Bottom-Of-Bowl Frustration

[cosmicfolklore]

Since I mostly smoke Virginias and VaPers, the closer to the bottom, the more delicious the smoke is. I don't find this so when I smoke burleys or Latakia blends. But, ash in the mouth is just about the only way IO know that I am finished, fine white ash at that. :wink:

But, I smoke slow as molasses and I don't make much smoke at all as I work, with my pipe clenched. I hate to fidget with my pipe, so I just tamp a couple of times as I smoke, sometimes after the initial light, I don't tamp at all. But, ashes are no more disgusting to me that the smoke. Just take a sip of coffee and repack the pipe to do it all over again. Pipes are good, life is good.

 

[mayfair70]

I too am haunted by the idea my bowl has to burn down to a fine gray or white ash. I used to put less expensive, or a new blend I didn't like, at the bottom to catch the crap and dump when I reached it. Lately though, with no bad tasting tobacco to use as a filter, I have been dutifully scraping ash off the top regularly during a smoke. Since I tend to pack hard and smoke hot (insert inappropriate joke here), I've also been using my tool to loosen the tobacco and mix it up about mid-bowl. I sometimes let that portion sit for a while and dry. I usually have three or so pipes going a day with different blends in each and rotate, depending on what I feel like smoking at the moment. I re-tamp the stirred tobacco and smoke away. I now find I am getting much more mileage out of my tobacco and the last half bowl is MUCH more satisfying. Some blends have given me the best smokes ever in the last few days. Curiously they have been in full bent billiard pipes with a mixture of very dry and slightly moist tobaccos, but I don't know that has anything to do with it. I have also poured fresh tobacco over the hardening mass at the bottom and smoked away, but that seems to produce more condensation than I like. I don't like wasting tobacco if I can help it. Good Luck!
edit: Yes, the Virginias and VaPers have been the great smokes lately!

 

[carver]

If the smoke tastes awful, I'll dump the thing. The beer spit idea did help see things differently.
Anyone using one of those metal nets?

 

[tmb152]

I hate to sound like a broken record, but again, what mso said!
I never get ash. As you smoke, the baccy at the bottom is like a filter, absorbing moisture and tars from above. By the time I get to the bottom 1/4 or so, you can taste the difference. I usually stop every so often as I smoke the bowl to let the pipe and the tobacco rest a bit. Maybe have a few sips of something as the heat and moisture dissipate. Then I use one of my spent matches to loosen up and dig through the white ash down the center and flip the pipe to let that fall out. Then I use my finger to break the good tobacco away from the wall, loosen it up a bit and move it around to fill in the missing spot. I seldom tamp much as that can crush the now-brittle partly consumed tobacco into a dust. At this point it lights very easily. Once the flavor stops being fresh and tasty somewhere down there, continued smoking only takes away the pleasantry of the experience!
I'm not sure any advantage of cake at the very bottom, but if you think you want cake there, it would probably be easier to just fill the bowl slightly and smoke it that way until a little cake develops at the bottom.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

tmb, that's a good choice for some, especially those who smoke burley or latakias, but I think that over the years Virginia and Vaper smokers have reported that it is easy to get carried away with how much more amazing the smoke tastes at the end, so I know that I am not alone here. Yep, the closer to the bottom the more you'll find yourself dragging out the smoke to the very end. Burley gets bitter and more harsh, and latakia can be hit or miss. Sometimes I do like the way the latakia tastes at the end. Sometimes, not so much. Aromatics phhht, like it can ever be tasted?
Cake? Cake is for suckers. :wink: I ream my bowls after each smoke and still the damned cake still builds up. I hate the stuff. No reason to want it at the bottom of the bowl... for me. But do what suits ya. ::

 

[crashthegrey]

I like a little dottle, to know I was protected. I usually find that right at the end, you do a final tamp and can feel that the tobacco is gone. The taste gets a little funny, and the pipe will try to start going out on you from the moisture it filtered. It's a natural thing and hard to explain, but I empty the pipe and there is just a nice, small bit of dottle ready to fall out, nearly burned through. I also detest ashing during my smoke. It's all kind of come together, and I really only suck ash on a new pipe I don't know well enough with a larger than usual airway. Or because I messed up, as I am far from perfect.

 

[tmb152]

over the years Virginia and Vaper smokers have reported that it is easy to get carried away with how much more amazing the smoke tastes at the end

Interesting point Cosmic--- That makes sense; I will have to start watching for any correlation to how far down I smoke vs. the blend! I do know that some blends smoke further down, but I never paid much attention to which ones other than to say that obviously, the aros are the ones I smoke the least far--- sometimes by mid-bowl, they are finished.
Once an aro tells you that it is done there is no point in arguing with it.

 

[hextor]

Like carver said, have any of you guys used a screen for the pipe? wonder if that helps you smoke it all the way down.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Tried a screen a while ago, more of a nuisance than a help. Biggest help in smoking further down the chamber is to have the tobacco dry before loading.

 

[dottiewarden]

Once an aro tells you that it is done there is no point in arguing with it.

Wise words.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Once an aro tells you that it is done there is no point in arguing with it.

Most aros just scream at me to leave them alone, so I oblige :wink: ::