Do Sour/Tangy Blends Sour a Pipe?

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olkofri

Lifer
Sep 9, 2017
8,033
14,644
The Arm of Orion
Hanging out around here, I keep seeing that a soured pipe "most" of the time is from people not cleaning out the mortise on their pipes. Between the mortise and the tenon, grime and gunk get trapped, and add in moisture from condensation, turns into a nasty mess.
Indeed, but some guys seem terrified or have bought into the myth that disassembling the pipe after each smoke to clean it will ruin it (loosen the fit, break the mortise, yadda, yadda), so the only 'cleaning' they do is to pass cleaners through the draught channel.

I always take my pipes apart after a smoke and most of the time there's gunk in the form of a film of condensed liquid on the tenon: much easier to wipe that off whilst it's still wet than to scrub it after it has dried and hardened. I then wash the mouthpiece with dish soap and warm water.

The mortise is or can be wet with the gunk as well; and again, easier to wipe it off with an extra fluffy cleaner or paper towel than have to ream the mortise later.
 

Johnny_Pipecleaner

Part of the Furniture Now
Nov 13, 2019
583
2,984
Mill Valley, CA
@olkofri wow, I'm one of the 1 or 2 pipecleaners through the draught channel type of guys, but perhaps I'll do thorough cleanings more regularly based on your above description of what you go through for each and every smoke
 

olkofri

Lifer
Sep 9, 2017
8,033
14,644
The Arm of Orion
@olkofri wow, I'm one of the 1 or 2 pipecleaners through the draught channel type of guys, but perhaps I'll do thorough cleanings more regularly based on your above description of what you go through for each and every smoke
As long as you are careful in removing the stem and do it after the pipe has cooled you shouldn't have any problems.
 

bullet08

Lifer
Nov 26, 2018
8,932
37,917
RTP, NC. USA
i bet the pipe won't sour as long as you run the pipe cleaner through and make sure it's well dried after each bowl. most germs need few things to grow. moisture, optimal temp, and darkness. you get the pipe to mostly dry condition as soon as possible and one of the necessities will be gone. but periodic disassemble and good cleaning is nice also.
 

gervais

Lifer
Sep 4, 2019
2,078
6,973
39
Ontario
I use to be more thorough with my pipe cleaning, but I seem to have become lazy with a pipe cleaner through the stem to the bowl only these days. I'll try and do a better job from now on I think
 

rushx9

Lifer
Jul 10, 2019
2,299
17,244
42
Shelby, NC
I just run a pipe cleaner about 75% of the time but every 4th smoke or so I take everything apart and hit the mortise with some q-tips or a bit of rolled up paper towel. If I get a gurgle I'm more likely to do a deep clean but I prefer to do it a few hours after the pipe has cooled or before the next smoke because I have had a couple cases of loose mortise that I attribute to taking the pipe apart hot and wet.
 

lochinvar

Lifer
Oct 22, 2013
1,687
1,632
I have never had a sour pipe. I mostly just run pipe cleaners through, and after I've dumped the ashes I clean out the bowl with a rolled paper towel, and make sure I rest it with the stem elevated. Every so often, I disassemble and hit the the works with Everclear, Qtips, bristle cleaners, paper towels etc.

I've only met one piper who said he had sour pipes, and he complained about all his pipes being sour (he was a a guest at my motel). When he smoked, he would smoke 3/4 of the bowl, then fill fresh tobacco on top and light the top.....and would do that repeatedly. I never saw him use a cleaner and he had so much carbon buildup the chamber wasn't much wider than the pipe tamper. I think as long as you use a modicum of care, you'll keep the funk at bay.
 
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mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
+1 what python said. The only pipe designating I would do is with Lakeland aromatics. All other blends I've tried carry little or no ghosts, and any ghosts smoke out with one bowl.
 
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