Cleaning Day!

[Capone]

How many of you use cotton balls instead of salt to sanitize your pipes? I have used salt in the past however I have seen several people using cotton balls. So I decided to give it a try. What is your favorite method?

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I don't regularly use alcohol in my pipes. I mean... I never use alcohol in my pipes, except on estate pipes that have an obvious problem.
I've read/heard that alcohol can deplete the briar of oils, making it at more risk of burn out. I have no idea whether that's true. I just rinse mine with water on as regular a schedule as I can. Sometimes, I still have to cut back the cake, but I don't need to soak them in alcohol once I've started smoking them.

But, it sounds like you have a plan. Have fun.

 

[simong]

I soak the cotton balls in Woods’s Old Navy Rum. After cleaning out the chamber & shank (mortise) I’ll leave the balls in for 2-3 days. Leaves a lovely tasting ghost!

 

[Capone]

I don't regularly use alcohol in my pipes. I mean... I never use alcohol in my pipes, except on estate pipes that have an obvious problem.
I've read/heard that alcohol can deplete the briar of oils, making it at more risk of burn out. I have no idea whether that's true. I just rinse mine with water on as regular a schedule as I can. Sometimes, I still have to cut back the cake, but I don't need to soak them in alcohol once I've started smoking them.

But, it sounds like you have a plan. Have fun.

I'm using Everclear 151 instead of rubbing alcohol. I buy a lot of estate pipes so I clean them before I use them.

 

[Capone]

I soak the cotton balls in Woods’s Old Navy Rum. After cleaning out the chamber & shank (mortise) I’ll leave the balls in for 2-3 days. Leaves a lovely tasting ghost!

I was going to use some Kraken Rum for that. lol

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I'm using Everclear 151 instead of rubbing alcohol. I buy a lot of estate pipes so I clean them before I use them.

Ok, cool, if I had known that you were precleaning estates, I would have spared you my who schpeill, sorry.
It's funny, you don't hear of guys using retorts anymore. They were all the rage back when I first came to the forum.

 

[Capone]

Ok, cool, if I had known that you were precleaning estates, I would have spared you my who schpeill, sorry.
It's funny, you don't hear of guys using retorts anymore. They were all the rage back when I first came to the forum.

School me on the retort process! I'm all about learning how things are done.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I've used one, but this guy has more credentials than me on the process. What is a Pipe Retort and How it is used - https://rebornpipes.com/2012/10/17/what-is-a-pipe-retort-and-how-it-is-used/

I can just say that I found it better to use a heat gun to heat the alcohol than an open flame. If you have an accident and blow out a mist of alcohol, and open flame can be bad, whereas a heat gun, not so much.