Broken Cake Question

[verporchting]

I don’t generally build a thick cake but I’ve been experimenting with a few pipes just for curiosity sake.

Tonight a decent chunk broke off and left a gap in the cake and I’m not sure if it’s better to cut it back now with a moderate reaming, full reaming or just continue as is.

The cake wasn’t terribly thick. It was just past the point where I hadn’t ever achieved before and the plan was to go at least twice as thick before reaming just for the heck of it. This really was just an experiment with a few of my frequent fliers, so I’m not invested in the outcome to any large extent. My main concern is burning out the pipe because I’ve created a weak spot where the cake is missing. Just not sure if that’s a thing or not since I have never intentionally built up a layer this thick before. For reference the thickness was more than a dime but less than a nickel. Or thereabouts.

What would you do?

Advice and comments welcome!

 

[elessar]

I would ream it. Not for fear of burning but for fear of cracking the pipe. The uneven heating and expansion/contraction caused by a missing chunk of cake would be my concern. Just my .02.

 

[bullet08]

since changing my cleaning routine to wiping out with a paper towel after pipe cleaners, few chunks of cake came off from my pipes. didn't really concern myself with any specific issues and haven't ran into any problems. it's been months. but i also would like to hear others' opinions.

 

[verporchting]

Upon seeing it I wadded up a paper towel and twisted it into the bowl to see if any more would break off but nothing did. I usually do that after every bowl or two but not on these pipes. I’m thinking if it’s going to break off I’d rather ream it evenly but then I started thinking maybe it’ll just self repair. I don’t know, haven’t been here before.

 

[whsergent]

I would just leave it. Chances are, imo, if some pressure builds up it would just further fracture the cake. I have never seen any consequences from just ignoring something like that, its what i do.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I don't see it making any difference. It will likely fill in reasonably quick. Since cleaning with hot water and wiping the inside of the bowl after the water cleanse, I've not had to concern myself much with cake build up. I now see no value in building more than a very, very thin layer of cake.

 

[verporchting]

I’ve been building cake intentionally in 3x Canadians that are used exclusively for G&H flakes - 2 Lakelands and 1 VA - and one bulldog for burley just to see if a substantial layer makes any difference in the quality.

I have to admit the 2 Lakeland dedicated pipes seem to smoke noticeably better and those blends appear to build cake rapidly. Might be my imagination though and more testing is in order.

The VA pipe is far slower in building cake and I can’t say I’ve noticed anything different at all, other than a slightly more visible build up than others that I wipe out after each smoke.

The burley bulldog is moderate and I just can’t say yet whether there’s any difference.

I’m not sure if this experiment has any value, but what the hell, I’ve got nothing better to do and I’m gonna smoke them anyway.

Maybe at the end I just ream them all back to regular and maintain them that way. Time will tell.

Didimauw’s experimenting has me getting all curious and shit, lol.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Soft cake? Cracking cake?

I'd ream it to smooth it out, as far as you need to go, but not farther, and avoid building a soft cake.

 

[verporchting]

Didn’t appear crumbly or soft and until now no cracks at all. Then a chunk about the size of a pencil eraser came off about mid-bowl.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Didn’t appear crumbly or soft and until now no cracks at all. Then a chunk about the size of a pencil eraser came off about mid-bowl.

Then that's a pretty sure sign of soft cake!

What's your final decision?

 

[verporchting]

I cut it back to reasonably smooth but not more. By how easily it cut I’m thinking you were right and it was pretty soft.

It was bothering me, and now it isn’t so I’m going to call that a win.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Abso-freakin-lutely! That is a win.

 

[cortezattic]

I'm surprised that no one suggested mixing up a batch of pipe mud and patching the bowl.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I've had cakes crumble, but I've never given it a second thought. I generally just don't like cake much at all anyways.

 

[verporchting]

For most of the years I’ve been smoking the pipes got gently scraped with a penknife when there was more than a slight buildup. Nothing much and certainly not “cake”. No major surgery required. This is the first time I’ve intentionally tried to build a cake layer. If it requires much fiddly nonsense that won’t sit well with me, lol.