Alcohol & Tongue Bite

[Anchovies]

Hey guys,

First post ... just for a bit of background ... I would say I'm a "novice" pipe-smoker, although I own quite a few pipes and first tried pipe smoking about ten years ago. But I keep quitting it because of the tongue-bite.

Yes, I've read the other thread about the same, and of course, over 10-years of experimenting with pipes I have tried all the usual advice. Slow down. Slower. Slower. Slooowwwer. Got it. Doesn't work. I always end up with tongue-bite, even when going super slow with a super-mild tobacco, use only matches to light, never smoke when it's windy, take tiny little "sips", etc. The pipe is "pleasantly warm" at most in my hand (never hot) ... still get bitten.

Anyway ... a thought occurs. Almost every time I smoke, I drink something alcoholic. Obviously I'm not an "all day" smoker - or even an everyday smoker - but two days ago, I started smoking my pipe again ... I bought a packet of Mac Baren General Choice and smoked it through a pipe that had been cleaned and resting for oh ... 8 years or so ... ... no tongue bite! Well this was new. The only thing I did differently was drink it with Pepsi Max instead of a beer.

Yesterday I smoked another bowl ... this time with a beer. And today my tongue feels like I've been eating chillis all night. Not "dry and leathery" like I used to get, just burned. I don't know if it was the beer or the culminative effect of smoking two days in a row.

So what so you experienced old codgers? Is booze a bad mix with pipes for those with a sensitive tongue?

 

[Morrison Jeremiah]

Alcohol strips the protective lining from the mouth and tongue, especially spirits.

 

[mortonbriar]

Try pairing with water, cold or warm.

 

[anotherbob]

and some blends just seem to bite some people too. But anything that dries out the mouth too like alcohol will increase the chance of bite too.

 

[OzPiper]

Welcome @Anchovies from Sydney, Oz.

You haven't mentioned which blends you have been smoking, apart from MacBaren's General Choice. I find that aromatic blend often give me a bit of a "prickle" on lighting. Virginia/VaPer and Latakia/Oriental blends seldom do. TobaccoReviews indicate which blends bite.

It's been a long while since I experienced tongue bite. I don't always, but will often have an alcoholic drink when I have a bowl. I don't find that alcohol is a factor - but that is me. If you think it is a negative for you, try smoking without alcohol to see if the alcohol is a negative for you.

Enjoy the journey.

BTW - I love anchovies. I have organised anchovy tastings for my mates ?

 

[Chasing Embers]

Are you letting the tobacco dry before packing?

 

[workman]

The alcohol might make your tongue more vulnerable, but it could also be that it makes you relax and not pay attention to cadence.

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

I suspect the culprit here ain't alcohol but specific blend type which may have been insufficiently dried, moreover those Lighter Mc Barens tobaccies are renowned for their ability to bite something fiercely

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

I've only experienced real tongue bite once, but it wasn't a major thing, so ?. Some beverages can give me a definite "tingly" feeling when enjoying a bowl - carbonated, whiskey/whisky. Not sure of the personal chemistry of it all, but it's not something that is a problem, just different. Coffee, iced tea, ice water are good.

Experiment with other beverages and other tobaccos and drying times and see what happens? Everybody's reactions are individual, IMO.

 

[reloader]

I don't get bad tongue bite, but do notice a little when I have beer with a pipe. A little less with bourbon and none at all when I drink water or coffee. I have to be careful when smoking aromatics. Those are the blends that are most problematic for me.

 

[Streeper541]

Drink better quality spirits and smoke better tobacco. ?

Seriously though, it happens. Sometimes alcohol can have an effect, because as was mentioned, it is a dehydrant which affects the lining of the toungue. If you're smoking aromatics or blends with heavy casings, you might notice the effect more. It really depends on the PH of your mouth and genetics.

 

[Anchovies]

Thanks for all the replies guys.

I really think I just have unfortunate pipe-smoking genetics and a tongue that burns unfortunately easily.

It's not the tobacco ... I've experimented with just about everything. Sure it's worse with heavy aromatics, but I don't really like those sugar-bombs anyway so nothing lost there. But I've tried loads of different tobbies.

I'll get tongue bite with virtually everything and anything, especially if I try and smoke more than 1 bowl a day. Mac Baren General Choice for example is actually marketed as some kind of "miracle" tobby that will never bite. Reviews online are full of people saying stuff like you smoke it like a blast-furnace in a stream train and it won't burn ... wrong. It will. It will burn my tongue anyway, and I didn't even need to smoke it hot or fast. Just two days in a row and with a beer.

Nope ... it's not bad quality spirits or tobacco either.

To be clear, my pipe does get warm ... especially toward the end. But it's always just pleasantly warm in my hand and I can't imagine it's possible to smoke a pipe without it getting that way.

Just out of curiosity ... a few of you mentioned mouth PH ... would I want that to by high or low to avoid burning? And what could I eat/drink to help in that regard?

Funnily enough, I've never ever had this problem with cigars, even if I chain smoke them with whiskey.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

Thanks for all the replies guys.

I really think I just have unfortunate pipe-smoking genetics and a tongue that burns unfortunately easily.

It's not the tobacco ... I've experimented with just about everything. Sure it's worse with heavy aromatics, but I don't really like those sugar-bombs anyway so nothing lost there. But I've tried loads of different tobbies.

I'll get tongue bite with virtually everything and anything, especially if I try and smoke more than 1 bowl a day. Mac Baren General Choice for example is actually marketed as some kind of "miracle" tobby that will never bite. Reviews online are full of people saying stuff like you smoke it like a blast-furnace in a stream train and it won't burn ... wrong. It will. It will burn my tongue anyway, and I didn't even need to smoke it hot or fast. Just two days in a row and with a beer.

Nope ... it's not bad quality spirits or tobacco either.

To be clear, my pipe does get warm ... especially toward the end. But it's always just pleasantly warm in my hand and I can't imagine it's possible to smoke a pipe without it getting that way.

Just out of curiosity ... a few of you mentioned mouth PH ... would I want that to by high or low to avoid burning? And what could I eat/drink to help in that regard?

Funnily enough, I've never ever had this problem with cigars, even if I chain smoke them with whiskey.

The non-issue with cigars makes me wonder if you have an allergy or sensitivity to propylene glycol. Some pipe tobaccos have more of it than others. There are some vaping articles online about allergies to PG.

 

[blackpowderpiper]

I have noticed in the past that if I lay off the pipes for a bit, it may take a week or so for my tongue to get reconditioned to pipe smoking. When I first start smoking a pipe again, I will get mild tongue bite from just about everything I smoke but this goes away for me after a few days of smoking. Also, some tobaccos just bite me where others do not. It may require a little experimentation to find out which blends are best for you. And the usual, dry your tobacco more than you think you need to and smoke slower than you think you should. Hopefully you'll dial up a few combos that work for you.

 

[jpmcwjr]

There's the question of PH. I think offsetting alkaline properties with acidic content is something to explore. (and vice-versa). Sorry can't be more specific.

 

[pauls456]

Alcohol and pipe smoking are not a great combination. Alcohol strips protection from delicate mucous membranes, increasing the risk of thermal and chemical burn. As well, it increases exposure of the oral mucosa to carcinogens in burning tobacco. If you were to question people with a history of oral cancer, 99% of them would admit to heavy tobacco and alcohol use (if they were to be truthful). Its OK once in a while, but in general its best to smoke first and drink later.

 

[Anchovies]

Alcohol and pipe smoking are not a great combination. Alcohol strips protection from delicate mucous membranes, increasing the risk of thermal and chemical burn. As well, it increases exposure of the oral mucosa to carcinogens in burning tobacco. If you were to question people with a history of oral cancer, 99% of them would admit to heavy tobacco and alcohol use (if they were to be truthful). Its OK once in a while, but in general its best to smoke first and drink later.

One of the things I appreciate about pipe-smoking, that.

I've in the past smoked cigars and taken snus (that's a Swedish thing - a ball of tobacco shoved under the lip). I like them both, but they both present a problem for me: I can't do either one without a coffee or an alcoholic drink. And it's like a cat chasing it's tail: the more alcohol I drink, the more I want the snus/cigar, and the more I snus/smoke, the more I drink because I need the drink to enjoy the tobacco!

With pipe smoking it's just not like that at all. I can gently puff away on a pipe very contently with nothing to drink. Or just a glass of water. In fact, I find I enjoy the pipe much more without the alcohol. Come to think of it, from now on, I will make it a habit to do as you suggest: have a drink or smoke the pipe. But not both at the same time.

I don't know if this has anything to do with tongue-burn, but maybe. It's not as if I'm smashing down scotch with the pipe. Last night, for example, I drank two beers, total, both while I was smoking my pipe, and I noticed the tongue burn was much worse afterwards.

 

[sandollars]

A suggestion is get a sample of a red Virginia tobacco Like Sutliff 515 RC-1, and a sample of a Burley tobacco like C&D Crooner. Each can be bought most anywhere by the ounce. Dry them both to bone dry and see which one you tolerate more easily. This is what I did.

 

[SmokeRings79]

Have you ever tried to smoke La Bremeuse? It is a burley with no additives at all. It has a slight natural "aromatic" taste. Pack it tighter that what you usually do. Maybe it will work better with your chemistry.

 

[Ahi Ka]

A lot of people enjoy alcohol alongside their pipe. I’m stoked for them. I can’t. Infact I’ve pretty much given up alcohol entirely as I’ve noticed that even the smallest amount will impact the flavour I get from pipe smoking. The exception being gin, nor excuse me while I get on with the house work