For some reason, the bottomg half of bowls don't taste as good as the first, especially if there's multiple lights... What gives? Anyone else had the same problem?
Bottom Half Of The Bowl?
- Thread starter ithelouniverse
- Start date
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
Site Sponsors
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
- Status
I love 99% of blends all the way through.
Sometimes the reason that the lower parts of the bowl don't taste as good is because of the constant relights. Blends lose their flavor if overheated.
If it stops tasting good then stop smoking.
I've heard some of the pipe smokers of old would put a tobacco blend they really loved on the top layer and place a lesser blend towards the bottom so that they wouldn't waste their good blends because they found that, like you, they do not much care for the bottom half of the bowl.
I would try experimenting with a really small chambered pipe too.
@trailboss
I love Alec Bradley Black Market cigars so much that when I'm left with the last nub of the cigar I stick it in my corn cob pipe and keep on puffing it down to nothingness. I forget what the gage is, but it's a Churchill and that fits perfectly in my cobs. It's really cool because the smoke really slows down once you stick it in a pipe. When I did it the nub lasted as long or longer than the first 4 or 5 inches of the stick. But I agree, never leave the cigar and then come back to it; yuck.
Sometimes the reason that the lower parts of the bowl don't taste as good is because of the constant relights. Blends lose their flavor if overheated.
If it stops tasting good then stop smoking.
I've heard some of the pipe smokers of old would put a tobacco blend they really loved on the top layer and place a lesser blend towards the bottom so that they wouldn't waste their good blends because they found that, like you, they do not much care for the bottom half of the bowl.
I would try experimenting with a really small chambered pipe too.
@trailboss
I love Alec Bradley Black Market cigars so much that when I'm left with the last nub of the cigar I stick it in my corn cob pipe and keep on puffing it down to nothingness. I forget what the gage is, but it's a Churchill and that fits perfectly in my cobs. It's really cool because the smoke really slows down once you stick it in a pipe. When I did it the nub lasted as long or longer than the first 4 or 5 inches of the stick. But I agree, never leave the cigar and then come back to it; yuck.
Adjacent to the burning ember, the tobacco is not burning, but is heated and gives off volatile oils. These contribute a lot to the flavor and aroma. So, the tobacco below the ember, by the time you are in the second half of the bowl has had some of the volatile oils cooked out of it already, and some of the heavier oils from the layers above have concentrated in the bottom of the bowl. So, the flavor will change as you make your way through the bowl because the ratio of volatile oils changes throughout the bowl. Some find it better, some don't notice much difference, and others find it less agreeable and prefer the first half. All a matter of taste.
All great advice, but I'd like to add one more related tip for finding the enjoyment that comes from the bottom of the bowl. I find that along with too many relights (and perhaps the main culprit behind the need for relights to begin with) is over packing. Just like most things when it comes to pipe smoking, less is more, e.g. smoke slower than you think, less smoke on the exhale than you think and, in this case, packing less tobacco than you think. Packing less doesn't mean your bowl isn't full. Contrarily, you bowl is full; it just has more air than a tightly packed pipe. I've been using the swirl method these past few months, and the gravity/3pack method before that. Both methods promote the importance of an "airily" packed pipe.
Now the flavor profile of your tobacco will still change throughout the bowl; however it is a worthwhile metemorphosis. You will have a cooler more flavorful smoke with far less relights. But as with all things that come with our hobby, it takes practice.
Sam
Now the flavor profile of your tobacco will still change throughout the bowl; however it is a worthwhile metemorphosis. You will have a cooler more flavorful smoke with far less relights. But as with all things that come with our hobby, it takes practice.
Sam
Been smoking a pipe 40 years, many different kinds of blends, know what I'm doing when it comes to packing. Bottom half has always tasted like crap compared to the top nearly all of the time. I don't care, I mean when I smoked cigars I threw out the last inch, which is more tobacco than I dump from my pipe. Some guys want to make everything a sport. Pipe smoking is a hobby. It should be pleasurable or else it's not worth the risks.
OP:
I think it depends a lot on what you're smoking. Some blends change dramatically as you work your way down the bowl, and those are likely to be much more satisfying during the second half than a blend that keeps sounding the same note all the way through a smoke. The most dramatic recent example I've experienced is with MacBaren Roll Cake: Halfway through the bowl, there is a burst of sweetness from the cavendish that transforms the smoke from that point forward.
I'm speaking of non-aromatics, though. I think it's fairly typical for some aromatics to deliver less satisfaction during the second half of the bowl, due to the collecting moisture, the fact that most flavorings have been burned off by that point, etc.
Bob
I think it depends a lot on what you're smoking. Some blends change dramatically as you work your way down the bowl, and those are likely to be much more satisfying during the second half than a blend that keeps sounding the same note all the way through a smoke. The most dramatic recent example I've experienced is with MacBaren Roll Cake: Halfway through the bowl, there is a burst of sweetness from the cavendish that transforms the smoke from that point forward.
I'm speaking of non-aromatics, though. I think it's fairly typical for some aromatics to deliver less satisfaction during the second half of the bowl, due to the collecting moisture, the fact that most flavorings have been burned off by that point, etc.
Bob
When I run into this problem, I just make a "parfait." That's where I load two or three blends in layers.
For non aros try lightly scraping the ash about half way through the bowl and relight. By very lightly your pipe of the ash it will be much easier to smoke all the way through the bowl. The benefits of smoking very close to the bottom of the bowl are:
1-Cake will be evenly distributed providing a cooler smoke
2-As pointed, out some tobacco blends taste better during the last half of the smoke
3-Get your moneys worth for your tobacco purches
1-Cake will be evenly distributed providing a cooler smoke
2-As pointed, out some tobacco blends taste better during the last half of the smoke
3-Get your moneys worth for your tobacco purches
A good pipe should smoke they way a country boy eats a pig: from the rooter to the tooter. If your pipe ever starts to taste like "crap," I'd say your technique is crap. And maybe has been for a long time. Never too old for good advice, even if it comes from the mouths of babes. JMHO
I was just tonight thinking about this and here I am reading it on the thread. I really like the second light after the char light. And I was wondering if it's because of anticipation (I was really looking forward to the smoke and am now being gratified) or because it's just better.
I believe there's a point where I just don't like it anymore. I don't want to smoke to the bottom.
Fortunately, that "time's out" just perfect on my ride home. 20-25 minutes into the smoke, I'm done. I put it down.
As for cigars, yeah, no -- Just ahead of the wrapper, quitting point. What's left as been a smoke filter for so long that it's just not the same anymore. The good part is over.
The butt gets rejected to the outside bonfire pit.
I believe there's a point where I just don't like it anymore. I don't want to smoke to the bottom.
Fortunately, that "time's out" just perfect on my ride home. 20-25 minutes into the smoke, I'm done. I put it down.
As for cigars, yeah, no -- Just ahead of the wrapper, quitting point. What's left as been a smoke filter for so long that it's just not the same anymore. The good part is over.
The butt gets rejected to the outside bonfire pit.
Yep, I dump the last bit quite often. If it tastes bad(to me) why should I have to smoke it? So what, I dont eat all the food on my plate either. You can have that too if you can beat my wife giving it to the dog. :D
The building a cake is a good point. One I hadn't thought about. Not smoking all the way down would clearly effect caking. So let's add this to the mix: how important is cake? And how does it build up anyway since people clean the pipe after a smoke? Or at least run a pipe cleaner through it...
For me, it depends on the blend. I find that most Virginias, and their ilk, tend to get better as the bowl progresses, and by the time the bowl is done I don't want it to end! Most English/Balkan blends seem to be fairly consistent throughout. Burley blends seem to take on more of the nutty profile they're known for as the bowl winds down. Aromatics on the other hand, seem to become ashy towards the end, with some exceptions.
I have not noticed crappy bottom bowls since I switched to English blends. Also, the second there is a hint of moister collecting in a bowl I run a cleaner through the stem to be rid of it and cool dry smoke prevails. Somewhere in this posting matrix was mention of saving all the dottle in a jar and smoking it as a blend. It kind of reminds me of the days of "chamber weed" when I was a teenager. lol
I too believe that if you are not enjoying a full 50% of your smoking, then something is wrong somewhere. I do admit that often I will leave the bottom 1/4, depending on time constraints or having already smoked for over an hour and wanting to give my mouth a rest. But if I smoke a blend which is really suited to my taste/mood in a quality pipe, I can find myself trying to relight the bottom of the bowl! I try to be realistic with my fills, so often I will only half-fill a pipe. A half-bowl of FVF can be more than enough. If I smoke right down to the end of the bowl I consider it a job well done as it is common for the cake in my pipes to dramatically thin in the lower 1/4 and when I am finished with a pipe I will check to see how much real tobacco there is left in the plug which gets knocked out. A few months ago I had a look at my Comoy and decided to ream the excess off the top 2/3 to even things out. This worked. I don't think one should become paranoid about it, but consistently wasting half your tobacco is a sign something has to change. I find S.G Chocolate Flake lights unbelievably well and keeps lit all the way down.
- Status