Too Much Dottle?

scandiuzzi · May 5, 2018

Hi, I've been thinking for a long time that I always get a lot of dottle and then, when I was breaking in a pipe for the first time I got this. I think it comes to a point in the bowl that I just can't seem to get through. I packed with the three step method after drying out the tobacco (was a rubbed out aged burley flake). I have the impression that every time I smoke, I get this same result with any pipe and any tobacco. What could I possibly be doing wrong?

dottiewarden · May 5, 2018

Moist tobacco - I can certainly relate to your statement. I occasionally get the effect that I have to toss the final third of the bowl due to soggy nastiness that tastes like a rotten peanut. I used to hang out with a life-long aromatic smoker that would routinely toss the bottom third. I'm pretty sure it's the tobacco being a tad moist at the time of smoking. If you want to cake up the heel of your pipe, I suggest half bowls for a dozen or so smokes.

workman · May 5, 2018

That is good advice. Also try to smoke slower, as your pace has an impact on moisture. If it is not too soggy, I will break the stubborn tobacco in the bottom up with my czech tool and relight.

oldmansmoking · May 5, 2018

Can’t see by the picture what you mean. Use a tapper and pick in order to smoke the whole bowl. You have to move the bottom of the pipe bowl at or towards the end of the smoke. Any unsmoked tobacco keep in a jar to smoke another day, in a corncob or clay.

scandiuzzi · May 5, 2018

Thanks for the advices. I think I am smoking it slowly, the main thing is I can't get the heat through the ash layer. I'll try drying up a little more. When people say I should puff lightly, almost like a sip, what's the strength of it? Should it be really, no strength at all or like when drinking a soda? How about tamping? I think maybe that could be it. The really soggy part is only at the heel of the pipe.

jpmcwjr · May 5, 2018

Dry the tobacco a lot more before loading. Half bowls, too.
Here's a photo of a new pipe in which I smoked 30 or so half bowls as an experiment. Hard to see, but there is cake in the bottom half, and just darkening in the top half.

The white is leftover ash.
It's a fine pipe by Chris Besse, and I've yet to give it justice in photos.

mso489 · May 5, 2018

Yup, dry the tobacco more, maybe pack the pipe in advance and give it a few hours or a day. Pack it full and even, but not too tight. Gentle tamping, often before it burns out, is a good method, to keep the ember going. On the other hand, don't keep smoking if it tastes bad. What's the point. Often I think I have a lot of dottle, but end up with little, sometimes none. Don't sweat the dottle. A bit is just routine.

johnbarleycorn · May 5, 2018

the main thing is I can't get the heat through the ash layer.

Try dumping the ash mid bowl. A thick layer of ash will often keep smothering out the bowl. But once dumped it will smoke like a charm.

mikefu · May 5, 2018

I'll only second (or third, fourth, whatever) what has already been said...Dry out your tobacco double the time you've been drying, and then fill that puppy up halfway for 5 smokes or so, and if the ash gives you heck then dump it gently partway (may need the help of a little stir) and then retamp and relight. Get a good heel cake and then smoke as usual, but continue drying the tobacco more.

jndyer · May 5, 2018

You are getting very good advice here. Keep enjoying your pipe and you will continue to improve your technique.

brian64 · May 5, 2018

I'm sure some will disagree with this, but I've come to the conclusion that it's not possible for pipe tobacco to be too dry. YRMV.

seacaptain · May 5, 2018

I have this problem sometimes, well, more than I should.
I need to dry out the tobacco but usually I'm too impatient. So when this happens, I just scrape it out and move on. I don't save dottles, they taste bad when relit.

jpmcwjr · May 5, 2018

Skipper- Try drying a couple of tins at a time- the whole thing. The tobacco on top will get dry first; use that, and then let it air out some more. This works well in a house with ca. 50% RH.

weezell · May 5, 2018

Any unsmoked tobacco keep in a jar to smoke another day, in a corncob or clay.

To hard core for me! 8O ...

seanv · May 5, 2018

Let the Dottle go.....
Smoke some half bowls and experiment with dryer tobacco.

sumusfumus · May 6, 2018

I smoke my pipes to sit back, relax, and free myself from Life's vexations, and worries. I refuse to let dottle be one of them.
I used to care, but now....I don't even think about it.
Frank

NYC

scandiuzzi · May 11, 2018

Thank you all for your help! What I've been doing is just not overthink about it, and got a much better cake build up. I did benefit from drying the tobacco more. What I'm doing is putting it in the microwave for like 5 seconds and it got a better taste, less bite and requires fewer relights. I'll post another photo soon of the bowl after my 4th smoke, it's just missing a little black color at the heel, but it seems it will get its color soon.

cosmicfolklore · May 11, 2018

Why all of the concern to get cake down in the bottom of the bowl? If you cannot even smoke a bowl to the bottom, there is absolutely no need to get cake down there.
I think this is a newbie concern. I remember having this concern as well, until someone told me what I just told you.
Cake just happens, pretty soon you will be fighting back cake and scraping it out. It's a pain in the a$$ now, and I could care less if I have any cake in my pipes. I can smoke all of my pipes with enough skill now that cake doesn't make a huge impact or difference to me.

saltedplug · May 11, 2018

I only at times got a clump of tobacco when I dumped the bowl such that it resembled my picture of dottle. Once or twice I saved them for a dottle only smoke, but I didn't like the flavor. I was expecting stronger flavor and nicotine, given the smoke from above caking the dottle while puffing. Didn't happen. Stopped trying.

luigi · May 12, 2018

I'm trying to build cake at the bottom of my pipes lately to see if there's actually any difference in taste, just for fun, but seems it won't happen. The heel is remaining "smooth" and I'm completely ok with that, starting to believe that a full caked pipes are a myth (or maybe possible with some specific tobaccos or smoking technique).

A so called premium pipe tobacco usually leaves almost no dottle in my chambers and can be enjoyed from the top to the bottom when dried enough, can't say the same for aromatics. But who cares, I don't hesitate to throw away a tasteless goopy dottle from cheaper tobaccos, even if it's a third of the bowl.

Too Much Dottle?

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