Details- Critical or Not?

[sugardaddy]

Title changed. Original:
"Charring Light - Light Puffs or More Full Draw? Let it Go Out Fully or Not? Does it Matter?"

I watched many pipe lighting vids last year when I was learning. Of course, they all mentioned the need for a charring light ... sometimes multiple charring lights.

But I've seen different opinions regarding how to do it.

Some guys light gently and then let it go all the way out before proceeding.

Some guys seem to take deeper draws to pull the heat farther into the tobacco.

Some let the charring light fully go out before they resume, and some don't.

Is this another thing where there's no wrong answer and you just try it and figure out what you like?

Are there pros to each method and you just decide which pros you want to go with?

Thanks guys!

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Long, slow, deep draws. Tamp, light again in same manner. Tamp. Occasionally, a third light is needed.

 

[telescopes]

I would say there is some truth to the need for a charring light - and there are times when you definitely have the True Light.

But that said, I suppose you could find a pattern and rhythm that will work for you. I am sure you will; we all do. However, I just smoke it.

A wet tobacco. Wow. Sometimes I let it go out and come back to it 10-15 minutes later. Sometimes, I top ropes and flakes and plugs off with a real dry easy to light tobacco and use that tobacco as a starter.

If you are OCD - find a pattern and spin twice before you light. If not, use the force and go with the flow. Rituals are important. But they are all sacred.

 

[brian64]

I find a charring light does help with the initial light, but relights are pretty much instantaneous.

 

[sablebrush52]

I rarely bother with it. With a very few blends I'll do a charring light. Let it go out, get a bit of ash over the top, spread it, and then fire it up. iI'll puff to char the top, then it's just sipping for the rest of the smoke.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Haven't bothered with it for a while now. Light the top layer, tap the ember with my finger while drawing, and off I go.

 

[brian64]

Haven't bothered with it for a while now. Light the top layer, tap the ember with my finger while drawing, and off I go.

Yeah, but you also smoke anti-gravity pipes.

 

[bullet08]

I guess I do charring light. Intention isn't charring light. Gentle draw across the tobacco top few times and that will get the pipe going. After a bit, I'll go over the top again quickly after light tamp to spread out the ash. I like top of my tobacco going evenly.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Yeah, but you also smoke anti-gravity pipes.

Nah, teeth impede comfortable clenching. Gravity filling a pipe allows more oxygen into the chamber and makes smoking less fiddly.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Not a fan of charring lights, but they are not a nuisance when I have to do so.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Nah, teeth impede comfortable clenching. Gravity filling a pipe allows more oxygen into the chamber and makes smoking less fiddly.

Teeth and clenching get along just fine here.

Some cuts do not lend them selves to gravity filling; some are impossible to do with, say, a fine and long cut shag.

 

[verporchting]

I don’t faff about on the initial light, but try to get a solid ember going - being mindful not to scorch the rim or incinerate the tobacco. If the tobacco is reasonably dry that’s all it usually takes and it stays lit pretty well after tamping down the rising leaf. Sometimes it just doesn’t work that way and the first light truly is a charring light, maybe even a few more matches after that to get a solid drawing pipe. Ropes and twists can give me fits once in awhile but once they’re going all is well.

I’ve found that a wooden match gives me a good initial light without blowtorching the tobacco and quite often a good initial light is all it takes. I never get a satisfying one-and-done initial light with a butane lighter although sometimes needs must and I use one anyway. Once it’s going though a quick relight with a butane lighter is just fine and I carry a lighter and tamper in my pocket. Rarely tote matches around, it’s just my preference to use them at the beginning.

Whatever works for you to get your pipe going is the right answer though. Lots of ways of doing it and other than needlessly scorching the hell out of the leaf/pipe rim/tongue there’s not really a “wrong” way.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Teeth and clenching get along just fine here.

Some cuts do not lend them selves to gravity filling; some are impossible to do with, say, a fine and long cut shag.

Drape long ways into the chamber such as Pembroke, drop in, and tap the heel against your palm, works fine. You can also opt to rub them down finer if needed.

 

[telescopes]

Nah, teeth impede comfortable clenching. .

Yes, that's why toothless pit bulls are so dangerous. Once they grab you with their gums...,

 

[BarrelProof]

The only thing pipe smoker A and pipe smoker B will agree on is that pipe smoker C is doing it wrong.

Just do what makes you happy. That’s what it’s all about. To hell with the Hokey Pokey.

 

[bullet08]

The only thing pipe smoker A and pipe smoker B will agree on is that pipe smoker C is doing it wrong.

Just do what makes you happy. That’s what it’s all about. To hell with the Hokey Pokey.

I haven't figured it out, but I'm sure that's wrong x)

 

[Chasing Embers]

Yes, that's why toothless pit bulls are so dangerous. Once they grab you with their gums...,

I can comfortably clench a 9 ounce pipe sans teeth.

 

[Winnipeger]

What's the difference between a "charring light" and a "light"? When you "light" the tobacco, you're "charring" the surface of it. No?

In my opinion, it's better to light gently and smoke gently to avoid scorching the tobacco, your pipe, your tongue, etc. When you (gently) light the tobacco at first, if the ember has not spread across the entire surface, to every "side" of the chamber wall, all the way round, then it needs more fire, because it's not fully lit. The ember needs to burn next to the briar (or sepiolite or cob or what have you) in order to be symmetrically contained; in order the burn evenly. If you don't fully light the tobacco and let it go out, you're just delaying "gratification". You may as well get the tobacco lit and get to smoking it IMO. If it's unevenly charred and you let it burn until it goes out, aren't you just letting the uneven ember progress further down the chamber? Light it once. Smoke it. Light it again if needed. Smoke it. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. If it takes four or five lights to get a nice even cherry going, that's fine. Sometimes it'll only take one light. If you're smoking Daughters & Ryan, expect it. [Most often I only light my tobacco once, because it's sufficiently dry.]

Once it's lit: smoke and tamp when the smoke gets thin on the draw. [I usually end up tamping between 2 to 4 times total depending on the depth of the chamber.]

If your tobacco is not too wet, and not over-packed (and the chamber wall is either clean, or evenly caked) it will burn down as you suck on the straw mouthpiece. End of story. If it doesn't, tamp a bit. Add fire. Repeat.

When I first tried smoking a pipe, it was described to me like it was a science. 3 step packing. "Charring light". "True light". Bullshit. Gently fill. "Gravity fill", until there's a slight bit of resistance, like a "stale marshmallow" (cf. @Chasing Embers ). Don't smoke soggy tobacco. Don't smoke like a freight train. Add fire and tamp as needed. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

 

[shermnatman]

Title changed. Original:
"Charring Light - Light Puffs or More Full Draw? Let it Go Out Fully or Not? Does it Matter?"

I watched many pipe lighting vids last year when I was learning. Of course, they all mentioned the need for a charring light ... sometimes multiple charring lights.

But I've seen different opinions regarding how to do it.

Some guys light gently and then let it go all the way out before proceeding.

Some guys seem to take deeper draws to pull the heat farther into the tobacco.

Some let the charring light fully go out before they resume, and some don't.

Is this another thing where there's no wrong answer and you just try it and figure out what you like?

Are there pros to each method and you just decide which pros you want to go with?

Thanks guys!

The main thing to keep in mind is to simply get the pipe lit and smoke the dried vegetable-matter you have put in there; and, hopefully, enjoy it.

Get it done however you get it done, and so the pipe smokes well. - That's the goal, anyway.

As far as the How You Actually Do That is concerned:

Pipes, Pipe Tobacco, Packing your Pipe and Pipe Smoking are fiddly at their core, IF YOU choose them to be; and, for whatever reason, detail-oriented and OCD-types seem to be a powerful and natural match for enjoying dogmatic procedures and fiddliness .

As a beginner looking for instruction, you are going to encounter a ton of highly detailed, multi-phasic, critical-mass theories and dogmatic gospels about 'How Zit Dun in 457 Easy-to-Master Steps'... Including such arcane self-measuring scales as "... with the same pressure you would apply as if you were holding a small child's arm.." - WTH is that, and who the heck is expert at applying various level of pressure to the arms of infants and children as a measurement skill ?!?!


"Like this...???"

Okay, that's what many of us went through; but, eventually, you will likely find you just will eventually "just do it", and without much thought going it the act, as a "process", once you've landed on a way, over time, which gives you the desired result - Return to the First Sentence, if you have forgotten the stated goal already.

That is, unless YOU choose to make it a "Process and Procedure" which brings you added joy to your pipe smoking ritual.

I am probably THE LAZIEST guy on here - doesn't clean his pipes very often, for example - and without even knowing it had a name or being conscious of doing it - or trying to do it - I went from following the Super-Fiddly Pipe Filling and Lighting Instructions, and fell right to the classic "Codger Scoop" - A brilliant example of the Zen of Doing Without Even Trying; if I may say so myself.

And Now, it's all done by feel and flow - without thinking... Same goes for relights, tamping, and when to knock out excessive ash, etc.

Just do it, and keep doing it - eventually, you'll land on your own preferred style and method which works for you.

And, don't forget to RELAX and ENJOY! - Sherm Natman

 

[Winnipeger]

Also, when you tamp, don't push down on the tobacco in the chamber, unless it's very loosely packed and it needs a little more density. The purpose of tamping is only to somewhat increase the density of the ember, so that it keeps burning evenly. Err on the side of loose packing until you get a sense of how much tobacco fits in a chamber. Then, if you over tamp, it won't be a major problem. If you tamp down, and end up with less than a full chamber, that's probably a good thing, as long as it burns ok. Packing a chamber right to the rim tightly, won't burn properly. That's the problem I encountered as a newby, trying to apply the three-step packing method. It just didn't work most of the time. It's a gross generalization, and often results in an over-stuffed chamber. The idea isn't really to "pack" at all, but to simply fill the chamber. Flakes (and Ready Rubbed), coins, ropes, etc expand a lot with heat. If you pack them in the chamber too tightly, they'll expand and choke off the air flow. Dry shag cuts like Five Brothers can be crammed in tight. But most tinned and packaged tobacco is too wet, and needs light packing, and/or dry time, and/or microwaving, and/or all of the above. YMMV I guess.