Tongue Bite Progress Update

[OSOBUCO]

Hi Friends – I have been learning so much here and elsewhere and I have made a ton of progress on my tongue bite issue and thought I’d pass along a bit of what I have learned:

• Drying more and packing looser does indeed help – of course most everyone with experience says this and I am glad I followed their advice.
• Minimize relights as much as possible. The more I relight the more I get bitten. When I do relight, I rarely touch the tobacco with the flame and that helps. If a blend is being difficult, I will dump the bowl and repack even if I am half way through and that helps.
• Sip sip sip. Once going I take short pulls/sips not big draws. Again, Keep it cool. My bowls rarely get above a little warm to the touch. This is another thing everyone says and it’s true. I tried the “breathe” method and it is not for me. It works but if I must focus that much on what I am doing it takes the fun out of it. I smoke to taste, relax and at times empty my mind of all thoughts.
• Filters work!!! The Sav balsa filters are just OK but I have been bitten even with them, but they do not affect flavor at all. The Sav 6mm carbon filters totally kill the bite even if I chug a bit. They also reduce the nic hit which for me is a good thing as I am super sensitive to vitamin N and I’d smoke all day if there we no nicotine involved. They may reduce the flavor a bit when sipping but a firmer pull and I really don’t notice it too bad, and I have very sensitive taste anyways. The flavor kill may be a problem for others. If you are struggling with bite, give em a try. I can get 3 bowls out of one filter – I do two, then spin it around for the third then replace.
• Alcohol makes bite worse. Especially hard liquor. It strips the oral mucosa of well...mucous and thereby some protection. I still drink rye, whiskey, gin, beer and wine when smoking but I am much more careful.

I know there is more to learn, and I think that some pipes will affect bite as well and I have some subjective evidence, but I am not sure. Fundamentally, I think bite is due primarily to pH and chemical reactions/burns on the oral mucosa tissues. Some are sensitive to this, and some are not. Cool smoke releases fewer nasty chemicals and filters help to remove moisture and some of those chemicals. I hope the info I provide gives hope to all of you struggling with this. I literally had sores in my mouth (all over) and lost taste buds on my tongue due to bite. I had to take days and weeks off to heal. Biotene did not help only abstinence. Now I am smoking almost daily and the most I experience in terms of a bite is a spicy tingly sensation from time to time that fades.

Special thanks to all of you for advice and encouragement. It was most helpful. I am having a lot of fun and finding that I love Vapers, Latakia blends and Aros all to the same degree but appreciate them in different ways of course. Peace - mike

 

[dunnyboy]

Great summary. Thanks for sharing your progress. You might add that some days are better than others for tongue bite—probably, as you say, because the Ph of your mouth varies with food, etc.

 

[OSOBUCO]

. You might add that some days are better than others for tongue bite—probably, as you say, because the Ph of your mouth varies with food, etc.

I agree 100%.

 

[OSOBUCO]

I should also add that some blends bite me more I think. Many have eluded to this. I have not figured it out wrt what it is in a blend that is more of a problem. I can chug soaking wet black cavendish and no bite at all but others tear me up if I am not careful. I really should run the following experiment and that is get 100% of each leaf and smoke it in the same pipe to tweeze the issue apart but I am doing well these days and I think I will be satisfied with the progress

 

[anotherbob]

I also think that choice of flame helps a lot. I find matches the best, zippo second, and soft flame third. Bics work but I have to be careful with them.

 

[OSOBUCO]

I also think that choice of flame helps a lot. I find matches the best, zippo second, and soft flame third. Bics work but I have to be careful with them.

absolutely - I found the same

 

[anotherbob]

absolutely - I found the same

I have found that since switching to those three I find relights to be much less of a thing to worry about. Worst part is the waste of matches.

 

[jpmcwjr]

I also think that choice of flame helps a lot. I find matches the best, zippo second, and soft flame third. Bics work but I have to be careful with them.

You keep posting that.

Any flame source will work fine as to the temperature at which it ignites the tobacco. The operator simply needs to adjust time and/or distance.

 

[OSOBUCO]

You keep posting that.

Any flame source will work fine as to the temperature at which it ignites the tobacco. The operator simply needs to adjust time and/or distance.

Yeah I agree - if I keep the flame at a distance the air is hot enough to ignite the tobacco wether it is a bic or a zippo or even a match. I don't think I would use a torch lighter though as a little slop on my part and I'm gonna get bit and/or fry my bowl.

 

[reloader]

Glad you're getting the bite under control. Great to see the progress.

 

[JAWz]

I also think that choice of flame helps a lot. I find matches the best, zippo second, and soft flame third. Bics work but I have to be careful with them.

This is interesting. What can you attribute to BIC lighters causing more TB?

 

[JAWz]

I was a heavy cigar smoker for a long time. And when I first started cigars, there was the harsh throat factor. But later people would ask me, "don't cigars make your throat harsh?" I got to replying, "you get over that!"
I wonder if there is a similar experience with tongue bite (TB) or if it is all about technique?

 

[anotherbob]

This is interesting. What can you attribute to BIC lighters causing more TB?

how hot the flame gets.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Please try to understand that if the flame is too hot, you move it further away, and/or ignite for a shorter time.

 

[OSOBUCO]

I was a heavy cigar smoker for a long time. And when I first started cigars, there was the harsh throat factor. But later people would ask me, "don't cigars make your throat harsh?" I got to replying, "you get over that!"
I wonder if there is a similar experience with tongue bite (TB) or if it is all about technique?

Pipe tobacco and cigar leaf tobacco is different. I smoked many a cigar and never had any issues. I can chug them all the way to a nub with straight whiskey and no bite issues at all. ?‍

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

I do think the distance and time is something to take seriously to avoid tongue bite.

 

[monty55]

Your body/mouth chemistry might also have gotten used to and acclimated with the chemistry of Pipe tobacco over time. This also happens and reduces bite for newbies in the long run.

But glad it's working out for you, and you didn't quit!

 

[GreatWhiteNorthPiper]

This is great advice. As a new pipe smoker myself, I will be following it! Thank you for posting!

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

I have always been very sensitive to re-lights and that continues to this day, it seems like everyone forgets that re-lights are opposite of the advice to only gently sip, for a lot of people re-lighting has a huge negative impact on the enjoyment on the pipe.
At this point the burning characteristics of a blend are "almost" the highest priority when choosing my tobacco, I'll still put up with some flakes to try and squeeze some flavor out, but if I want to smoke my pipe to relax there will be at least a partial blend of Shag Cut Tobacco in the bowl.

That or I'll be smoking a sacrificial briar and using a jet torch that requires almost no puffing to re-light.

 

[jpmcwjr]

I have always been very sensitive to re-lights and that continues to this day, it seems like everyone forgets that re-lights are opposite of the advice to only gently sip, for a lot of people re-lighting has a huge negative impact on the enjoyment on the pipe.
<< Snipped bits out >>

That is news to me! Yes, some find it negative, but only a few have fessed up about that. Are you sure "a lot" is accurate?