Burns At The Center Only

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Zartoon

Might Stick Around
Jan 8, 2020
72
135
Greetings,

so I have found that on most my pipes, the burn goes down the center and leaves about 60-70% of the tobacco around the perimeter of the bowl I burned.

what is the secret to getting a uniform burn that is bowl wide?
 

burleyboy

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 30, 2019
862
4,473
Europe
To me this happens, when I cube cut flakes, so I tend to rub them out entirely to avoid this issue.

This could also be the result of a too tight packing. You can start with a gravity fill and make sure, that the draw is not affected at all. Then do your charring light and gently adjust the density of your tobacco with the tamper. Especially when smoking flakes, it seems to be important to pack really loose.
 
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Yes... actually, you must be doing something very right. Burning down the center is how you get the most tasteful smoke, because the cherry heats the tobacco along the side and releases the oils into the smoke. The smoke has no taste by itself, it is the heated tobacco oils that give you flavor.

Just use your tamp to push the tobacco along the sides down.
Or, you can maybe rub out the tobacco a little more to get a more consistent burn... but, then you sacrifice flavor.
 

kg.legat0

Lifer
Sep 6, 2019
1,028
10,408
Southwestern PA
To me this happens, when I cube cut flakes, so I tend to rub them out entirely to avoid this issue.

This could also be the result of a too tight packing. You can start with a gravity fill and make sure, that the draw is not affected at all. Then do your charring light and gently adjust the density of your tobacco with the tamper. Especially when smoking flakes, it seems to be important to pack really loose.

This is pretty much exactly what I came here to say haha --always happens to me with flakes.
 
I find it happens more dramatically with flakes for me. Cube cut, I can see where it could happen, but the edges tends of those cubes tend to catch a little fire as the pipe burns.

One of the things that bothers me most, is when I am smoking a flake while doing something with my hands, and I have to stop and fiddle with the pipe using a tamper. I mean, it bothers me, but First world problems, right? Ha ha. This is why I cube cut my flakes now.
 

BROBS

Lifer
Nov 13, 2019
11,765
40,026
IA
Greetings,

so I have found that on most my pipes, the burn goes down the center and leaves about 60-70% of the tobacco around the perimeter of the bowl I burned.

what is the secret to getting a uniform burn that is bowl wide?
when you pack the pipe only push it down in the center.
 

rushx9

Lifer
Jul 10, 2019
2,299
17,244
42
Shelby, NC
Cos and Casual beat me to it, but down the center smokes are the best! Rolled flakes will do this naturally but with loose mixtures I actually poke a hole down the center with my pipe tool to encourage this kind of burn. Once I've got "fire in the hole" I'll give a light tamp and relight(even if it hasn't gone out) and the sides light up looking like a "ring of fire". By halfway everything has caught up and burns evenly. If the sides don't catch up, it's no biggie. Just smoke slow and enjoy the smoke. Don't think of the unburnt tobacco as waste, but "side dottle"!
barling-prince.jpg
 

olkofri

Lifer
Sep 9, 2017
8,033
14,644
The Arm of Orion
I've also found out that a tamper with a concave, tapered rim head such as this one:


img_0836-600x473.jpg


helps with gently pushing the tobacco on the periphery towards the centre and gently scraping any that's stuck to the walls.
 

Worknman

Part of the Furniture Now
Sep 23, 2019
968
2,819
I always thought it was normal and based on physics. You're pulling through a very small opening situated in the center so the heat will naturally be pulled in that direction. I usually do an ash dump about mid bowl and gently move the tobacco on the sides towards the center.
 
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Zartoon

Might Stick Around
Jan 8, 2020
72
135
I always thought it was normal and based on physics. You're pulling through a very small opening situated in the center so the heat will naturally be pulled in that direction. I usually do an ash dump about mid bowl and gently move the tobacco on the sides towards the center.

I do this too. But I do end up with Jared tobacco in the draw hope, so it either blocks the draw or I end up with some charred tobacco bits in my filter or mouth (if it isn’t a filtered pipe)