As a fairly new pipe smoker, I have a question if anybody is able to answer. When it comes to the end of my pipe, there’s always a decent amount of unsmoked tobacco. My question is what’s classed as too much? I smoke until the flavour becomes almost unpleasant and requires a lot to keep it burning. Im smoking old Dublin by Peterson at the minute, (my first English blend, Im loving the flavours). Is this known for a decent amount of dottle at the end? Or am I just overthinking things as Im enjoying the smoke until Im not.
Dottle
- Thread starter Uknew
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You're overthinking it. Smoke until you aren't enjoying it any more, or until you can't relight, and then dump it.
Appreciate that, I did have a suspicion I was, but thank you for the reply.
The wetter your tobacco the more bad tasting dottle you will likely have.
I dont know what you are smoking or how wet but most tobacco comes too wet. I personally like it dry enough to not feel wet to the touch or not readily stick together when you pinch a bunch together. A few guys like it bone dry but every one is different.
In the EU tobacco is more expensive and its a bit harder to obtain good product. I dont like to waste it. I put a few meer chips in the bottom of a bowl...usually 4 or 5 small pieces. This lifts the tobacco off the chamber floor and cuts back on waste. It also helps keep it buring if you happen to not pack perfectly. This is also useful for smoking discontinued blends where it cant be replaced. If you are in the US and can buy bulk dont sweat it.
I dont know what you are smoking or how wet but most tobacco comes too wet. I personally like it dry enough to not feel wet to the touch or not readily stick together when you pinch a bunch together. A few guys like it bone dry but every one is different.
In the EU tobacco is more expensive and its a bit harder to obtain good product. I dont like to waste it. I put a few meer chips in the bottom of a bowl...usually 4 or 5 small pieces. This lifts the tobacco off the chamber floor and cuts back on waste. It also helps keep it buring if you happen to not pack perfectly. This is also useful for smoking discontinued blends where it cant be replaced. If you are in the US and can buy bulk dont sweat it.
Appreciate the reply. Im smoking Petersons old Dublin at the minute. I will try to dry it out a bit, I’ve heard of the Nordic stones to help with this so will be giving them a try when I next go to my tobacconist on Tuesday.
Thanks for the reply, I will pick some up Tuesday when I go to my tobacconist.
Yes, the stones are the same idea.
If you happen to be or live with a gardener and have any broken clay pots around you can make your own. I take the shards, hammer them to size, give them a quck rinse to get rid of dust and go. You basically want something that wont burn, will absorb moisture and take up space. Some folks use the meer chips as a filter. I smoke 9mm filter pipes. I dont need more filtration. I just use them to take up space and form an air gap. I use them over and over until they get lost in bits of ash. It wont impart any flavor to your smoke.
If you happen to be or live with a gardener and have any broken clay pots around you can make your own. I take the shards, hammer them to size, give them a quck rinse to get rid of dust and go. You basically want something that wont burn, will absorb moisture and take up space. Some folks use the meer chips as a filter. I smoke 9mm filter pipes. I dont need more filtration. I just use them to take up space and form an air gap. I use them over and over until they get lost in bits of ash. It wont impart any flavor to your smoke.
^^^^^
Or meerschaum chips
A game changer for me - most bowls smoke down to ash.
Very occasionally some dottle, but that is uncommon since I started using Keystones or meer chips
That’s really interesting that you can do that. You learn something new every day.
The clay pot chips work as well as the meer so far as I can tell after a year and they are free.
Oz has the issue of insanely expensive tobacco.
In parts of the EU its not so much the expense as it is the effort to obtain good stuff.
Either way these methods do save wasted tobacco. Most of the time the only waste is a few strands of tobacco that have slipped between the meer chips only partially burnt.
Between this method and trying to sip and not smoke quickly Id guess my average bowl is 2 grams and probably less. I get 45-60 minutes from it which is as long as I can sit still.
Oz has the issue of insanely expensive tobacco.
In parts of the EU its not so much the expense as it is the effort to obtain good stuff.
Either way these methods do save wasted tobacco. Most of the time the only waste is a few strands of tobacco that have slipped between the meer chips only partially burnt.
Between this method and trying to sip and not smoke quickly Id guess my average bowl is 2 grams and probably less. I get 45-60 minutes from it which is as long as I can sit still.
Many years ago I was hanging out with an old guy(my age currently lol) and we were both smoking our pipes. When I was toward the end I dumped the dottle to reload. He asked me why I didnt smoke it down to the end..he filled my bowl so he knew the tobacco was dry enough. I told him I didnt like the taste near the end. He replied with something I never forgot. He told me you have to think of it as if you were smoking two separate pipes and the end of the smoke is quite different. He told me the taste is mustier and thicker, but still of quality. He also told me that the nicotine hit was stronger towards the bottom of the bowl. I don't know if that's true or not but since that conversation, I generally spoke to the bottom. I wish my old friend were still here. He died a few years ago in his mid 80s and smoked a pipe till the very end.
Sounds like a good friend, one you got to share a lot of memories with. Thank you for the reply.
The trick is to have a "Persian slipper", a receptacle in which to store and dry any old tat, like the rat end of a bowl, old chew, nose pickings after snuff aka brown bogie etc. When sufficient are mixed together, you'll have a very good smoke indeed.
I just dump it. Pipe smoking is the only smoking where there's effort expended to use up all the tobacco, right down to the bitter end. I'd do it too, except it plays hell with my palate, taste buds, tongue, etc., diminishing the pleasure of the next smoke. Even the tastiest cigar in the world, smoked down to the last inch or less, eventually gets tossed. Why are pipes any different?
If i pack a bowl with tobacco i havent dried enough, i set the pipe down after a solid char lighting/s. Get the top layer burning then set the pipe down for a couple hours or a day. Smoking too moist baccy will certainly lead to lots of dottle which is very ungentlemanly and can kill half a bowl’s enjoyment.
I also toss the last bit always, depending on the flavor this might be the last 1/3-1/8th. Great luck and happy bowls!
I also toss the last bit always, depending on the flavor this might be the last 1/3-1/8th. Great luck and happy bowls!
Because people want a way to do one-upmanship to dunk on others so they can feel superior since the Internet brings out the worst in people.
if your tobacco is drier and you pack it well you'll get less dottle. The bottom bits of tobacco are best looked at as just enough to hold up the rest.
And yeah you're over thinking it. IF you're getting enjoyment you're doing good. And as you do it more you'll get more enjoyment with less hassle and that will happen over time.
Thanks for the reply, I think trial and error will help too. When I first started I was dreadful at packing, so it’s a plus it burns well now.