Troubles With Virginias

Log in

SmokingPipes.com Updates

New Cigars




PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Drucquers Banner

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Drucquers Banner

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Status
Not open for further replies.

frennchy11

Part of the Furniture Now
Dec 28, 2011
508
0
I can not seem to keep my pipe lit without it getting extremely hot! I have tried a couple different packing techniques but I can't seem to figure it out. Any thoughts?

 

tokerpipes

Lifer
Jan 16, 2012
2,042
690
45
Eatonville, WA
Now I don't see how you could be having trouble with vaginas...oh wait you said virginias. Its a good thing a read this post closer oh wait don't hit send.

 

romanza10

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jan 10, 2012
181
0
South Carolina
Lay out your tobacco on a plate for 45 mins to a couple of hours before you smoke it. I find, that tobacco that is too wet, can be hard to light and burn hot, regardless of what it is. I smoked some Esoterica Tobacciana "And So To Bed", wet, wet, wet. Hard to light, burns hot, taste is ok. I let it dry for awhile, it's cool, and flavorful, and takes to light much better. I've also had the same experience with McClelland Blackwoods Flake, an all VA blend. Same deal, hot, hard to light, and taste ok. Let it dry, epic smoke. Just my thoughts, YMMV.

 

bigvan

Lifer
Mar 22, 2011
2,192
12
If you're smoking an average sized pipe in less than 45 minutes, you're smoking too fast. Slow down.
Assuming your shop blend cavendish is a heavily cased aromatic (most of them are) that's a lot of sugar. Sugar burns hot. Slow down.
Virginia has lots of natural sugars. Slow down.

 

pipeguy93

Lurker
Mar 19, 2012
33
0
I agree with the above. Try packing a bit lighter and drying the tobacco for a bit. I had the same problem as you until I changed to a different packing method.

 

ohin3

Lifer
Jun 2, 2010
2,454
26
I agree with all that has been said here and would like to reiterate. Dry your Virginias out for a half hour or longer and smoke SSSSSSSSSSSSSLLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWLLLLLLLLLLLLLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY. You are not going go get billowing clouds of smoke but just a smouldering whisp of smoke from your pipe and your mouth. I find that exhaling those little whispy sips through your nose often while smoking Virginias is heavenly. I will, every so often, take a big deep long slow puff and exhale it through my nose...it's near euphoric. Your eyes water up and you get a burst of flavour that subsides with long finish like a good single malt whisky.

 

captainbob

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 5, 2010
765
2
Pinch it hard between your forefinger and thumb. If it stays clumped together, it is too wet. If it is just at the point of "clumping together" it is ready to smoke.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



 

brian64

Lifer
Jan 31, 2011
9,604
14,671
I also agree with all of the above...especially drying the tobacco before you pack your pipe. I always spread out about a bowl full on a paper plate and let it sit for an hour or even more before packing.
Also, I have a few pipes that just smoke too hot for VA's, so I only smoke english blends in those.

 

romanza10

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jan 10, 2012
181
0
South Carolina
I gave up on trying to smoke Virginias.I just can't get the hang of it.
That is a major bummer man. I love VA. I will smoke them even if they burn the crap out of me. For me, the pain is worth the taste. The trick is, of course, to figure out how to smoke a particular blend, be it VA or what ever. That is why, I'm never bored with the pipe, even if I literally get burned from time to time.

 

nsfisher

Lifer
Nov 26, 2011
3,566
20
Nova Scotia, Canada
If you are an x cig smoker, you are trying to do what all x cig smokers, puff, drag, inhale and look for the cloud of smoke. This is a common fault when switching to a pipe. All advice above is bang on mate.

 

ssjones

Moderator
Staff member
May 11, 2011
18,322
11,089
Maryland
postimg.cc
Ohin3 nailed it, smoke patiently. Drying is a huge help. I don't smoke VA's that often and have a tin of OGS in a glass jar. The OGS is a nice change of pace from my usual English tobacco. I opened the tin this past summer and I just smoke a flake last week. It was dry enough to be almost brittle, which packed and smoke wonderfully, a completely different experience than when the tin was newly opened. A smallish pipe is also a must.

 

bobby46

Starting to Get Obsessed
Feb 11, 2012
254
0
Although I agree with all the advice given above, I have to wonder about all the fuss I've read over many months concerning re-lights with Va blends. Is it the nuisance factor, or some sort of apparent smoking-technique inadequacy implied? To some extent, it is simply "what-is". I look at it as a requisite series of short smokes from a single bowl. Additionally, I have never encountered a single pipeist nor non-smoker snickering about my repeated tamps/re-lights. So, someone tell me why this seems to be an issue?

 

jchaplick

Lifer
May 8, 2011
1,702
9
I have prblems keeping my pipe lit, especially at the tobacco shop because it is humidified. Drying tobacco always helps.

 

marmal4de

Lifer
Feb 20, 2011
2,315
4
Richmond, BC
Although I agree with all the advice given above, I have to wonder about all the fuss I've read over many months concerning re-lights with Va blends. Is it the nuisance factor, or some sort of apparent smoking-technique inadequacy implied? To some extent, it is simply "what-is". I look at it as a requisite series of short smokes from a single bowl. Additionally, I have never encountered a single pipeist nor non-smoker snickering about my repeated tamps/re-lights. So, someone tell me why this seems to be an issue?

Bobby, you're awesome!

 

ohin3

Lifer
Jun 2, 2010
2,454
26
If you can't keep a pipe of anything burning pretty constantly then I would say that it is too tightly or loosely packed or the tobacco's humidity level is too high. I regularly smoke straight Virginia flakes and never have an issue with them staying lit. I stumbled through over the years till I figured out that my most memorable Virginia smokes came when I let the tobacco dry out to the point that it would form no more than a very loose clump when tightly pinched and packed the pipe in a way that the unlit draw offered up no more resistance than a cigarette. I now apply that same philosophy to all tobaccos and never ever have a hot or wet smoke from anything.

 

rigmedic1

Lifer
May 29, 2011
3,896
75
I used to hate straight Virginias until I dedicated a new pipe for them. Cannot add anything to the previous advice listed here, but they are worth the extra effort.

 

markw4mms

Lifer
Jun 16, 2011
2,176
2
Bremen,GA
Looks like all the right advise has already been given, but just to sum it up. Make sure it's dry enough, pack lighter than you think it needs to be, tamp lightly, and most of all,smoke it slowly!

 
Status
Not open for further replies.