Bottom-Of-Bowl Frustration

[puffndave]

When you smoke a cigar, it isn't hard to know when you're at the end of that - it may start to taste a bit harsh, and your fingers are sure to burn if you don't stop!
When I'm puffing along on my pipe, and I keep it burning cool, that's where I'm running into trouble now. It tastes fine, and then, very suddenly, there's ashes in my mouth!
Until recently I had better awareness that I was nearing the bottom because I frequently got up and dumped the ashes, but then I came across advice somewhere (yeah, it's always somewhere that I didn't save the page to) which recommended tamping only, that it helps retain good flavors. Maybe it does, but I would still be so happy if pipes came equipped with sensors which beep or something, so that you'll know when there's no unburned tobacco left.
Is there a smiley here for fantasy?

 

[jpmcwjr]

Well, perhaps you should go back to dumping ash and surveying what's left! But good to know you're smoking it well, getting to the bottom of things as it were.
The new iPipe will have such sensors, and Siri will send a voice message to your phone, iPad and computer....

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

:rofl: Nobody ever talks about the one negative effect of smoking down to nothing but ash, but this is so true. Everything is awesome and then... Blegh! :rofl: It can ruin that perfect smoke right at the end!

 

[pagan]

but I would still be so happy if pipes came equipped with sensors which beep or something, so that you'll know when there's no unburned tobacco left.

The new iPipe will have such sensors, and Siri will send a voice message to your phone, iPad and computer....

Not sure wat statement is sillier :crazy:

 

[puffndave]

Pagan, I'm quite certain Jpmcwjr's comment is funnier!

 

[curl]

Lately I'm filling my pipe first with a thin layer of geezer tobacco, then with the stuff I want to smoke. The bottom of the bowl usually isn't any good no matter what I'm smoking, so when I dump it I'm not dumping the good stuff.
And for a long time, I've been putting a small layer of half and half or Prince Albert at the top of my bowl. I do this for tobacco I have have a hard time getting lit. Geezer tobacco doesn't taste good to me but it lights and burns like it should, so it gets a good cherry going and seems to get the good tobacco going.

 

[mso489]

I think end-of-bowl bad experiences come from some misguided competitive idea that you have to burn it down to gray or white ash or you're not succeeding. No. As soon as it is down quite a ways, to a third or a quarter or less, and you can tell on relights that not much is catching fire, instead of relighting, dump the bowl and either refill, or pack another pipe, or put the pipe down for a while. If you are regularly sucking up ash through the airway, you are definitely trying too hard. Some dottle, unburned tobacco, is a regular and acceptable part of pipe smoking, not some kind of botched job. If you aren't enjoying good flavor, end the smoke.

 

[jacks6]

Thanks for posting that MSO. When I was a newer smoker (still new now though a year in) I used to feel that I had failed by having to dump out the remaining contents of a bowl. I believe it was you who put my mind at ease months ago about this subject. Now, I don't worry about it so much.

 

[shutterbugg]

The bottom of the bowl usually isn't any good no matter what I'm smoking,

Exactamundo, but in the new internet-spawned reinvention of pipesmoking as "a hobby" one of the "rules" of being a "real pipesmoker" is you're supposed to smoke that godawful crap.

I think end-of-bowl bad experiences come from some misguided competitive idea that you have to burn it down to gray or white ash or you're not succeeding.

Glad to see someone besides me sees that. The last third is a catchbasin for all the tars and condensation from the top 2/3. Smoking it is like smoking the filter on a cigarette. If it's a matter of being cheap, add fresh tobacco on top of the bottom third. That's what a lot of old codgers did. So if you love codger blends (another initiation rite of smoking a pipe as "a hobby"), emulating that bit of nastiness the codgers practiced should be ok by the rules too.

 

[puffndave]

Mso, I just have had a hard time wasting anything, I was one of those kids who got rewarded for cleaning his plate at the table, etc. The latter has led to obesity, and after smoking the way I have for over a year I'm sure it's bad for my health.
Shutterbug, the problem I have has been not noticing that the bottom third really tastes different. I don't think it does when there's still good 'baccy there, and you are letting it cool instead of smoke a hole right through your bowl. The drawback with that is that somewhere it's gotta end, and at this point my sense of that ashy taste is so dulled that when ashes come through my stem, I don't taste the bitterness any more. That's a scary thing! I still taste the nastiness of juice from smoking hot when that happens, and I still taste everything that's good, but it's somewhat worrisome that I'm so much used to the ash on my tongue.

 

[puffndave]

Guess I should dump the ashes more often.

 

[warren]

You just have to learn to enjoy the taste and mouth feel of a good ash!

 

[hextor]

When I first started, I would get ashmouth all the time, it was frustrating, but then again, I was puffing like a locomotive, I dont dump the ashes anymore, I tamp, and sip on my pipe, and i dont get ashmouth that often anymore.

 

[andrew]

Exactamundo, but in the new internet-spawned reinvention of pipesmoking as "a hobby" one of the "rules" of being a "real pipesmoker" is you're supposed to smoke that godawful crap.

This. Also the notion that you have to do it to build cake at the bottom of the bowl. I used to do what Curl mentioned, I'd gotten a bag of 4aces ryo pipe tobacco my parents got me in the US, and back then it worked well, and the 4aces was actually quite mild and would mix with the tar and stuff of what you were smoking and make it pretty enjoyable, now I just don't care and I dump out the bottom stuff. I find usually tamping though prevents the ash mouthful, but also ends up pretty much plugging up the pipe eventually, so I need to dump the bowl. Another option is to use filters to prevent this mouthful of ash. I find though the last little bit of tobacco is just harsh and unpleasent tasting, so I don't bother smoking it. It's like putting a cigar butt in your pipe, the idea disgusts me.

 

[didimauw]

I like the stir and shake method. That way I still get a cake build up in the bottom wether I smoke it all or not

 

[mawnansmiff]

I think Curl has cracked it by first loading a little least favoured tobacco afore fully loading up with the preferred tobacco. Once the less favoured tobacco is tasted that is your warning signal to dump out.
Regards,
Jay.

 

[kanse]

You can stop smoking once you feel like you are getting to the unpleasant bit.

It's quite gradual, you don't just bam and eat ashes

 

[carver]

I have had this issue since the beginning and it's really cool to read all this.

Although I have read things about "the bowl ends with fine white ash", and although I have rarely finished my bowl that well, and although I did hae a bad feeling once or twice about "man, I smoked that bowl like crap, I can't do the things the guys talk about" ...

To me, it actually is more about wasting valuable pipe tobacco. It costs way too much. But hey...

You just have to learn to enjoy the taste and mouth feel of a good ash!

Oh, is that what it is ...

 

[lawdawg]

I rarely smoke the last 1/4 of a bowl. On occasion, I have one burn well and taste good all the way to the bottom. I've never felt bad about dumping a bit of tobacco or felt that it was wasted. Think of it as Germans think of the last little bit of beer in a glass, which probably contains some backwash and sediment... they call it "beer spit."

 

[dottiewarden]

If you aren't enjoying good flavor, end the smoke.

Pretty straight forward rule of thumb.

But once you get that bad taste at the bottom it's time to empty the bowl.

Pretty straight forward rule of thumb.

It can ruin that perfect smoke right at the end!

I smoke to enjoy the incredible flavors that come through when good tobacco is smoked properly. There is no way I'm ruining the aftertaste just to save a few bits of half burnt or soggy tobacco.