A Question On Dottle

[bullet08]

Drawing nigh on fifty years ago, a little group of us Ozarkians were in science class when the teacher taught us that every flavor in the world, all of them, are combinations of the four basic tastes our taste buds can differentiate between. There’s sour, bitter, salty, and sweet, and nothing else.

One of my friends questioned, then why isn’t there bacon flavored ice cream, then?

Not long ago the Japanese convinced the world there is a fifth taste, called umami (savory), so maybe he was right back then and it took science a long time to catch up to the wisdom of the hillbillies.

Umami - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Before anybody can make a profit selling any blend of tobacco under the sun, the tobacco has to taste good, at least at the start of a smoke. All the horrible blends have died, long ago.

I completely believe every briar should be broken in all the way down to the bottom, but that process takes a day or two.

When you’re smoking a good blend of tobacco in your pipe, and it’s not good anymore, then stop.

Toss that out.

Let the pipe cool, and repeat.

We call it MSG. It gives that full body taste you can get from meat and others. Beside, there are more than 5 tastes. It can be argued combining those taste will end up with most everything, but how do you divided taste of fish to tell how much of what will make up fish taste?

 

[bullet08]

So far, never stopped smoke due to bad or nasty taste. Always stopped because the light went out. Then I usually check to see if I want to smoke more. I used to be concerned about torching the bottom of chamber. It's very possible, done it before. But I haven't done it since moving to little better pipe. I mean, it was also my bad technique, but unless you suck the hell out of the flame repeatedly with basically just the ashes on the bottom, I don't think you'll damage the pipe much. If there a good bit of tobacco left, give it gentle draw once or twice. If it catches, smoke and finish it. If it doesn't catch, just dump it. Just don't suck the flame in there for any length of time when it won't go.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Before anybody can make a profit selling any blend of tobacco under the sun, the tobacco has to taste good, at least at the start of a smoke.

I'm guessing you haven't witnessed brand new small batch blends sell out in a matter of minutes.

All the horrible blends have died, long ago.

Murray's Dunhill, McClelland, Gallagher's Rich Dark Honeydew, etc. ?

 

[Jef]

I smoke as long as I am enjoying it. If anything is left, I dump it.

Jef

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

If you're discarding 1/4 of your bowl, you likely should rethink how dry your tobacco is and your packing method. Throwing away a few shreds of tobacco is irrelevant.

 

[orlandofurioso]

Toss it out. The chamber bottom is the wettest and so hottest spot and there most burnthroughs occur .
I've cleaned out many chambers that showed scorched draft holes which is pain to repair.
So, where smokers least expect it to happen it "surefire' does.
Some think of it as an achievement to smoke all the way, I consider it nonsense.

 

[captpat]

As you can see everyone is of the same mind on this issue -- like it is for most things involved with pipe smoking. It depends and YMMV are standard answers to most questions.

The only advice I have is to enjoy your smoke, dottle or no. Don't worry either way.

 

[samuelgawith01]

Can you continue to smoke until it's all ash or do you need to toss it when it gets down to it? I've been tossing it when I get near the bottom.

There is no one set in stone answer to this.Sometimes you can,and sometimes you can't. The less humidity in the tobacco, the more likely it will be that you can smoke it all the way down.The cut of the tobacco can affect it,too.Chamber design,too
No worries.I have pipes with fully caked chambers,and pipes with not much cake at all at the bottom.There are smokers out there who insist on carbonizing the entire chamber.But the call is yours,not their's .

 

[El Capitán]

If you're discarding 1/4 of your bowl, you likely should rethink how dry your tobacco is and your packing method. Throwing away a few shreds of tobacco is irrelevant.

I've not thrown that much away so thanks for the advice. I've discovered that Virginia tobacco burns too fast so I've mixed it with a Cavendish style tobacco. Very little dottle now.

 

[Mr_houston]

Over the years I have dumped the dottle, as soon as it was no longer enjoyable to smoke.

Lately that has been changin, as I have found with my VA blends that the last 1/8th of the bowl is esp. good. I think the flavor concentrates there.

 

[solideogloria86]

Here's a good read on the subject.

Smoking Your Pipe To The Bottom Of The Bowl | Smokingpipes.com

Should you smoke your pipe to the bottom of the bowl? We're covering the question with advice from a range of expert pipemakers.

www.smokingpipes.com

 

[jpmcwjr]

Here's a good read on the subject.

Smoking Your Pipe To The Bottom Of The Bowl | Smokingpipes.com

Should you smoke your pipe to the bottom of the bowl? We're covering the question with advice from a range of expert pipemakers.

www.smokingpipes.com

Wow. One helluva lotta words for a subject that isn't really that complicated.

 

[solideogloria86]

Wow. One helluva lotta words for a subject that isn't really that complicated.

I think Chuck makes it an enjoyable read nonetheless.

 

[Bobby Bailey]

When it gets near the bottom and goes out, I try a relight. If it won't hold the relight I just dump it.

 

[jpmcwjr]

When it gets near the bottom and goes out, I try a relight. If it won't hold the relight I just dump it.

If you add, "or if it doesn't taste good", you've condensed the above article.

 

[PipeIT]

Wow. One helluva lotta words for a subject that isn't really that complicated.

Maybe we need to rename that; Doting over Dribble. LOL

 

[kschatey]

I dump the stuff into the flowerbed.

I use the flower pot on the porch nearby my chair!

 

[kschatey]

If it stops tasting pleasant and taking easily to the light, there is no need to tough it out to the very bottom. In fact, doing so could scorch your draft hole. Toss it.

^ Totally this. ^

As many have said, if it stops tasting good and/or won't relight, dump and move on.

 

[Michigan_Bill]

I use the flower pot on the porch nearby my chair!

I put in the neighbor’s yard. (I take care of the yard. ?)

 

[Jack the ripper]

Pitch it