Burnt Pipe? How Would I Know?

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Payton_Prahl

Lurker
Sep 7, 2021
1
2
Hi,
I’ve been using a pipe for several months now. I’m curious how you would know if the pipe was burnt? Should I clearly taste the the tobacco flavor? I only ask because I tend not to be very picky about anything and I’m wondering if theres something I’m missing?
 
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OzPiper

Lifer
Nov 30, 2020
5,759
30,568
71
Sydney, Australia
There will be a smell of burning wood, as distinct from burning tobacco.

I have had this happen once only - I was smoking a latakia blend at the time. The burning wood smell was very noticeable over the latakia aroma.

It was a new pipe with no cake build-up. Cleaned the chamber out and used a powerful torch to check the inside of the bowl, which showed a couple of scorched areas.

Applied a couple of layers of pipe mud. Problem solved.
 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
This is somewhat rare. Since you are a new pipe smoker, I think you probably smoke way too hard, puffing up the ember to a high heat. Pipes with no coating in the chamber usually acquire a protective carbon layer with no problem, and in fact I prefer uncoated. But you have to have technique that keeps the draw to a sip, which also keeps the pipe lit better. Slow down and ease up and I think your problem is over.
 
It doesn't matter how much cake you get, if you over puff that baby, you're going to burn it.
Ha ha, I had to click on this thread because of the Burt reference in your title as well, ha ha.
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But, if it is a newish pipe, check out the area around the draft. Those narrow areas around the draft hole tend to be what burns first. If it is a sidewall, then you could have a problem with a pit, causing a side burn out.

One of the first things that you'll need to get used to if you are cooking the area around the draft, is to not relighting the last bit of dottle. Just dump it and pack a new bowl. Scorching the bottom of the pipe kills it. The reason we have a word for the last little bit of tobacco left in the pipe, "dottle" is because pipe smokers need a word to communicate what gets dumped out at the end of smoking.

I hope that helps.
 

The Clay King

(Formerly HalfDan)
Oct 2, 2018
5,657
51,277
41
Chesterfield, UK
www.youtube.com
This is somewhat rare. Since you are a new pipe smoker, I think you probably smoke way too hard, puffing up the ember to a high heat. Pipes with no coating in the chamber usually acquire a protective carbon layer with no problem, and in fact I prefer uncoated. But you have to have technique that keeps the draw to a sip, which also keeps the pipe lit better. Slow down and ease up and I think your problem is over.
@mso489 I know that's my problem:)
Just cleaned a lot of tobacco residue from the bowl of my Markus Fohr clay.
 
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hauntedmyst

Lifer
Feb 1, 2010
4,006
20,750
Chicago
While we wait for you to post pics, I'll say the taste of burn out in a pipe is horrendous. and its not mistakable for any tobacco. If you are ever smoking a pipe and suddenly think."Wow, this is so unenjoyable, I wish I lived in a high rise so I could throw myself off the roof just to stop tasting this taste!" That's when you know you have a burn out.
 
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