Better tobacco understanding

[Filippo]

Hello, I love reading this forum and sub-forum daily as I try to learn as much as I can from other people's experiences.
This evening I was smoking some Early Morning Pipe tobacco and I noticed that at half the bowl the taste completely changed into a very strong taste I could barely bare. I would like to understand what could have caused this considering I always smoked it cool and very slow, I was also reading stuff so I had to relight 7+ times but with the flame not even kissing directly the tobacco but hovering it until it lighted.
So the first 1/4 of the bowl was perfect, nice warm taste and full notes, tamped only a few times and very gently but then at 2/4 of the bowl the tastes changed in strenght and it felt more burnt-like until at 1/4 of the bowl I had to stop because it was way too strong and altered. I don't think I smoked wet, I run thrice the pipe cleaner and nothing was wet, what could cause this changes in the tobacco? Also at the end the relights were just giving me hints of tongue bites so I didn't want to risk anything and stopped, I am just a bit disappointed my smoking session started so well and ended a bit roughtly.
I gravity filled it until the rim and tamped down until it was 3/4 full to then add a bit more on top, and slightly pressed with the tumb, I think I wasn't doing it wrong. I must say the tobacco was quite dry.
Any suggestion is more than welcome!

 

[OzPiper]

This evening I was smoking some Early Morning Pipe tobacco and I noticed that at half the bowl the taste completely changed into a very strong.
I had to relight 7+ times Also at the end the relights were just giving me hints of tongue bites

I find, for me, that the best flavour comes when the tobacco is just smouldering.
The tobacco is hottest on lighting or re-lighting hence the less than satisfactory taste

 

[Filippo]

I find, for me, that the best flavour comes when the tobacco is just smouldering.
The tobacco is hottest on lighting or re-lighting hence the less than satisfactory taste

I can definitely agree with you hence why I didn't just put the flame on the tobacco to lit it. As for now tho I am a complete beginner and I am still unable to smoke a whole bowl without relighting it. Unfortunately the strong taste persisted even after I let the pipe rest for several minutes before relighting the last 1/4 so I am not so sure that in my case it is due the heated tobacco itself.

 

[OzPiper]

I can definitely agree with you hence why I didn't just put the flame on the tobacco to lit it. As for now tho I am a complete beginner and I am still unable to smoke a whole bowl without relighting it. Unfortunately the strong taste persisted even after I let the pipe rest for several minutes before relighting the last 1/4 so I am not so sure that in my case it is due the heated tobacco itself.

The tobacco at the bottom of the bowl becomes moist as a result of water vapour and tars (dottle).

Some enjoy smoking dottle.
Personally I can’t stand it. When the smoke is no longer enjoyable I discard the bowl.

I use meerschaum chips or Nording Keystones at the bottom of my bowls.
These absorb moisture, results in drier smokes, greatly reduces dottle and results in much more enjoyable smokes.

 

[GardenStateoftheArtBriar]

The tobacco at the bottom of the bowl becomes moist as a result of water vapour and tars (dottle).

Some enjoy smoking dottle.
Personally I can’t stand it. When the smoke is no longer enjoyable I discard the bowl.

I use meerschaum chips or Nording Keystones at the bottom of my bowls.
These absorb moisture, results in drier smokes, greatly reduces dottle and results in much more enjoyable smokes.

I agree
You ever get a funky flavor profile from the keystones though?

 

[OzPiper]

I agree
You ever get a funky flavor profile from the keystones though?

You can reuse the Ketstones, but I usually toss them after 2 bowls

 

[Filippo]

The tobacco at the bottom of the bowl becomes moist as a result of water vapour and tars (dottle).

Some enjoy smoking dottle.
Personally I can’t stand it. When the smoke is no longer enjoyable I discard the bowl.

I use meerschaum chips or Nording Keystones at the bottom of my bowls.
These absorb moisture, results in drier smokes, greatly reduces dottle and results in much more enjoyable smokes.

That's very interesting, it's the first time I read about those things. Still I think the tobacco shouldn't change taste half bowl or am I wrong?

 

[OzPiper]

That's very interesting, it's the first time I read about those things. Still I think the tobacco shouldn't change taste half bowl or am I wrong?

Dottle tastes quite different to fresh tobacco.
It depends on how much moisture and tars accumulate in the 2nd half of the bowl.

With cigars, the 2nd half or last third tastes quite different to the beginning.
As with pipe bowls, once I stop enjoying the taste, it gets tossed.

Try packing the tobacco more loosely - gravity fill and tap the side of the bowl to settle the tobacco. Don't compress the tobacco.
And tamp lightly.

 

[Pipeandapencil]

I've noticed that sometimes a bowl will throw a little temper tantrum (meaning that it will get real spicy or harsh) toward the middle and then settle right back down. Sometimes they just go sour and it's time to dump. If I feel like i'm fighting against it and it's nipping my tongue at all I move on. Either put it in the corner and try it again in a few hours or let it go to the ash pile. Keep working with the blend though 7-8 smokes is still only flirting with it. Blend components, like latakia for me, will sometimes have a tolerance level. I love Lat every now and then, but my tongue takes a toll and I cant do it again for a while. The best I can describe it is that it just wears out my mouth if that makes sense.

 

[Filippo]

I've noticed that sometimes a bowl will throw a little temper tantrum (meaning that it will get real spicy or harsh) toward the middle and then settle right back down. Sometimes they just go sour and it's time to dump. If I feel like i'm fighting against it and it's nipping my tongue at all I move on. Either put it in the corner and try it again in a few hours or let it go to the ash pile. Keep working with the blend though 7-8 smokes is still only flirting with it. Blend components, like latakia for me, will sometimes have a tolerance level. I love Lat every now and then, but my tongue takes a toll and I cant do it again for a while. The best I can describe it is that it just wears out my mouth if that makes sense.

I completely understand what you mean, sometimes I feel the same because I want to smoke a full bowl and then I realize it might be too much all at once, but I still need to understand what truly causes tobacco to get wet besides combustion, since normal combustion shouldn't really make the tobacco taste that bad from what I understood

 

[Pipeandapencil]

I completely understand what you mean, sometimes I feel the same because I want to smoke a full bowl and then I realize it might be too much all at once, but I still need to understand what truly causes tobacco to get wet besides combustion, since normal combustion shouldn't really make the tobacco taste that bad from what I understood

I'm having a bowl of escudo right now actually. It got a little harsh. I dumped the ash and gave it a little light tamp. the first puffs off the relight were even worse, harsh and acrid. I proceeded with caution, let it go out gave it another relight and went real slow. It just turned back really sweet, even better than the first 2/3 of the bowl. I don't know enough to opine on the why, this was just my experience and I'm loving what I'm getting out of this bowl.

 

[OzPiper]

I still need to understand what truly causes tobacco to get wet besides combustion, since normal combustion shouldn't really make the tobacco taste that bad from what I understood

It is not the moisture so much as the accumulated tars that causes the bad taste.
If you have smoked from a pipe where the shank and mortise has never been cleaned, you will know what I mean

 

[The-CaptainBlack]

I smoke my pipe till there's only ashes... Especially if it is a good tobacco.
The second half is better than the first, and the forth quarter is better than the first 3...
I am always left in a state of suspension and despair when that last amber dies out.

And with cigars, I only stop when I'm burning my fingers.
The very last punch is the hardest and the tastiest.
But no, not classy at all.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

For the most part, pipe tobacco will change significantly if it is smoked too rapidly. This causes higher heat which leads to more condensation/moisture. The tobacco gets bitter. It can also happen from packing too tight. The tobacco expands when heated, the smoker must draw harder, tobacco heats up, gets moist and becomes a wet bitter mess.

There's very minimal dottle left with most of the bowls I smoke. Occasionally, I've packed or tamped poorly, or whatever, and it becomes difficult to smoke. After minimal effort, I use the pipe tool to loosen up the remaining tobacco and discard it. Better luck next time.

Cigars are a different story. The leaf isn't 100% evenly distributed top to bottom. I find the last third of a cigar is usually the most enjoyable part. Of course, "stuff" has accumulated near the end of the smoke. Not sure what the total content of that stuff is but I sure enjoy it.

 

[Filippo]

It is not the moisture so much as the accumulated tars that causes the bad taste.
If you have smoked from a pipe where the shank and mortise has never been cleaned, you will know what I mean

I always clean my pipes but I do get it. This time I was using a 6mm Savinelli, maybe the semi bent shape didn't really help me

 

[Filippo]

For the most part, pipe tobacco will change significantly if it is smoked too rapidly. This causes higher heat which leads to more condensation/moisture. The tobacco gets bitter. It can also happen from packing too tight. The tobacco expands when heated, the smoker must draw harder, tobacco heats up, gets moist and becomes a wet bitter mess.

There's very minimal dottle left with most of the bowls I smoke. Occasionally, I've packed or tamped poorly, or whatever, and it becomes difficult to smoke. After minimal effort, I use the pipe tool to loosen up the remaining tobacco and discard it. Better luck next time.

Cigars are a different story. The leaf isn't 100% evenly distributed top to bottom. I find the last third of a cigar is usually the most enjoyable part. Of course, "stuff" has accumulated near the end of the smoke. Not sure what the total content of that stuff is but I sure enjoy it.

I have heard that using the breathing method truly allows you to smoke cool and without too much wetness, when I tried it I was just breathing hard and soon I felt tired

 

[BingBong]

Don't chase the flavour, let it find you. Relax.