'm drawing from that most consistent, having also meantime read many more threads and topics.
So far I have just 2 pipes a Milville Mini and a weird green nylon basket pipe and am awaiting a lovely Zettervig handmade briar. I've also been smoking just G&H aromatics to date. The results have been that the Milville gives an occasional lovely smoke, but as it's being overused can produce a wet and unremarkable smoke with a lot of relights.
The basket case was an unwise although cheap eBay buy, with a well bitten stem. It seems generally poorly aligned and was seemingly refreshed with old ladies cheap perfume. I've barely been able to rid it of this, but all smokes from it are uninteresting, even so I've used this often and on different albeit aromatic blends so as not to taint the briar.
My next step is to buy some MM corn cobs in order to experiment with different tobaccos and to aid with pipe rotation. The precious Zettervig will then be dedicated to a favourite smoke to see how it goes. Meantime the Milville gets a rest, and the strange green nylon thing becomes solely a display piece. I have other ideas for it too...
I'm minded to try "Old Dark Fired" next, as I think part of the problem may be that of drawing too hard on a pipe bowl filled with basically too weak and wet tobacco? It's all part of the fun, and I'm enjoying the voyage of discovery!

 
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