Changing Pipes

[SteveW]

I’ve read a bunch of opinions on keeping pipes to one particular brand of tobacco. At the time I was working through a box of Captain Black’s Cherry Cavendish (If anyone finds themselves flying through Zambia I got six bags for $35USD) so it wasn’t an issue.

I’ve since found a local shop and tried three different aromatics in that briarwood in the past couple of weeks. The first couple of bowls were amazing, but I’ve been smoking it perhaps a bit too aggressively because it’s the best pipe I own. I noticed today the pipe wasn’t smelling as nice as it once did. Where it smelled a bit sweet now the bowl is a bit sour smelling.

I swapped out to my meerschaum pipe which doesn’t smoke as well in an effort to rest the briarwood, but I’m wondering if I’ve gone too far.

Smoked a bowl in the briarwood last night, and it was tasty and smoked well, but I wonder if it could’ve been better.

I guess the long winded question was is that sour smell from the different aromatics, the over smoking or both?

I’ve got my eye on a six dot Brigham, but until I can come up with the $169 this briarwood was supposed to be my primary pipe.

Cheers

 

[sablebrush52]

Your briar pipe probably needs a good cleaning as well as a drying out. Clean the walls of the chamber and then clean the airway. Remove the stem so that you can clean out the mortise, which is often where the bad stink resides.

 

[SteveW]

Your briar pipe probably needs a good cleaning as well as a drying out. Clean the walls of the chamber and then clean the airway. Remove the stem so that you can clean out the mortise, which is often where the bad stink resides.

I clean it pretty religiously between uses. Always run a pipe cleaner through the stem and bowl. I was negligent last night and it appears I left some tobacco in the bottom of the bowl.

I cleaned up some of the cake in the bowl with a rough pipe cleaner the other week. I wonder if that didn’t help me out as much as I’d have liked.

Gonna let the pipe rest for the week and see if that clears up the smell.

 

[mso489]

Aromatic flavorings definitely increase the sour taste of residual cake or carbon layer, in my opinion. Cleaning will solve that, and perhaps another pipe or three are in order, but you have that in your plans. You might also want an MM cob to expand your stable, and I'd recommend one of the special edition pipes with an acrylic stem for about $24.99, maybe after you get the upgraded briar. If you rotate the pipes, they will dry out, and with regular cleaning, that will reduce any off flavors.

 

[sablebrush52]

I clean it pretty religiously between uses. Always run a pipe cleaner through the stem and bowl. I was negligent last night and it appears I left some tobacco in the bottom of the bowl.

I cleaned up some of the cake in the bowl with a rough pipe cleaner the other week. I wonder if that didn’t help me out as much as I’d have liked.

Gonna let the pipe rest for the week and see if that clears up the smell.

Running a pipe cleaner or two through the airway isn't adquate because it doesn't pick up deposits left in the mortise. Make sure that you clean that out as well. Much pipe evil originates in the mortise.

 

[SteveW]

Aromatic flavorings definitely increase the sour taste of residual cake or carbon layer, in my opinion. Cleaning will solve that, and perhaps another pipe or three are in order, but you have that in your plans. You might also want an MM cob to expand your stable, and I'd recommend one of the special edition pipes with an acrylic stem for about $24.99, maybe after you get the upgraded briar. If you rotate the pipes, they will dry out, and with regular cleaning, that will reduce any off flavors.

I really like the aromatics though. Am I affecting the quality of my smoke with that cake, or is it just a smell I’m going to notice in the bowl?

 

[sablebrush52]

I really like the aromatics though. Am I affecting the quality of my smoke with that cake, or is it just a smell I’m going to notice in the bowl?

You may pick up some residual flavoring from one bowl to the next, and not just from the residue on the chamber walls, but also from the airway. Thoroughly clean before changing blends and that shouldn't be a problem. Some smokers don't mind a little cross talk.

 

[SteveW]

Running a pipe cleaner or two through the airway isn't adquate because it doesn't pick up deposits left in the mortise. Make sure that you clean that out as well. Much pipe evil originates in the mortise.

I’ll take a look in there and see what I’ve missed. Can I soak my stem in anything to make cleaning easier?

 

[sablebrush52]

Dip the pipecleaners in alcohol, or the spirit of your choice and use that to dissolve oils and other grunge that builds up. Normally I use two to three to clean the stem and I use tapered bristles, soaked in alcohol, to scrub out the shank and the mortise. The mortise being a much wider opening than the airway, I usually double over the pipe cleaner twice to form a thick rectangle, dip one end in alcohol, rotate the wad into the mortise and scrub it out. I may do this several times. I'll generally follow the bristle pipe cleaners with fluffies to absorb the maisture in the airway. Once I'm happy with the shank cleaning I reattach the stem then leave the pipe to air out overnight.

 

[anotherbob]

Probably just needs cleaned which is pretty easy. I don't recommend the flush but lots of people do. Also lots of people say wipe it out with alcohol. Either way the difference might be shocking. However also how is the stem? I never thought oxidation was bad (makes it look like a real used pipe...) until I got this terrible sulfur taste that cleaning the pipe didn't fix. A few minutes with a magic eraser fixed that problem. Just a slight possibility if cleaning doesn't work. Oh and I didn't use the eraser to get it back to shiny black. Still has that matted look I dig just not huge patches of brownish splotches.

 

[SteveW]

Dip the pipecleaners in alcohol, or the spirit of your choice and use that to dissolve oils and other grunge that builds up. Normally I use two to three to clean the stem and I use tapered bristles, soaked in alcohol, to scrub out the shank and the mortise. The mortise being a much wider opening than the airway, I usually double over the pipe cleaner twice to form a thick rectangle, dip one end in alcohol, rotate the wad into the mortise and scrub it out. I may do this several times. I'll generally follow the bristle pipe cleaners with fluffies to absorb the maisture in the airway. Once I'm happy with the shank cleaning I reattach the stem then leave the pipe to air out overnight.

Excellent. Thanks for the advice. This Briarwood pipe was $90 and I was viewing it as mostly a practice run to figure out how to best take care of my pipe before dropping money on a really nice one. That being said this pipe smokes really well so I’d like to keep it in top shape for as long as possible.

 

[cigrmaster]

Since I clean my pipes the way I do after every smoke, it is rare for me to have to use Ever Clear on my pipes. My new system is proprietary so if you want to know what is is, you will have to pay for the privilege's. of learning it. My fees are minimal, 1 dollar is all I charge. It does have to be in Rubles as I like having piles of those things.

 

[FurCoat]

Dip the pipecleaners in alcohol, or the spirit of your choice and use that to dissolve oils and other grunge that builds up. Normally I use two to three to clean the stem and I use tapered bristles, soaked in alcohol, to scrub out the shank and the mortise. The mortise being a much wider opening than the airway, I usually double over the pipe cleaner twice to form a thick rectangle, dip one end in alcohol, rotate the wad into the mortise and scrub it out. I may do this several times. I'll generally follow the bristle pipe cleaners with fluffies to absorb the maisture in the airway. Once I'm happy with the shank cleaning I reattach the stem then leave the pipe to air out overnight.

+1 and maybe get some cheap cobs as mso recommended. I usually dedicate pipes to genres.

 

[sumusfumus]

I clean it pretty religiously between uses. Always run a pipe cleaner through the stem and bowl. I was negligent last night and it appears I left some tobacco in the bottom of the bowl.

I cleaned up some of the cake in the bowl with a rough pipe cleaner the other week. I wonder if that didn’t help me out as much as I’d have liked.

Gonna let the pipe rest for the week and see if that clears up the smell.

I've said it before and I'll say it again.....AFTER cleaning out the stale pipe.....jam a juicy, oily, chunk of fresh orange peel into the bowl, and let it sit there for a few days. Let the oily rind face the bowl walls. Your pipe will be refreshed and ready to smoke...the citrus oils will flash away within a few minutes when you start smoking the pipe. Sometimes, just overnight will do the job with the orange peel in the bowl.

 

[indoeuro]

I almost never remove the stem. Most of my rotation (barring Army mounts and Peterson System pipes) I haven't done so at all. To keep them fresh I just clean out the pipes I've smoked during the week with high proof alcohol. I prefer Wray's Overproof Rum, but any drinking booze will do.
Simply soak one end of a pipe cleaner in the alcohol and run that end down from the bit to the bowl, scrubbing gently as you go. Pull it out and run the dry end down. Wrap napkin around the stem to catch any alcohol that seeps out of the bit. Bend the cleaner in half and soak the bend in alcohol, them run that around the interior of the bowl to give it a good soaking and smooth out all the schmutz. Wipe the interior dry with the napkin and let dry overnight.