Do You Believe In The Cake? Yes or No

[Wellington]

I was hoping there was a poll option for threads, so this is what I ask because I'm a nerd when it comes to stats.

When you post to answer this question, start it by stating yes or no, then go into your response. This way I can quickly browse through the replies later and tally up the responses and find what percentage believe in building a cake and what don't. Posts afterwards in reply and conversation with others obviously don't think to state your answer again, just your initial response. I'll start.

Yes.

But that's not a hard lined yes, I'm not a daily smoker, sometimes not even weekly etc, so several pipes don't really have a cake and that's fine. My main smokers do/did. Back when I joined this forum probably around 8 years ago, my impression was there was a lot of advocacy for building a cake. I've started frequenting the forum again and the sentiment seems to have changed, I've seen a lot of people saying it's a myth etc, hence why I'm interested in taking a poll.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

No.

A small later or cake will form regardless of what you do. That is more than adequate. I wipe out the bowl and water cleanse to discourage cake.

 

[smokiespipesmoker123]

^ what he said^

 

[tbradsim1]

A thin layer helps your pipe cause it’s an insulator, as Hoosier says wipe the bowl out and you will keep a thin layer that is beneficial to your pipe.

 

[logs]

Cake just eats up valuable space. I don't allow it to build up at all. That said, I do love the look of old pipes with crazy amounts of cake.

 

[sandollars]

 

[sandollars]

Next time use the Poll feature. It tallies it up automatically...

 

[jerseysam]

No.

I wipe down the ash/clear any dottle and water-flush after smoking. A thin carbonized layer develops/maintains this way, not harmed by water flushing. My belief and totally a hunch....cake's main benefit is insulation (helping to absorb heat) and 'smoothing out a non-optimal smoker. Ie., helps absorb moisture and can sometimes improve airflow by filling in off-drilling in the chamber. For me proper cadence/pack controls heat and if a pipe is not a solid smoker off the bat it gets the heave-ho. Therefore I've got no need for cake; for me no benefit with the downside of reducing chamber space and increasing odor.

 

[Wellington]

I didn't see the poll option?! Hmm, I wonder if this thread could be closed so I could use the poll

 

[B_Rock]

No. I wipe the bowl with a paper towel right after each smoke. Even so, there is a slight buildup in some of my well smoked pipes...but the paper towel wipe keeps it under control.

 

[F4RM3R]

Yes and no.

The cake builds up and when it gets too thick(past a 1/16 of an inch ish) I'll scrape or sand it down. My small pipes and cob get scraped often with my czech tool to keep the cake down. But for the most part I let it build up a bit and knock it off.

Except the meer and clays which get wiped and kept as clean as possible. But even the clay gets a cake after a while so I hot water rinse it clean.

 

[Gecko]

No,
I do the paper towel wipe after almost every bowl, my daily beater pipe I also scrape regularly with the spoon part of a Czech tool.

Real estate is at a premium in my pipe bowls and I want as much as possible of it for tobacco. Also nice not having to deal with the hassle of reaming.

 

[sandollars]

I didn't see the poll option?! Hmm, I wonder if this thread could be closed so I could use the poll

Not a rebuke just a suggestion for next time

It is under more options then at the bottom it says post a poll. For next time.

 

[NomadOrb]

No

I also wipe with a pipe cleaner or paper towel in the bowl right after smoking. No problems yet.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Do I "believe" in cake? Sure, I do not deny the existence of cake.
Do I want cake in my pipes to where it affects taste or limits how much tobacco I can get into the bowl, no. A little cake is ok, but I prefer to keep my bowls rinsed out.

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

Generally speaking, No as most folks here, paper towel twist after each smoke, sometimes water flush prior to this

 

[sablebrush52]

Depends on the kind of cake, and I'm not referring to the difference between tiramisu and German chocolate, more a like thin hard carbon layer VS a thick flaky cake. The thin hard carbon layer gradually forms through use over time after you wipe out the chamber with toweling. The thick flaky cake comes from not wiping the bowl walls and using ash to build it. This type of cake builds up fast.

Of the two, I prefer the think hard carbon layer, because it's stronger and it's not going to fail because it's permeated with broken bits of combustible unsmoked tobacco that compromises its structure.

Thick cakes pose a threat to the structure of the pipe because they expand with heat and can crack the bowl.

Whichever way you go about building a cake, the superior thin carbon or the crappy flaky kind, keep it trimmed back, a dime's thickness or less.

 

[Sloopjohnbee]

Big N-O-
I never understood wtf everyone was going on about - until I realized that like others above have mentioned - cake forms naturally and most tend to want to avoid it - I like a clean pipe - I don't want crap 'caking' up my bowls

 

[mso489]

People really enjoy building thick crusty cake, and pipe smoking is all about enjoyment, so I'm all for it, for others. When I first started pipe smoking, I arbitrarily started wiping out the bowl after scooping out the ash, and I discovered I enjoyed not having to ream pipes. I don't think of the thin carbon layer I sustain as cake. Cake suggests to me an obvious layer of crust, but that's just me. Cake or not, the thin carbon layer does not reduce the diameter of the chamber to any detectable extent, let's say about a thirty-second of an inch if that. My forty year old pipes, several of them that I bought new, have lasted well and smoke sweet, so I enjoy staying with this plan. It suits me. Do what you enjoy.

 

[PipesRock]

No. It happens, but a folded pipe cleaner wipe then paper towel rather firm wipe keeps the ash type from building on me.