Clumping Tobacco: Uneven Pack? [at Bottom of the Bowl.]

[LudwigB88]

I’ve had this issue especially with narrow bowl pipes: toward to bottom of the bowl, the tobacco is packed tight, but I am still getting the sound of air through the stem and there is no pressure to the draw. I think this could be related to tobacco that is too moist, but also to the nature of a narrow bowl. Basically, I think as I’m tamping throughout the smoke, the moist tobacco is clumping up unevenly. So even though the tobacco is packed tight, there might still be a portion through which there is a gap. So in effect, you have too tight and what seems like too loose, but which is really just a hole or gap in your tobacco. As others write on several forum posts, they will stir or break up tobacco with the pick portion of their tool, especially at the bottom of the bowl. (So this is obviously a common issue.) I often find that stirring the tight plug at the bottom toward the end of a smoke releases much moisture and when I light after stirring I actually get a ton of flavor. (I usually try to dump ash before doing this to avoid mixing ash with unburnt tobacco, and getting a mouth full of ash. You have to be careful because you can end up dumping the entire last bit of plug as well.) Again, I think this is a moisture issue and/or a clumping issue due to moisture. Any feedback will be appreciated.

 

[OzPiper]

I have been using meerschaum chips or Nording keystones at the bottom of my bowls
They help absorb moisture.
And provide an air space under the tobacco
I smoke down to ash most bowls, often with no re-lights needed
A much more enjoyable smoke.
And no/little dottle

 

[LudwigB88]

I have been using meerschaum chips or Nording keystones at the bottom of my bowls
They help absorb moisture.
And provide an air space under the tobacco
I smoke down to ash most bowls, often with no re-lights needed
A much more enjoyable smoke.
And no/little dottle

Which of the two do you find preferable? The chips or the keystones? Are they expensive ? Where do you purchase?

 

[OzPiper]

Which of the two do you find preferable? The chips or the keystones? Are they expensive ? Where do you purchase?

Both work equally well and are cheap. The Keystones also come in bulk packs
They are reusable - I get at least 3-4 uses out of them

Tobacco is extremely expensive in Oz, and I was sick of throwing out dottle.
Let alone the bottom of the smoke not tasting good.

I get mine from The Danish Pipe Shop

 

[Briar Lee]

Use the pick on your tamper to loosen the clump.

 

[bullet08]

Before loading the tobacco, I make sure they are laid out on paper plate to dry. While it's drying, I make sure there are no clumps of tobacco. When I'm loading the tobacco into chamber, they go in as a loose bunch at a time. When I'm tamping, I make sure I put just enough pressure to get ember to the tobacco. Never had tobacco clumped at the bottom. They are usually loose dottles. Even when there's moisture at the bottom, they are below the tobacco at the air pocket.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I prefer a well dried tobacco to load. But, also, just use the weight of the tamp to gently crush the ash. You're not loading a cannon ball, just keeping the ash down so that air can more readily access the cherry.
Also, one of teh reason the teach new pipe smokers to use the three handshake loading technique is so that they won't create a tighter pack at the bottom. First load to the top, then baby handshake the tobacco down, then load to the top, and... IDK... child handshake that down. Then load to the top again, and then give it a good snug one.

I'm not a fan of techniques. I just scoop my tobacco in with my thumb and go, but I also have been doing this long enough to know what pressure I want my tobacco to be loaded.

It may be your tamping though. Don't press the tobacco, just the ash. I just use the weight of my tamper to do the work.

I hope this helps.

 

[Sigmund]

@LudwigB88 If you are cheap like me or you cant find meer chips or keystones you can take an old red clay plant pot and hammer it into little meer chip pieces. I did that, Tossed them in a strainer and rinsed the dust off. Honestly, I cant tell the difference between the broken pot pieces and meer chips. I use them a couple of times if Im near my ash tray when I want to dump the pipe. Also people here have inspired me to dry my tobacco more. I usually dont smoke until near noon. I take out what Im going to smoke and let it dry. Sometimes I put a little light bulb over it to dry it further. Its worth experimenting.

 

[didimauw]

This is another reason why I dry my tobacco until it's crunchy dry. No weird clumping, no moisture. Faster, tastier, and easier.

 

[metalheadycigarguy]

I dump my tobacco on to my tobacco plate and let it dry for a few minutes or longer depending on the tobacco. I make sure there are no clumps in the tobacco, and then load the pipe. As I smoke the pipe I gently tamp, as there is no need to tamp hard. As I smoke down, I will dump the ash if necessary. I'll use the pick on my tamper to lightly stir up the ash, as not to disturb the tobacco underneath, and dump the ash out. After dumping the ash I'll stir up the remaining tobacco with my pipe tool and give it another tamp before lighting it again. That process seems to work for me and allows me to enjoy almost the entire bowl of tobacco.

 

[LudwigB88]

I dump my tobacco on to my tobacco plate and let it dry for a few minutes or longer depending on the tobacco. I make sure there are no clumps in the tobacco, and then load the pipe. As I smoke the pipe I gently tamp, as there is no need to tamp hard. As I smoke down, I will dump the ash if necessary. I'll use the pick on my tamper to lightly stir up the ash, as not to disturb the tobacco underneath, and dump the ash out. After dumping the ash I'll stir up the remaining tobacco with my pipe tool and give it another tamp before lighting it again. That process seems to work for me and allows me to enjoy almost the entire bowl of tobacco.

Exactly what I do !

 

[VDL_Piper]

Try the palm swirl method which will leave you a small air pocket at the heel of the pipe and facilitate a cool dry smoke for you and stop you over packing your pipe.

Video here:

 

[metalheadycigarguy]

Exactly what I do !

If that process isn't working for you then I would suggest drying your tobacco more.
If you're a wet smoker, you can get saliva down the pipe and into the bottom of the bowl, which can cause an issue with excess moisture in the tobacco and may lead to it clumping up as well. That happens to me sometimes when I'm clenching my pipe. I don't know if you're a wet smoker, but if you clench your pipe, maybe try not clenching it. See if that helps, along with the dryer tobacco.

 

[wernerat]

Try the palm swirl method which will leave you a small air pocket at the heel of the pipe and facilitate a cool dry smoke for you and stop you over packing your pipe.

Video here:

Changed my pipe smoking forever!

 

[seanv]

If that process isn't working for you then I would suggest drying your tobacco more.
If you're a wet smoker, you can get saliva down the pipe and into the bottom of the bowl, which can cause an issue with excess moisture in the tobacco and may lead to it clumping up as well. That happens to me sometimes when I'm clenching my pipe. I don't know if you're a wet smoker, but if you clench your pipe, maybe try not clenching it. See if that helps, along with the dryer tobacco.

Your avatar is awesome

 

[woodsroad]

Screw process.
Dry, dump, tamp, smoke.
You'll figure out what works for you, it doesn't need to be perfect.
Either way, obsessing and worrying is the antithesis of pipe smoking

 

[metalheadycigarguy]

Your avatar is awesome

Thanks, it's my battle vest that I made a few years back. \m/

 

[jpmcwjr]

If you need a pipe tool pick to mess with the tobacco in the chamber, something's wrong. Probably too moist and/or packed too hard.

I'd say also that if you have to use chips, stones or creosote in your pipe, you can do better.