An Alternative Technique to Avoid Tongue Bite

[Professor Moriarty]

Update on using charcoal chips at the bottom of the bowl in order to "convert" unfiltered pipes to filtered pipes:
After many more bowls, I find this technique to be entirely satisfactory.
I have experienced no issues with the charcoal burning, or with charcoal flavor entering the smoke.
I am enjoying my unfiltered pipes again using this technique, with no tongue bite.
I now find it sufficient to fill only the bottom quarter of the bowl with the charcoal chips I pictured at the head of this thread. I have been smoking burley-forward blends. I will soon test with virginia-forward blends and report my results.

 

[Professor Moriarty]

They were charcol chips. What I found is they heat up and taste funny...either that and/or too much charcol removes excessive amounts of flavor. It didnt work out.

On some pipes what I have been doing lately to experiment is to put in a coupld of meer chips and then up near the draft whole I sprinkle in Just a small layer of charcol. Then I put meer chips on top. This sounds involved but it really isnt. I still prefer filter pipes over this method. Most of what I smoke in my non filter pipes are lat blends.

I dont do it for tongue bite but rather becuase I like the effect of filter pipes on virginias, vapers, and burley.

Dear Sigmund, your results and mine may differ because of the many parameters involved:
our taste buds, smoking techniques, tobaccos, pipes, charcoal, etc.
But please help me understand a seeming inconsistency in your post:
On the one hand you state "I like the effect of filter pipes on virginias, vapers, and burley." while, on the other hand, you state "charcoal removes excessive amounts of flavor."

 

[Sigmund]

Sorry, I was referring to the method of charcol in the bowl, not in a filter. And I cant say for sure it removes flavor. It might be covering it up. I do taste a significant difference. Whereas filters remove tars and the associated tastes they leave behind the other flavors from the leaf. Putting AC in the bowl obscured those flavors.

 

[Professor Moriarty]

Sorry, I was referring to the method of charcol in the bowl, not in a filter. And I cant say for sure it removes flavor. It might be covering it up. I do taste a significant difference. Whereas filters remove tars and the associated tastes they leave behind the other flavors from the leaf. Putting AC in the bowl obscured those flavors.

Thank you for the explanation. I would think activated charcoal, whether in the bowl or in a filter, will have the same effect. But if your charcoal in the bowl is burning, that will certainly cause a difference.
May I ask, what charcoal are you using in the bowl? Is it identical to the brand I picture at the head of this thread?

 

[Tongue-Fried]

I am happy that this is working for you, and that it has made a more enjoyable smoking experience for you. No doubt I may give it a try just to see how it goes. That being said, I smoke only Virginias (with an occasional burley blend here and there).

I suppose due to the high volumes of Virginia tobacco that I smoke, I don’t experience tongue bite during smoking, and I’ll admit I can sometimes smoke rather quickly because I love the taste of natural Virginias so very much, and often smoke multiple bowls each day. For example, I smoked 3 bowls of fresh bulk MacB Virginia No. 1 with no tongue bite? Why? Because it was Saturday, and I was particularly enjoying the forward tastes of bright sugar and hay that I was getting (and love about Virginia No. 1), so I just kept refilling my pipe and smoking it!

I learned quickly that the best ways to mitigate tongue bite even in the most troublesome Virginia blends (in unfiltered pipes) is to pay attention to the bowl and what it’s doing throughout the smoke.

Key factors that dramatically alleviate tongue bite:
1) Dry time. Air drying Virginia tobacco before loading the bowl really affects the ease of smoking, and the ease at keeping the ember going throughout the bowl. Huffing the pipe to keep it lit because the tobacco is too moist for smoking really heats up the bowl quick, rushes the tobacco, and of course creates a LOT of steam due to the added moisture. I air out my flakes for about 8hrs prior to smoking if I intend to fold and stuff. If I’m going to smoke a flake broken, I’ll gently massage the flake into a broken flake, and air for about an hour and a half. Both of these techniques usually lead to a quiet and soft smoke because the tobacco isn’t struggling to stay lit.
2) Saliva control. Keeping the stem and stummel free of the excess spittle caused by smoking a hotter tobacco really also helps with both moisture control that I discussed in Reason 1, and also keeps the airway free so that you get good draws… back to the point I made about having to huff the pipe to get a good draw. Overheating tobacco chamber, extra tongue bite.
3) Hard lighting. I’ve found that getting a good, well developed cherry from the beginning really plays well into the “don’t have to struggle to keep the bowl lit” theory, which is that Virginia tobacco really does well when the cherry develops well and stays well developed throughout the bowl. As the gentle heat develops in the pipe throughout the smoke, wonderful flavor begin to dance around and heighten the experience, but only if the cherry or ember is properly developed from the get-go, and properly maintained throughout the smoke.

I know this seems like a lot to take in, but while we’re discussing tongue bite, I thought it was worth mentioning the few things I’ve noticed that really make a difference, not only in the lessened or non-existent tongue bite that a lot of guys experience, but also make a difference in the overall taste of the tobacco you’re smoking, and the overall enjoyment of each bowl. It really all comes down to practice and paying attention, but I do know that a LOT of people give Virginia No. 1 a bad name because of tongue bite, and frankly it’s one of my favorite tobaccos to smoke. I smoke bowl after bowl by accident on Saturdays, but also commonly use it as a condiment to some of my Virginia flakes, because I really like the taste profile it brings to each smoke. Instead of running away from it, and from Virginias for that matter, I decided to figure them out. To me, this is what people mean when they say that smoking straight Virginias is a journey and not for the faint of heart, but that the experience is definitely worth the efforts after all, I call myself “Tongue-Fried” for a reason lol!

Thank you for your experiments Professor! I do hope I’ve added a few useful tidbits to this discussion for you and others to consider.

Happy smoking all!
-Stef

 

[Sigmund]

Its not an identical brand and I dont think it is burning. I cant get the exact type you have so there is no way to have a controlled experiment. Folks will just have to try for themselves if they are curious.

 

[Professor Moriarty]

I am happy that this is working for you, and that it has made a more enjoyable smoking experience for you. No doubt I may give it a try just to see how it goes. That being said, I smoke only Virginias (with an occasional burley blend here and there).

I suppose due to the high volumes of Virginia tobacco that I smoke, I don’t experience tongue bite during smoking, and I’ll admit I can sometimes smoke rather quickly because I love the taste of natural Virginias so very much, and often smoke multiple bowls each day. For example, I smoked 3 bowls of fresh bulk MacB Virginia No. 1 with no tongue bite? Why? Because it was Saturday, and I was particularly enjoying the forward tastes of bright sugar and hay that I was getting (and love about Virginia No. 1), so I just kept refilling my pipe and smoking it!

I learned quickly that the best ways to mitigate tongue bite even in the most troublesome Virginia blends (in unfiltered pipes) is to pay attention to the bowl and what it’s doing throughout the smoke.

Key factors that dramatically alleviate tongue bite:
1) Dry time. Air drying Virginia tobacco before loading the bowl really affects the ease of smoking, and the ease at keeping the ember going throughout the bowl. Huffing the pipe to keep it lit because the tobacco is too moist for smoking really heats up the bowl quick, rushes the tobacco, and of course creates a LOT of steam due to the added moisture. I air out my flakes for about 8hrs prior to smoking if I intend to fold and stuff. If I’m going to smoke a flake broken, I’ll gently massage the flake into a broken flake, and air for about an hour and a half. Both of these techniques usually lead to a quiet and soft smoke because the tobacco isn’t struggling to stay lit.
2) Saliva control. Keeping the stem and stummel free of the excess spittle caused by smoking a hotter tobacco really also helps with both moisture control that I discussed in Reason 1, and also keeps the airway free so that you get good draws… back to the point I made about having to huff the pipe to get a good draw. Overheating tobacco chamber, extra tongue bite.
3) Hard lighting. I’ve found that getting a good, well developed cherry from the beginning really plays well into the “don’t have to struggle to keep the bowl lit” theory, which is that Virginia tobacco really does well when the cherry develops well and stays well developed throughout the bowl. As the gentle heat develops in the pipe throughout the smoke, wonderful flavor begin to dance around and heighten the experience, but only if the cherry or ember is properly developed from the get-go, and properly maintained throughout the smoke.

I know this seems like a lot to take in, but while we’re discussing tongue bite, I thought it was worth mentioning the few things I’ve noticed that really make a difference, not only in the lessened or non-existent tongue bite that a lot of guys experience, but also make a difference in the overall taste of the tobacco you’re smoking, and the overall enjoyment of each bowl. It really all comes down to practice and paying attention, but I do know that a LOT of people give Virginia No. 1 a bad name because of tongue bite, and frankly it’s one of my favorite tobaccos to smoke. I smoke bowl after bowl by accident on Saturdays, but also commonly use it as a condiment to some of my Virginia flakes, because I really like the taste profile it brings to each smoke. Instead of running away from it, and from Virginias for that matter, I decided to figure them out. To me, this is what people mean when they say that smoking straight Virginias is a journey and not for the faint of heart, but that the experience is definitely worth the efforts after all, I call myself “Tongue-Fried” for a reason lol!

Thank you for your experiments Professor! I do hope I’ve added a few useful tidbits to this discussion for you and others to consider.

Happy smoking all!
-Stef

Thank you for your thoughtful and well-composed post. I have been smoking pipes for 30+ years and am familiar with the factors which you list. And I agree, these techniques deliver a cooler, more satisfying smoking experience.
The fact of the matter is, some folks suffer tongue bite from Virginias. It is a chemical thing--not heat related, and charcoal filtering is the only known solution for us.

 

[Tongue-Fried]

Thank you for your thoughtful post. I have been smoking pipes for 30+ years and am familiar with the factors which you list. And I agree, these techniques deliver a more satisfying smoking experience.
The fact of the matter is, some folks suffer tongue bite from Virginias. It is a chemical thing, and charcoal filtering is the only solution for us.

I’m happy to contribute potentially helpful information in our never ending quest for that consistent, heaven-sent smoking experience!

 

[gord]

Sorry, I was referring to the method of charcol in the bowl, not in a filter. And I cant say for sure it removes flavor. It might be covering it up. I do taste a significant difference. Whereas filters remove tars and the associated tastes they leave behind the other flavors from the leaf. Putting AC in the bowl obscured those flavors.

You were the one who turned me on to meerschaum chips for which I'll be forever grateful. I find them superior in every respect to charcoal chips. And as I posted above, I find they get better with re-use, because of their ability to "ghost". I keep track of them in individual little stainless steel condiment dishes, as to what type of tobacco each one was used for. Works for me!!

Also, in deep bowls with a gully between the draft hole and cavern, four or five of them stops gurgling in its tracks. Once the bowl is fully broken in, as in my Sav and Peterson, they can be removed and gurgling is minimized and can be easily avoided by a variety of slow smoking techniques.

In the mornings, I am not into a long smoke, and so do the slob thing with miniature pipes, especially my McQueens, and a raunchy but flavourful tobacco. Any Navy blend, (mine are now the usual Rockwell, and now Black Frigate as well, recommended to me by the Captain of the Black Frigate himself}. These join Backweeds Buttered Rum and Mad Fiddler as my morning fare. That and a cup of cold black coffee or filtered water.

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