Castello vs Peterson? Different Different Tamping Required??

[macaroni]

Okay--I've posted before that I smoke Pete's mostly. Today's been different--I smoked 4 different Castellos in a row (old and newer ones)--each having much larger draws than the Pete's I normally smoke. And for the 3 with larger bowls (about as large as a Pete Pub pipe and one about the size of a Pete House pipe), and for the most part, even the smaller mid-size 1948 Antiquari ("MY RESERVE 1948")--I find as usual (for me) that I absolutely MUST tamp quite a bit firmer with the Castellos than I normally do for the Pete's I smoke. This holds true for the Lat blend, the Burley blends, and the Aromatics I smoked today. Dryness of tobacco doesn't matter--it seems it has to do with the much larger and easier draw. So what gives? I don't know why the smaller draws on the Pete's require much lighter/less tamping to keep them lit than the Castellos. Any ideas?
thnx
mike

 

[Chasing Embers]

Okay--I've posted before that I smoke Pete's mostly. Today's been different--I smoked 4 different Castellos in a row (old and newer ones)--each having much larger draws than the Pete's I normally smoke. And for the 3 with larger bowls (about as large as a Pete Pub pipe and one about the size of a Pete House pipe), and for the most part, even the smaller mid-size 1948 Antiquari ("MY RESERVE 1948")--I find as usual (for me) that I absolutely MUST tamp quite a bit firmer with the Castellos than I normally do for the Pete's I smoke. This holds true for the Lat blend, the Burley blends, and the Aromatics I smoked today. Dryness of tobacco doesn't matter--it seems it has to do with the much larger and easier draw. So what gives? I don't know why the smaller draws on the Pete's require much lighter/less tamping to keep them lit than the Castellos. Any ideas?
thnx
mike

It isn't the tamping, its the packing. A pipe with a wider draw needs a firmer pack than a pipe with a narrow one. Of course there are exceptions when smoking wetter tobaccos.

 

[macaroni]

Great! Thank You!!

 

[macaroni]

Okay, packing firmer not tamping firmer--for the wider draws.

And I'm guessing that for tobaccos I pack more loosely--say for example Virginia's that I plack loosely to help avoid tongue bite (or a moist aromatic), it's also a matter of packing a bit more firmly than with my narrow draw Petes?

 

[ssjones]

Embers nails it, the pack is the key. Tamping varies, but by blend vs pipe.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Okay, packing firmer not tamping firmer--for the wider draws.

And I'm guessing that for tobaccos I pack more loosely--say for example Virginia's that I plack loosely to help avoid tongue bite (or a moist aromatic), it's also a matter of packing a bit more firmly than with my narrow draw Petes?

Bingo.?

 

[sasquatch]

And this is part of why there are people who love a certain brand or style and others who don't - running a pipe at "just right" is a combination of moisture, cut, packing, draw, smoking cadence etc. I have pipes which I think are just wonderful, and the next guy might think them merely adequate, and vice versa.

 

[cigrmaster]

I pack my open shanked pipes firmly so that when I test the draw before lighting, I get some resistance. I won't own a pipe less than 4.0 and I hate tight shanked pipes. They burn hot and wet and that problem is easy to fix if you are a handyman.
For my tastes Castello is a superior smoke than a Peterson. I like an open draw because the pipe smokes drier and cooler and that gives me more flavor. I fold and stuff flakes 99% of the time and am comfortable in how I pack a pipe. But even after 20 years, I always check my draw before lighting up. I can't even imagine not checking it.

 

[jpmcwjr]

If you fail to load your pipe with sufficient firmness, the tamper is quite useful ,

 

[macaroni]

If you fail to load your pipe with sufficient firmness, the tamper is quite useful ,

Wow-I experienced this throughout the early part of this weekend. Smoking these larger draw Castello pipes, I put the tobacco is loosely like I do when I load my Petes. Then, lighting them--I broke my rule for light tamping and tamped them hard, trying to correct the packing deficiency. Didn't work. The tobacco either formed a hard surface almost impossible to get air through or bunches of loose tobacco pieces caught fire under the flame and moved about on the surface of the bowl--only to go out shortly. Recap--Thank You, Sir! A helpful observation I'll take to heart--tamping won't correct one of my loosely packed Castellos (I tried LOL)!
Thnx again,
mike

 

[Chasing Embers]

The tobacco either formed a hard surface almost impossible to get air through or bunches of loose tobacco pieces caught fire under the flame and moved about on the surface of the bowl--only to go out shortly.

When you get to a point like that, smack the open end of the chamber against your palm to loosen up the pack, tap the pipe's heel on your palm to settle the contents, light and enjoy.