Corn Cob Pipe Problem

[kenoshakid]

I recently received my first two corn cob pipes. I smoked Irish Oak out of one and Sunday Picnic out of the other. Both pipes yielded the same flavor, which I can only describe as bread and mushrooms. Confused, I smoked some Irish Oak out of a briar and did not get the same flavor as I did with the cob. Why did both cob smokes taste the same? I read somewhere awhile back that you don't need to break in a cob. Is that true? If not, is that why both cobs tasted like bread and mushrooms? Another possibility could be that both pipes came with a small paper cylinder lodged in the shaft and stem. For some reason I did not remove them for my initial smokes. Could that be the problem?

 

[papipeguy]

That cylander you describe is a filter. Personally, I remove them and never use them. As for breakimg in a cob there are many opinions. Some coat the bowl with a bit of honey to help build up the cake in the bowl. Again, I just load and light them. Cobs may impart a bid of "corn" taste when first used; until the cake builds up. They are great pipes and good for testing new blends as, at least to me, they tend not to "ghost".

Hang in there and they will deliver good smokes the more you use them.

 

[lucky695]

Personally, I remove them and never use them

+1 You want to enjoy the flavor of the tobacco... not the paper... which apparently tastes like bread and mushrooms... try again with no filter. better results guaranteed

 

[rigmedic1]

Mark Twain would hire a man to smoke his new cobs for a fortnight, because he detested the taste of a new cob. A cob will be different from a briar, but once a cake has formed, the difference will become less pronounced. Also, I find that I occasionally prefer to use the filter, because I have found some tobaccos improve when the smoke is filtered. Try it both ways, you might find you prefer the filter.

BTW, I prefer to smoke my Peterson Irish Whiskey in a cob, tastes sweeter.

 

[cynyr]

Smoke hell out of 'em!

 

[kenoshakid]

It does make sense that the filter is what's imparting the bread and mushroom flavor. I'll give it a go sans filters. Thanks for the input, folks.

 

[javajunkie]

It may be that, once the smoke is filtered, all that remains tastes of bread and mushrooms to you? Try it without, and good luck!

 

[juozapas]

I love mushrooms !! especially the magic one's !!! LOL

 

[eazye77]

+1 pipeguy.

 

[teufelhund]

+1 to never use a filter and after a few bowls that corn taste goes away... But I don't mind it really... Maybe if I get bored I'll experiment with trying to find a tobacco that tastes better when a cob is new.

 

[kenoshakid]

It's definitely the corn that I'm tasting. For some reason at first it tasted more like something else, but now that I have something to reference the flavor with I can definitely say it's the corn.
@teufelhund: That's funny because I was thinking the same thing: That corn cob flavor isn't really that bad!

 

[redbeard]

+1 on no filter with them. I used mine every other bowl to see if I liked it but I liked the open draw of the cob so I tossed it.

 

[bobpnm]

I use Savinelli balsa filters in my cobs.

 

[hodirty]

I have to disagree about the filter, I use them so as to actually lessen the draw a bit. Just my two cents... And they will taste just fine after 4-5 smokes.