After how many bowls do you clean your pipe?

[zekest]

After every bowl.

Why let the bitter tars build up?

 

[mrgunnar177]

Regular cleaning after every bowl deep clean about once every 6 months

 

[will346]

Hi Everyone, took me a while to see how I could post on any thread on this website, but eventually got to this point. I'm from Dublin, Ireland. I have been smoking pipes for a few months now, having switched from cigarettes. It's a thoroughly enjoyable pastime and I can't image going back to cigarettes. However, I now have a pipe related problem. I am going abroad for about three days and will be out and about at my destination. When I am at home/work I have time to clean my pipe with pipe cleaners/kitchen roll after each smoke and set it down for a few hours until the next smoke. However, ideally I would like to take one pipe with me and smoke it all day and only clean it in the evenings. Does anyone have any experience of this? Will it make my pipe sour more quickly or will I be ok for a few days until I get home to give it my usual clean? Out of the 20 odd pipes I own, I'd ideally like to bring one of my peterson system pipes as I find they smoke well for 4-5 bowls each day with my usual cleaning routine after each smoke. I wonder would I be safe enough going through the usual 4-5 bowls and only cleaning the evening. Difficult to clean when your standing in the middle of a foreign city or in the middle of a field with only the pipe and a lighter and no cleaning equipment!

 

[pipeanddrum]

@will346 Do you have any MM cobs? They may be more forgiving than briars if not cleaned as often.

 

[mawnansmiff]

Regarding how often to clean a pipe here is my tuppence worth.
After a single smoke, remove the stem from the bowl (after it has cooled of course) and run a clean pipe cleaner down through the stem. Do the same with a fresh pipe cleaner in the shank of the pipe going right through into the tobacco chamber. Now inspect those cleaners. There will be tar deposits on both pipe cleaners after only a single smoke. Granted they will not be dripping with tar but it will be there, brown and nasty. Also it is good practice to poke a Q-tip into the shank too, a great hiding place for gunk.
Now if you're one of those who only cleans his pipe once in a blue moon then that's fine, you're an adult, but I personally prefer to not wait until my pipe tastes bitter and stale due to a build up of gunk. Smoking is a risky enough hobby as it is so best not to increase that risk by smoking a gunky pipe. I like to taste tobacco, not tar.
It takes just a couple of moments to do and is well worth the effort.
Regards,
Jay.

 

[will346]

Keep posting and only once got answers! Based in Dublin, Ireland. New to pipe smoking. Have smoked a few of my pipes to the point of them being very hot. Have then put them down to cool for fear of destroying my investment. Wondering firstly, if because they've gotten so hot are they ruined or should I just be be more careful in future? Secondly, have smoked tens of bowls in my peterson pipes and only gotten a great flavour (sweet, nutty) a couple of times - does this mean they are just taking time to break in and will eventually season?

 

[cigrmaster]

My procedure for cleaning my pipes is as follows. I let my pipes cool over night then break the pipe down. I will take one or 2 fluffy cleaners depending on size of the bowl and wipe the inside of the bowl and then blow through the shank. I then take either one or 2 bristle cleaners again depending on the size of the shank, double them over and run them through the shank, first twisting them and then running them back and forth. I will continue with the bristle cleaners until they come out clean. I then take one or two bristle cleaners and run them through the stem. I then take one or two fluffy cleaners and run those through the stem. Many of my pipes have stems that can take two cleaners and some of my pipes have a shank diameter greater than 4mm which can handle two cleaners doubled over through the shanks.
For deep cleanings I use Everclear, shank brush, bristle and fluffy cleaners along with Obidisian Stem Oil and pretty much do the same as above. I have never or will I ever use anything that is not drinkable on my pipes. Isopropyl alcohol has never touched one of my pipes. I also never rub the inside of my bowls with any type of alcohol. When needed I will take a pipe knife and use that to scrap and even out my cake.

 

[erm626]

Could some answer the salt and alcohol process ! Why is it done and how is it done. Reg Alcohol or de-nature Alcohol ?

 

[newbroom]

A pipe, properly cared for, will probably outlast its owner. Occasionally, however, a pipe may begin to taste bitter or "sour." Sometimes this is caused by not allowing the pipe sufficient time to "rest" between smokes; other times, no cause can be determined with certainty. In any event, such a pipe can usually be rejuvenated by applying the "Professor's Pipe-Sweetening Treatment," publicized by Dennis Congos.
First, find some salt (non-iodized is preferred, but not essential), some alcohol (preferably "Everclear," or some other form of near-pure, non-denatured ethanol), and a place to rest your pipe in a semi-upright position. Insert a pipe cleaner into the stem of the pipe so that it extends into the shank. Fill the bowl to the rim with salt and drip or carefully pour alcohol into the bowl until the salt is just saturated. Try not to get any alcohol on the pipe's exterior, as this may damage the finish; any spills should be wiped up immediately. Leave the pipe alone for a day or two. After this time the salt will have turned brown from the absorption of "tars" from the bowl. Thoroughly clean all salt from the bowl and set the pipe aside overnight to dry completely. Your pipe will now be revitalized, and all traces of bitterness should be gone.
WARNING: Many people swear by this process, but the procedure is not risk-free. Some people have had pipes crack after this treatment, particularly when they allowed the salt and alcohol mixture to enter the pipe's shank and/or when they left the mixture in the pipe for several days. Any pipe with significant monetary or sentimental value should be sent to a professional pipe repair person.
You might also want to give the stem draft-hole a thorough cleaning by periodically cleaning it with a scrubbing bristle pipecleaner dipped in alcohol or a "pipe sweetener".
G.L. Pease also offers a more effective method: