Can Ash Build Up Snuff Out Your Pipe?

[Charlie718]

I’ve read somewhere that the ash in the pipe helps with a slow controlled burn and you should only up end a pipe and let the lose ash fall out and leave the ash that doesn’t. Every time I try that the ash that stays seems like it snuffs out my pipe because it goes out after every sip. If I then use my pipe tool to loosen up the ash and dump it the pipe will stay lite and burn normally. My question is did I read false info somewhere or is this a sign I’m packing the bowl to tight or something else?

 

[Chasing Embers]

a sign I’m packing the bowl to tight

That would be my guess.

 

[bullet08]

So, if you up end the pipe to let ashes fall out, it basically kills the ember? If the pipe was going well, why would the ember go out for turning it to let ashes fall out? Unless, you had ton of moisture in the mortise and it empties into the chamber. But if that's the case, you'll have hard time after that point to keep pipe going. Same should happen even if you loosen up the ashes before dumping it. So, what are you doing different?

 

[Charlie718]

So, if you up end the pipe to let ashes fall out, it basically kills the ember? If the pipe was going well, why would the ember go out for turning it to let ashes fall out? Unless, you had ton of moisture in the mortise and it empties into the chamber. But if that's the case, you'll have hard time after that point to keep pipe going. Same should happen even if you loosen up the ashes before dumping it. So, what are you doing different?

The pipes already out when I up end it. Some ash falls out but not all. I don’t hear a gurgle but that doesn’t mean moisture isn’t getting to the tobac. If I then loosen the ash without disturbing the tobac the bowl will then re-lite and stay lite

 

[Charlie718]

I’ll try packing looser and next time I go to up end the pipe I’ll run a pipe cleaner down the stem first to absorb any moisture build up
And any advice that comes my way is heard and appreciated

 

[bullet08]

The pipes already out when I up end it. Some ash falls out but not all. I don’t hear a gurgle but that doesn’t mean moisture isn’t getting to the tobac. If I then loosen the ash without disturbing the tobac the bowl will then re-lite and stay lite

Ok, if I understand it correctly, after dumping the ash, you don't use lighter/match, but just loosen up the ashes and the ember comes back. That means the pipe was not out to begin with. But at the same time, at least for me, very little ashes drop out if I don't loosen up the ashes. So, it just looked like the ember was out before you dumped the ashes. Unless you tamper the "ashes" hard, the ember really shouldn't have gone out.

 

[Charlie718]

Ok, if I understand it correctly, after dumping the ash, you don't use lighter/match, but just loosen up the ashes and the ember comes back. That means the pipe was not out to begin with. But at the same time, at least for me, very little ashes drop out if I don't loosen up the ashes. So, it just looked like the ember was out before you dumped the ashes. Unless you tamper the "ashes" hard, the ember really shouldn't have gone out.

I only dump ash when I stop getting smoke. I then try to just up end and re-lite and I get one sip then it goes back out. I then loosen the ash and dump it without loosening the tobac and then re-lite with match/lighter and it’ll burn perfect and stay lite until the ash once again builds up. Hope I explained it better lol. I swing wrenches for a living not pens lmao ?

 

[Charlie718]

Don’t know if this matters but it only happens in my pipes that are 1.5”-3” deep and .75”-.80” diameter. This doesn’t happen with my Rossi 8320 which is shallower and wider (chode pipe lmao)

 

[bullet08]

Don’t know if this matters but it only happens in my pipes that are 1.5”-3” deep and .75”-.80” diameter. This doesn’t happen with my Rossi 8320 which is shallower and wider (chode pipe lmao)

Yeah, the ash build up is keeping the flame from lightening the charred tobacco. Typically, you have two choices. 1) Remove the ashes by loosening and dumping. 2) Tamp down the ashes to see if flame will get to charred tobacco. I would just loosen up and dump the ashes. Sometimes, for whatever reason, ash layer prevents lightening. And sometimes, tamping doesn't help. But loosening and dumping ash is a sure cure.

 

[anotherbob]

I’ve read somewhere that the ash in the pipe helps with a slow controlled burn and you should only up end a pipe and let the lose ash fall out and leave the ash that doesn’t. Every time I try that the ash that stays seems like it snuffs out my pipe because it goes out after every sip. If I then use my pipe tool to loosen up the ash and dump it the pipe will stay lite and burn normally. My question is did I read false info somewhere or is this a sign I’m packing the bowl to tight or something else?

I dump the ash. And it seems to burn more evenly and go out less if I do that. Also found that if I stir the ash before tamping it the stuff burns better. Thank god you didn't mean what I thought you meant when I saw the title of this thread. I thought someone was going to stick ash up their nose.

 

[Charlie718]

Yeah, the ash build up is keeping the flame from lightening the charred tobacco. Typically, you have two choices. 1) Remove the ashes by loosening and dumping. 2) Tamp down the ashes to see if flame will get to charred tobacco. I would just loosen up and dump the ashes. Sometimes, for whatever reason, ash layer prevents lightening. And sometimes, tamping doesn't help. But loosening and dumping ash is a sure cure.

Ahh gotcha, so when I was relighting over the ash I was just heating the tobac and getting flavor and smoke but not lighting it fully so I thought it went out but it was never lit.

 

[bullet08]

Ahh gotcha, so when I was relighting over the ash I was just heating the tobac and getting flavor and smoke but not lighting it fully so I thought it went out but it was never lit.

Yupe. That seems to be the problem. Happened to me few times.

 

[edger]

Put two fingers over the bowl to block the air. Draw gently on the pipe and release the fingers. This works if there is still an ember. You won't have to relight "through" the ash.

 

[puff_not_snuff]

Never put snuff in your pipes.

 

[Charlie718]

Put two fingers over the bowl to block the air. Draw gently on the pipe and release the fingers. This works if there is still an ember. You won't have to relight "through" the ash.

I have good luck with that. Most of the time my pipe goes out when I’m reading or driving and not paying attention to the pipe lol

 

[lightxmyfire]

I also dump my ash when this happens, which is usually towards the end of a tall bowl.

It will go out, first I'll try lighting which either won't work or only produces enough ember for a few puffs before going back out. Then I move on to tamping which if it feels like it's already packed down and that doesn't change anything. I'll finally very carefully stir the top layer of ash making sure to feel where the "stiffer" tobacco that I want to keep is and work to not disturb that, and then dump it. That always gets it re-lit right away and then I can finish the smoke all the way down with little trouble.

I've never understood "the never dump ash" or "if you have to dump ash you've done something wrong" camp when smoking a cigarette or cigar it has the benefit of being open to the air, and the ash naturally falls off away from the ember. In a pipe, you don't have that open airflow around the sides or a nice open space for the ash to fall off into, so when the ash builds up it's got nowhere to go but on top of the ember, and get packed down as you tamp. It's always seemed logical to me that you would eventually need to dump that to get the airflow back, just like tapping your cigar to remove it.

Point is don't stress or feel like your "wrong" for doing this, do what works to get you a smoke you enjoy, and don't fret over any hard and fast "rules".