A Little Help on Moistness?
- Thread starter brut666
- Start date
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
Site Sponsors
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
If you do that you'll probably suck like a vacuum and scald like a teakettle.
I pretty much second everything @jerseysam said above about packing. Took me a while to get a feel for it too, but I've now moved away from any of the "three pack" methods and now I just gravity fill, few taps of the bowl on the palm, give it a gentle push juuusst until there is a little resistance, and IF there is room in the chamber I'll sprinkle a little more in and repeat. I'll check the draw and make sure that it either feels almost like there is nothing in the bowl (test it while the pipe is empty to get a feel for this) or just a little resistance but still very open, I think some of the recommendations that say it should feel like a straw with water is even edging on too tight.
Drying time was a big revelation in my pipe smoking journey and one that I'm still on and working with. Try drying way longer than you think is "good" when your gut says "ok I think this is ready" don't do it! keep going longer, keep feeling the tobacco pick it up and pinch it. You'll start to get a feel for different levels of dryness and how long it takes in your environment to get there, and with different blends, eventually, you'll get a smoke that is amazing, and then you can start to aim for that "feel" every time you dry your tobaccos and adjust for your own taste and different blends "needs". Every now and then I'll dry something more than I usually do and think "uh oh this is really crispy, hope it's not too dry" and then I'll be wowed by the smoke and go back to the drawing board for how long I dry that blend. It's all part of the fun!
Drying time was a big revelation in my pipe smoking journey and one that I'm still on and working with. Try drying way longer than you think is "good" when your gut says "ok I think this is ready" don't do it! keep going longer, keep feeling the tobacco pick it up and pinch it. You'll start to get a feel for different levels of dryness and how long it takes in your environment to get there, and with different blends, eventually, you'll get a smoke that is amazing, and then you can start to aim for that "feel" every time you dry your tobaccos and adjust for your own taste and different blends "needs". Every now and then I'll dry something more than I usually do and think "uh oh this is really crispy, hope it's not too dry" and then I'll be wowed by the smoke and go back to the drawing board for how long I dry that blend. It's all part of the fun!
I wanted to add that part about picking up your tobacco and feeling often it as you dry it, is something I do all the time.
My wife likely thinks I'm nuts while there is a little pile of tobacco drying on the counter or table and every time I walk by I pinch it and put it back down, until randomly (to her) I sit and finally pack the pipe.
My wife likely thinks I'm nuts while there is a little pile of tobacco drying on the counter or table and every time I walk by I pinch it and put it back down, until randomly (to her) I sit and finally pack the pipe.
Once you reach the desired humidity level,you can store it in jars,or in a pouch.If in a pouch,it will dry on it's own,eventually
+100 ... and while starting out don't worry for a second about relights or dottle. Butane & matches are cheap. When I worry about relights I start smoking fast and wet. It'll come, just enjoy, relight and dump the dottle and soon it will be less and less.
This technique works especially well for crumble style tobacco and narrow bowls.
give it time. A lot of these things are more knacks then skills so to speak. You get the rhythm, you can tell if it's still too wet without a test, suddenly you're smoking slower, and you're pipe starts singing instead of hissing and gurgling. Also if that just doesn't happen try a filter might be just the trick. Might be your self too. As your mouth like most peoples is probably pretty damp. One piece of advice no one gives for some reason but really helps, is not to spit when smoking the pipe, instead if you feel like spitting swallow (it is fine, heck you can even swallow some tobacco bits without any issue). Seriously when you spit it makes you produce more saliva which even if you're not drooling will still effect the pipe and make it more humid. My point try some things and see what works but the one thing is it will take time.
oh and basically I use the three tamp method and have great results with it. Though the baby a woman and a man thing is pretty stupid if you ask me. Though the thing is there is really one way to get a good pack and that's to figure out when a pipe is packed well and the one way to get to that point is to keep packing a pipe until you can do it in the dark half drunk while trying to explain advanced mathematics or some similar subject and get a good smoke out of it.
So does smoking. I just wipe off my tongue with a paper towel.
Thanks everyone for taking the time to help out. It really is appreciated. I hope I can start getting it right now.
It's the pushing till I think I can feel pressure, I'm quite heavily handed on most things I do. I always thought I was just letting gravity pull the tamp down but obviously that's not the case. I will continue however as giving up is not an available option
Oh my god, what a revolution!!
I tried lightxmyfire's suggestion. I filled the bowl, tapped the pipe on my palm, another pinch, another tap on my hand then just the "weight" of the tamp till I thought I felt resistance, sprinkled a bit more on top and tamped again.
First time ever I've got through a whole bowl, the bowl never got really hot and it was the best bowl I've had even if it wasn't the best tasting tobacco for me.
All I can say is, thank you soooo much everyone, I really can't express how grateful I am to you all for helping. And there's me thinking it was all moisture related.
Thanks again everyone ?
I tried lightxmyfire's suggestion. I filled the bowl, tapped the pipe on my palm, another pinch, another tap on my hand then just the "weight" of the tamp till I thought I felt resistance, sprinkled a bit more on top and tamped again.
First time ever I've got through a whole bowl, the bowl never got really hot and it was the best bowl I've had even if it wasn't the best tasting tobacco for me.
All I can say is, thank you soooo much everyone, I really can't express how grateful I am to you all for helping. And there's me thinking it was all moisture related.
Thanks again everyone ?
I'll be trying these tonight, thanks for posting them ??
If you really want to get on top of moisture level, buy a small hygrometer and drop it in a bag or jar overnight. Then leave the bag open and test the RH from time to time. 65% RH @ 70º is a great spot to hit, and you can go lower with no problem.
Once your tobacco is dry enough you don't need no stinkin' technique to load and light it.
Enjoy!
Once your tobacco is dry enough you don't need no stinkin' technique to load and light it.
Enjoy!
? Glad to hear the looser pack worked for you. Pipe tobacco "pack" (for optimal smoking) is a lot different than cigars or cigarettes...and it's very hard to organically "know" what's best at first. The "three fill n' tamp" method is the most common you'll see online and even though it doesn't produce what someone would think of a "tight pack" generically.....for pipe tobacco it most times is. The over-heating from lighting and puffing produces a lot of moisture and folks think "gee, this must be too wet".
Mositure/slight adjustments in pack can all impact flavor and are fun to mess with.... .but the basic start to the journey is being able to get through a bowl at a reasonably enjoyable stride. And no big deal on re-lights as long as the pack isn't over-tight....comes with the territory.