Dry Crispy Dottle

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HalfMadHatter

Lurker
Jun 21, 2023
33
48
31
Ohio
Is it normal to have dry crispy dottle? I have never once had dottle that was wet, it is always like charcoal that cannot burn unless torched every time I take a puff. Not here and there or sometimes, I mean every single time I have a pipe. Doesn't matter which pipe I use, which blend I smoke, or the amount of drying time. It's never (to my knowledge) negatively impacted the experience- no overheated pipe, no flavor loss, no tongue bite. Pipes usually last from 30 minutes to an hour and a half depending on the blend and pipe. Just seems like I have never heard of anyone else having anything except wet dottle
 

DedHed Piper

Starting to Get Obsessed
Dec 28, 2019
102
562
Sweden
Sounds exactly as my smokes.
All is perfect until the last little bit, where ut turns hard to light and taste crap.
Almost never "fine white ash" to the very bottom.

Nah, charcoal type of dottle here.
 

HalfMadHatter

Lurker
Jun 21, 2023
33
48
31
Ohio
Sounds exactly as my smokes.
All is perfect until the last little bit, where ut turns hard to light and taste crap.
Almost never "fine white ash" to the very bottom.

Nah, charcoal type of dottle here.
Just seems like everything I've ever read talks about wet dottle or fine white ash, of which I have only ever experienced the fine white ash 2 or 3 times out of hundreds of smokes over my past year smoking. Which as I mentioned doesn't seem to be a problem,but just trying to figure out of there may be a more enjoyable way. I wouldn't know any different if there was
 
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BingBong

Lifer
Apr 26, 2024
1,485
6,366
London UK
Just seems like everything I've ever read talks about wet dottle or fine white ash, of which I have only ever experienced the fine white ash 2 or 3 times out of hundreds of smokes over my past year smoking. Which as I mentioned doesn't seem to be a problem,but just trying to figure out of there may be a more enjoyable way. I wouldn't know any different if there was
Fine white ash sometimes depends on the blend, more likely with a straight virginia, much less so with a blend full of, say, latakia. Also, slow smoking is better than fast for that.

I tend to smoke to the bottom of the bowl and am kind of mortified if there are viable remains, owing to the price of tobacco in the UK probably :)
 

hoipolloiglasgow

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 14, 2023
633
4,713
United States
It depends on the blend. Dry dottle is a better sign than wet dottle. Toss it out when it does that in my opinion, although some people save the stuff. It’s exactly what it is…dottle.
 
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Piping Abe

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 27, 2021
604
1,695
North Dakota, USA
I dont know if there is any fact to this but I heard the hard crust that is formed is from the natural sugar burning in the tobacco and crystalizing?
 

HalfMadHatter

Lurker
Jun 21, 2023
33
48
31
Ohio
He looks like an old man from Michigan I worked with on a few jobs over the past 2 years. Kinda miss that guy he was sick and noones
That sounds like a question for:
heard from him since last fall

Fine white ash sometimes depends on the blend, more likely with a straight virginia, much less so with a blend full of, say, latakia. Also, slow smoking is better than fast for that.

I tend to smoke to the bottom of the bowl and am kind of mortified if there are viable remains, owing to the price of tobacco in the UK probably :)
The states are on their way there. Doubt it will get that bad soon though. But who knows I wouldn't put anything past Big Brother
 

HalfMadHatter

Lurker
Jun 21, 2023
33
48
31
Ohio
You are a dry smoker. Might want to add more water in your life. Especially if you drop crystals instead of pee.
The thing is is that for nearly all my pipes I also always get gurgle and a nice mouthful of nasty tobacco juice. Well probably about halfway through the bowl I will get one big gurgle so I get rid of it one way or another and it doesn't come back usually
 
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bullet08

Lifer
Nov 26, 2018
10,340
41,836
RTP, NC. USA
The thing is is that for nearly all my pipes I also always get gurgle and a nice mouthful of nasty tobacco juice. Well probably about halfway through the bowl I will get one big gurgle so I get rid of it one way or another and it doesn't come back usually
Gurgle is usually a moisture problem where pipe is not handling the moisture well, or a wet smoker. But it could be due to wet tobacco, and drawing too hard if you get tobacco juice. Suggestion would be cleaning your pipe after each smoke. Including taking the stem out to clean mortise. Dry your tobacco till it's dry to touch and isn't cool to touch.

It's possible for whatever reason, during the initial gurgle, most of the moisture gets drained out and you are left with dry smoke. But no clue how that happens.
 

HalfMadHatter

Lurker
Jun 21, 2023
33
48
31
Ohio
Gurgle is usually a moisture problem where pipe is not handling the moisture well, or a wet smoker. But it could be due to wet tobacco, and drawing too hard if you get tobacco juice. Suggestion would be cleaning your pipe after each smoke. Including taking the stem out to clean mortise. Dry your tobacco till it's dry to touch and isn't cool to touch.

It's possible for whatever reason, during the initial gurgle, most of the moisture gets drained out and you are left with dry smoke. But no clue how that happens.
It seemed to be pretty bad with all my pipes except for the cobs. Now it's only with a couple of them and not every smoke. I think breaking them in seemed to have caused it to be reduced alot, but it could also be me having more experience
 
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kcghost

Lifer
May 6, 2011
15,138
25,715
77
Olathe, Kansas
I usually smoke a pipe until it's done. Then I tamp out the dottle, do my clean up routine, etc. Some tobaccos smoke all the way done to ash and some leave a residue of tobacco. Doesn't matter which when the pipes done, I'm done.
 
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