Cleaning Cobs

[ziv]

How do you clean corn cobs? Mine have started tasting terrible, and I don't know what to do about it.

I do wipe the bowl with a paper towel after each smoke, and I do run pipe cleaners, of course. I cleaned them with rubbing alcohol recently, but that didn't do much help.
I've daily smoked my cobs for about 3 months, is this the end of life? Certainly would hope they'd last longer (and I've seen people say they've used theirs for decades).
Smoking the same blends in my briars (which I only own 2) doesn't give the same taste, so it must be the cobs, right?

 

[Chasing Embers]

Let them sit out in sunlight for a few hours.

 

[Christos D. Tsatsaronis]

Pipe cleaners: yes
Paper towel: yes
Spit on the rim (and paper towel): I did it once, I don't think I'll do it again, at least soon
Rimming the bowl: rarely
Other cleaning: no
Cobs: 14
Problems: never
Could I smoke only with cobs?: absolutely yes
Other kinds of pipes?: about 50 more (briars, hardwoods, pear woods, olive woods, meerschaums, Falcons)
Specific blends in each cob?: everything in every pipe
How often do I smoke each cob?: aprox. once per 2 moths

That's my statistics

 

[Christos D. Tsatsaronis]

Pipe cleaners: yes
Paper towel: yes
Spit on the rim (and paper towel): I did it once, I don't think I'll do it again, at least soon
Rimming the bowl: rarely
Other cleaning: no
Cobs: 14
Problems: never
Could I smoke only with cobs?: absolutely yes
Other kinds of pipes?: about 50 more (briars, hardwoods, pear woods, olive woods, meerschaums, Falcons)
Specific blends in each cob?: everything in every pipe
How often do I smoke each cob?: aprox. once per 2 moths

That's my statistics

well, I meant reaming the bowl...

 

[Snook]

Also curious as the one cob that I have is looking and tasting pretty sad after three years of only pipe cleaners.

 

[ziv]

Also curious as the one cob that I have is looking and tasting pretty sad after three years of only pipe cleaners.

I'm gonna try the sitting in the sun method and report back.

 

[OzPiper]

How do you clean corn cobs? Mine have started tasting terrible, and I don't know what to do about it.

Also curious as the one cob that I have is looking and tasting pretty sad after three years of only pipe cleaners.

I’m my experience the chamber is rarely where the is.
Try cleaning out the shank and mortise with alcohol-dipped cleaners.
And repeat, and repeat until they come out clean

If that doesn’t work, buy a new cob.

 

[ziv]

I’m my experience the chamber is rarely where the is.
Try cleaning out the shank and mortise with alcohol-dipped cleaners.
And repeat, and repeat until they come out clean

If that doesn’t work, buy a new cob.

What about stems - do you clean them with alcohol?

 

[dottlejockey]

People clean cobs? Talk about frugality. ;P

 

[ziv]

People clean cobs? Talk about frugality. ;P

Apparently, people clean rubbers and pipe cleaners!

 

[edger]

I finger twist the appropriate size drill bit to clear any gunk in the shank and follow up with Everclear and a bristle pipe cleaner. BTW, the drill bit clears the left over wood fibers that are left by sloppy drilling at the factory. MM should sharpen their drill bits occasionally. Pipe cleaner fuzz sticks to the annoying wood fibers

 

[Snook]

If that doesn’t work, buy a new cob.

I guess this is the real answer. Haha.

I finger twist the appropriate size drill bit to clear any gunk in the shank and follow up with Everclear and a bristle pipe cleaner. BTW, the drill bit clears the left over wood fibers that are left by sloppy drilling at the factory. MM should sharpen their drill bits occasionally. Pipe cleaner fuzz sticks to the annoying wood fibers

Is that what causes it? The fuzz drives me nuts!

 

[makhorkasmoker]

Inside the shank is cavernous on filter cobs, and it’s not narrow on non-filtered ones either. So simply running a pipe cleaner through will not clean the inside of the shank well. Moisture and gunk will build up in there. Pull the stem, fold a pipe cleaner, and swab out the shank regularly . No alcohol is necessary.

 

[Chasing Embers]

What about stems - do you clean them with alcohol?

Alcohol would destroy those stems.

 

[ThermionicScott]

Alcohol would destroy those stems.

+1 from sad experience.

 

[OzPiper]

What about stems - do you clean them with alcohol?

Plastic and acrylic stems are best cleansed with pipe cleaners dipped in liquid soap and flushed
I do use alcohol occasionally, but rinsed out immediately

 

[Chasing Embers]

Plastic and acrylic stems are best cleansed with pipe cleaners dipped in liquid soap and flushed
I do use alcohol occasionally, but rinsed out immediately

White vinegar does a fine job on them as well.

 

[eljimmy]

I've never noticed much trouble or bad taste with my cobs but they do get plenty of rest in between smokes. I'm interested in peoples advice.