A bit of tongue burn/bite normal?
- Thread starter JohnnyRockets
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It could be that. It could be tobacco moisture, packing issues, aggressive lighting, smoking too much, or even body chemistry. Try some Biotene to cool the burn.
I'm thinking it might be where my tongue is in my mouth in regards the the tip of the pipe?
Possibly if I lay my tongue flat on the floor of my mouth... not sure.
JR
Possibly if I lay my tongue flat on the floor of my mouth... not sure.
JR
Beware Biotene is selling products without any active ingredients now. Read the ingredients carefully.
There are a lot of variables that go into the cause of tongue bite/burn, but to answer your question as to whether or not it is normal, I would say that depends on how long you have been smoking. When I started out, I never so much as smoked a cigarette, so I found myself somewhat susceptible to tongue bite because I was fairly sensitive to the smoke itself. That sensitivity does lessen with time. I also made common beginner mistakes, namely smoking goopy aromatics, puffing a bit too much, and just generally being impatient if I had to relight several times.
It is one of those things that gets better both with time and practice. It sounds like the tongue bite you experience now is less than when you started out, so that sounds like progress! I wouldn't fret too much over minutiae, such as the exact amount of time you spend on a single bowl or how many times you have to relight. Be patient with yourself. It is worth it.
It is one of those things that gets better both with time and practice. It sounds like the tongue bite you experience now is less than when you started out, so that sounds like progress! I wouldn't fret too much over minutiae, such as the exact amount of time you spend on a single bowl or how many times you have to relight. Be patient with yourself. It is worth it.
It shouldn’t be normal. Any discomfort or pain is not part of this hobby. I am sipping on Macbaren dark twist very slowly but some tobaccos are more prone to bite, especially certain aromatics IMO. Sip peacefully and learn to enjoy the flavor and leaf. If the outside of your bowl is hot, then that is a sign to slow down.
About as common as blister to a tenderfoot.
Most pipe smokers avoid it, tongue and gum bite and burn. When I first started smoking a pipe, I had a problem. Later I realized that non-aromatics were much better for me, and I had fewer bad aftertastes. Some tobaccos are worse for some people. Red Virginia really bothers some people and not so much others. A cold beverage or any beverage sometimes helps as well.
Tongue bite is generally avoided once the smoker has figured out which kind of tobaccos mesh with their mouth pH and how to properly pack and smoke their pipe. There are so many things that could be causing your tongue bite but I would say one of the primary problems I’ve seen from beginners is packing the pipe too tight. I would recommend trying mild tobacco blends from all of the major families (va, va/per, burley, English) and you will almost certainly find one that is easier on your palate than the others. I recommend black coffee while you smoke as the acidity is an antodote for a fatigued palate.
And do focus on where you're putting your tongue.
Sometimes you need to tell it to lie down and stay still.
Sometimes you need to tell it to lie down and stay still.
In my opinion tongue bite means something is wrong. Either smoking technique, tobacco moisture, or packing.
When I first started I would destroy my mouth, because I was fiending for nicotine and lots of smoke. Now I keep it chill.
When I first started I would destroy my mouth, because I was fiending for nicotine and lots of smoke. Now I keep it chill.
After you get the variables of technique under control, you may find that certain blends just don’t work well with your personal body chemistry.
Yes, slow down some more, but also let the tobacco dry longer. First, try something extreme like putting a bowl's worth of tobacco on a plate and let it dry for a full day. Smoke that and see if you like it better. Adjust drying time as needed. A common amount of time for drying the tobacco on a plate is about an hour. It depends on the moisture content of the tobacco, so you need to learn how dry the tobacco should be for a pleasant smoke.
One good bit of advice from the great book "The Perfect Smoke", but Fred Hanna, is that tinned tobacco should typically be smoked "on the dry side", as was long recommended by Dunhill when they sold pipe tobacco.
A lot of American aromatic pipe tobaccos are treated with chemicals to keep them moist, so that may be an issue. Also, many pipe smokers find that tobaccos with a lot of Virginia tobacco smoke hot enough to contribute to tongue bite, while blends heavy with burley are generally cooler. Many pipe smokers prefer tobaccos with a lot of oriental tobaccos because they tend to "smoke cool".
I never get tongue bite. What I suffer from is an acid burn the minute the smoke hits my tongue. This is caused my almost any red Virginia. I have a real high uric count in my blood and red Virginia's kill me.
It took a long time before I figured it out but I was able to build a nice deep cellar of my favorites avoiding the reds that burn me. jiminks was a huge helping me avoid the reds he knew would torture me. If you need help Jim is your man. Another guy who knows tobacco is pipestud.
It took a long time before I figured it out but I was able to build a nice deep cellar of my favorites avoiding the reds that burn me. jiminks was a huge helping me avoid the reds he knew would torture me. If you need help Jim is your man. Another guy who knows tobacco is pipestud.