After 1 week. Things I noticed..

[Old_Newby]

Ok I have now smoked 3-4 times in past week. I have the MM cob with Sir Walter Raleigh Aromatic. I am figuring it out and so far it’s good. Below are some things I have noticed or experienced. Are these normal?

1. After first light my bowl seems to always need another light about every 1/4 of bowl? Tobacco is more dry than moist.

2. Bottom 1/6 to 1/4 bowl never burns. I do remove the top ash after half+ bowl and light it again but I just suck air and it goes out.

3. My bowl is loaded 3/4 - 4/5 full but I finish it in 10 minutes or less. Where is the 30 minute bowl?

4. I smoke in mornings and flavor is pleasant but I do taste tobacco / burley but not sweetness. But WOW in the evening my mouth has this sweet flavor sensation (like mild swisher sweet flavor) that I enjoy and frankly it’s making me not want to brush my teeth.

 

[Chasing Embers]

1. After first light my bowl seems to always need another light about every 1/4 of bowl?

Are you using a tamper as you smoke?

Bottom 1/6 to 1/4 bowl never burns.

That's often normal.

My bowl is loaded 3/4 - 4/5 full but I finish it in 10 minutes or less. Where is the 30 minute bowl?

You're smoking too fast. Slow smoking produces very little visible smoke.

I smoke in mornings and flavor is pleasant but I do taste tobacco / burley but not sweetness. But WOW in the evening my mouth has this sweet flavor sensation (like mild swisher sweet flavor) that I enjoy and frankly it’s making me not want to brush my teeth.

Probably just haven't had time to let your taste wake up.

 

[mso489]

Don't worry about relights while you're learning. The first light is called the charring light and frequently doesn't remain lit long. Dumping loose ash off the top is okay but not always necessary. A little light tamping will keep the unburned tobacco together and keep the ember lit longer. Be patient and take it slow -- sip don't puff much. Experience really helps. A little unburnt tobacco (dottle) is expected, though now and then you may get all white or gray ash, and the amount will increase with experience.

 

[Old_Newby]

Are you using a tamper as you smoke?



That's often normal.



You're smoking too fast. Slow smoking produces very little visible smoke.


Probably just haven't had time to let your taste wake up.

I think I forgot to use tamper. That’s probably it. I tamper after the charing light, but never more. I think I actually forgot to tamper after charging light this morning. I think because I anything to keep it lit I am puffing to much.

 

[Old_Newby]

I think I am forgetting to tamper. I tamper after initial char light only. I think I forgot to tamper at all this morning. So that’s probably it.

I must me puffing to much trying to keep it lit.

I guess if I tamper more and it stays lit I can relax on the sips.

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Tamping and lighting is an art form regarding pipe smoking

 

[cosmicfolklore]

This all sounds really normal. I remember my main thing was slowing down. It's hard, you'll be puffing away thinking that you can't go any slower, but alas you can. Now, my bowls last about an hour a piece, sometimes way longer if I am enjoying it.

Very little smoke... some are going to bawk at this, but once you've got everything right, you can see then if you prefer choo choo'ing the bowl again... my guess is that you won't.

You don't mention which blend, so I have no idea what all of your ramblings about burley not sweet, and then too sweet to brush your teeth is about.

 

[Chasing Embers]

some are going to bawk at this

Not me.?

 

[Chasing Embers]

You don't mention which

SWRA

 

[AlanH]

I see no issue going back and forth between Virginia and Burly in the same pipe. One day when you have 47 pipes maybe. Now I do have pipes set aside for aromatics and if I smoked English I would too.

 

[stevecourtright]

The often delightful thing about all of this is that you may find that you continue to notice new things. That is a good thing. Congratulations so far.

 

[AlanH]

well I posted in the wrong thread above sorry. I am still finding new things out. One thing that amazes me about the pipe is how different the experience can be from day to day with the same pipe and blend.

 

[anotherbob]

Ok I have now smoked 3-4 times in past week. I have the MM cob with Sir Walter Raleigh Aromatic. I am figuring it out and so far it’s good. Below are some things I have noticed or experienced. Are these normal?

1. After first light my bowl seems to always need another light about every 1/4 of bowl? Tobacco is more dry than moist.

2. Bottom 1/6 to 1/4 bowl never burns. I do remove the top ash after half+ bowl and light it again but I just suck air and it goes out.

3. My bowl is loaded 3/4 - 4/5 full but I finish it in 10 minutes or less. Where is the 30 minute bowl?

4. I smoke in mornings and flavor is pleasant but I do taste tobacco / burley but not sweetness. But WOW in the evening my mouth has this sweet flavor sensation (like mild swisher sweet flavor) that I enjoy and frankly it’s making me not want to brush my teeth.

I've been smoking a pipe (with varied frequency sometimes weekly sometimes not at all for a few months, to multiple times a day) since I was 16 and guess what I often relight a pipe and sometimes even constantly when dealing with a new blend especially a flake that I am too impatient to dry out.
The bottom third is called dottle and is normal. One way to think about it is that it's the pipes filter. You could see if Sherlock was right and put it in a shoe to dry out .
Go slower man sip the pipe. It helps.

 

[scloyd]

Sipping, not puffing was the hardest part for me. I still catch myself puffing on occasion.
Keep at it, you'll be fine.

 

[bullet08]

Lot of OTC are very forgiving. SWRA is a nice and easy blend, but you are smoking way too fast. If you like it that way, that's okay. But with other blends, you might get some issues like tongue bite and so on. Typically, pipe smoking is more of passive smoking. You do very little of pulling, huffing and puffing. You more or less "sip", start the smoke rolling gently and just let it come into mouth, just breath.

 

[kcghost]

Remember to slow the hell down.

 

[Lianza]

What really worked for me was something I read on these forums:

Pack looser than you think you need to
Tamp lighter than you think you need to
Smoke slower than you think you need to

My smoking experience really improved after following this.

 

[mortonbriar]

Welcome!

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Sounds like you may be packing too loose in this case. Gradually experiment with packing tighter and tamp occasionally. Show down.

 

[dcicero]

Sounds like your doing great. Dont sweat the small stuff. Enjoy!