Acidic Blends

[madox07]

I still can't get over the whole heart burn thing from my previous post. I have smoked another bowl of Wild Atlantic last night, and although my IBS outbreak is settled and my digestive system is in standard working shape, I still have this tiny burn sensation on my tract after smoking. It's very odd, because I have never experienced anything similar with any other latakia/oriental turkish/virginia blend . Could it be that certain blends stimulate the acidity level in ones stomach?

 

[jvnshr]

Could it be that certain blends stimulate the acidity level in ones stomach?

Yes and no. Check this:

When smoke from tobacco has a higher degree of alkalinity, it will produce painful irritation of the tongue, regardless of its temperature. A principal cause of alkaline smoke is a tobacco containing little or no sugar, such as Burley. Soil chemistry where the tobacco was grown can also influence the pH of the leaf. Virginias and other tobaccos with high sugar content generally produce an acidic smoke, which is easier on the mucous membranes and tongue. However, if combustion temperature goes too high, then the hydrocarbons (especially sugars) join with oxygen to form water and turn neutral, thus leaving the alkaline components to predominate in the smoke.

Furthermore, aromatic tobaccos may have some kind of chemicals in them as well. When burned they also affect the pH level of saliva, mouth, esophagus, etc. Also:

Nicotine, a key part of tobacco, is thought to relax the ring of muscle in the lower esophagus that keeps acid in the stomach, where it belongs. Smoking can also cause your mouth to make less spit, which might mean more heartburn symptoms.

Solution:

1- Drink water before and while smoking. Stay away from alcohol while smoking.

2- Never smoke too hot. Smoking hot also increases the heartburn.
Personal experience:

Whenever I have a heartburn, I drink a shot of pickle juice. Learned this one from a pregnancy forum, I wasn't pregnant, was just looking for home remedies, blame Google

 

[madox07]

jvnshr I appreciate it. It is true, Wild Atlantic is a nic heavy tobacco. I will put your advice to practice :puffpipe: Also true, from my experience, the Virginia smoking hot remark. Last weekend I forgot to pull myself away from a card game, and ended up smoking a va/per all night like a steam engine ... no surprise, some tongue bite was there in the morning.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I am sure that when we smoke and drink, even water, that we are washing some nicotine and smoke down into our digestive system. It may not be much, but some. However, I'm not sure that it is enough to cause an acidity issue. I would think that a soda would give us more of an acidity problem than the type of tobacco.
The reason that I keep smoking Virginia based blends is for that prickly tongue feeling. I love that as much as the effects of the nicotine. However, too much is too. Much. I have to keep it monitored or else, even after years of smoking, it can bite. But, just a little tingly tongue is great, like a strong citrus drink.

 

[jvnshr]

Madox, you are welcome.
Cosmic, I think you are right. Acidity or alkalinity of smoke will mostly affect the tongue, the nicotine itself though will have an influence on the ring of muscle (as it is stated above) and will cause heartburn.

 

[toobfreak]

Pickle juice, eh? :: I'm not sure about all of this alkalinity issues, I think virginia blends tend to bite more and I think they tend towards the acidic because of the sugars. I guess no one knows for sure unless they test a blend with as pH strip.

 

[deathmetal]

Pickles are delicious.

 

[jvnshr]

Pickle juice, eh? :: I'm not sure about all of this alkalinity issues, I think virginia blends tend to bite more and I think they tend towards the acidic because of the sugars. I guess no one knows for sure unless they test a blend with as pH strip.

You know in Turkey there are shops that sell all kind of pickled stuff and for a small amount you can drink whatever juice you want.

Article
Well, if you smoke a Virginia blend hot, it may burn or bite your tongue. Burleys on the other hand, will bite not depending on smoking hot or cool.

 

[theloniousmonkfish]

"I guess no one knows for sure unless they test a blend with as pH strip."
This is from Spadefan at the Grabow forum....
Summary

My saliva pH = 7.5

Field Burley from TED (no PG added) (no bite) smoke pH = 8

100% Blending Latakia (no bite) smoke pH = 8

Prince Albert (100% Burley with PG added) (no bite) smoke pH = 8

Black Cavendish tobacco (no bite) smoke pH = 7.5

Cap Black Gold (no bite ) smoke pH = 7.5

Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake (sharp bite) smoke pH = 4.5

 

[madox07]

None seem acidic to me ... if I remember my chemistry class pH 7 was neutral, anything below is base and anything above is acid. So even the burley, which I would expect to be super acidic, contains a pH of 8 ... very interesting.

 

[jvnshr]

None seem acidic to me ... if I remember my chemistry class pH 7 was neutral, anything below is base and anything above is acid. So even the burley, which I would expect to be super acidic, contains a pH of 8 ... very interesting.

pH 7 - neutral

pH less than 7 - acidic

pH more than 7 - basic
so Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake (sharp bite) smoke pH = 4.5 is actually acidic.

 

[jvnshr]

This is from Spadefan at the Grabow forum....
Summary

My saliva pH = 7.5

Field Burley from TED (no PG added) (no bite) smoke pH = 8

100% Blending Latakia (no bite) smoke pH = 8

Prince Albert (100% Burley with PG added) (no bite) smoke pH = 8

Black Cavendish tobacco (no bite) smoke pH = 7.5

Cap Black Gold (no bite ) smoke pH = 7.5

Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake (sharp bite) smoke pH = 4.5

This is an amazing experiment, thanks for sharing it. I searched for the original post and reading it right now. I just wonder how they managed to measure the pH of smoke. Besides, drinking water with a pH level of more than 7.5 seems to be the best thing while smoking a pipe. And I think burley blends with more than 8 pH level tend to bite, not sure though.

 

[madox07]

jvnshr it seems I got it the other way around, you are right ... still interesting though !

 

[toobfreak]

4.5 is very acidic.

 

[jvnshr]

4.5 is very acidic.

Not that much, it is acidic as a black coffee, lemon juice is acidic with a pH level of 2 if I am not mistaken.

 

[toobfreak]

pH of 4.5 is very strongly acidic. Check you pH scale. Lemon juice is a corrosive of certain things, that is why it is used both as a bleach and as a metal cleaner. Much below lemon juice you are entering the realm of battery acid.

 

[jvnshr]

When you say very acidic, I think about the pH level of 1-3, when you say very strongly acidic I think about the pH level below 0. That's why I gave the lemon juice example, it is very acidic, compared to lemon juice coffee is just acidic, not very acidic. Read this one:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acid_strength

 

[jvnshr]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b34gOsmErtg
This is something that's very strongly acidic, your coffee won't do that to an apple, hopefully.

 

[madox07]

That's impressive ... although going back to tobacco, I suppose that quantity matters also, in addition to acidity. If you smoke one bowl, your stomach might have a far milder reaction than if you smoke all night long, drinking beer with your buddies. The information is very useful, however, as one can manage smoking in accord to the current state of the body.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Ha, it could be the beer.