Drying, Packing, and Cadence Technique Question

[Thehogfatherpdx]

Hey everyone. So, I’m still fairly new at all of this and find that most of the time I wind up having to puff kind of fast to keep my pipe lit. I can’t tell if it’s just that I need to let my tobacco dry out more or if I’m not packing it right. I know relighting isn’t a big deal, but I feel like I’m missing something about the technique. is there a good way to troubleshoot what I’m doing or is it just one if those things you have to pickup from trying it over and over?

 

[Chasing Embers]

Hey everyone. So, I’m still fairly new at all of this and find that most of the time I wind up having to puff kind of fast to keep my pipe lit. I can’t tell if it’s just that I need to let my tobacco dry out more or if I’m not packing it right. I know relighting isn’t a big deal, but I feel like I’m missing something about the technique. is there a good way to troubleshoot what I’m doing or is it just one if those things you have to pickup from trying it over and over?

If not an aromatic, let it dry for a few hours or overnight before packing. See if this helps.?

 

[Old School 3319]

Dry your tobacco drier than you think it should be. Gravity fill with a VERY light tamp. Just try hold the pipe in your mouth and breathe. In time it will become second nature

 

[stokesdale]

Hey everyone. So, I’m still fairly new at all of this and find that most of the time I wind up having to puff kind of fast to keep my pipe lit. I can’t tell if it’s just that I need to let my tobacco dry out more or if I’m not packing it right. I know relighting isn’t a big deal, but I feel like I’m missing something about the technique. is there a good way to troubleshoot what I’m doing or is it just one if those things you have to pickup from trying it over and over?

There are camps in this whole drying topic; you have to realize that many of us don't dry our tobacco out at all and it smokes perfectly fine and tastes what we would consider better than tobacco that is exceedingly dry. So, it is not necessary to dry out your tobacco, it's more of a preference. That said, the biggest issue with keeping a pipe lit is the initial packing and making sure that you have no air pockets in it. If you have issues keeping it lit, one way to tell if you have an air pocket is to take the pic part of a pipe tool and send it down through the bowl--if you have an air pocket, you'll know. Assuming you pack it correctly with no air pockets, keeping it lit simply requires that you tamp your ashes down periodically to tighten up the burning tobacco "ball" at the bottom of the bowl, if that makes any sense.

In the end, relighting a pipe is common for everyone. Pipe tobacco doesn't have the chemicals on it that make it burn on its own like cigarettes do. I would say on an average full bowl I go through 3 to 4 relights. And also as you mentioned, it's a lot of practice too so it will come together eventually.

 

[Casual]

Pack it looser and tamp lighter and it may burn a bit better too.

Drying out blends a lot changes the flavour as well as the behaviour. Everyone has their own call on that, so there’s nothing to do but experiment.

 

[bullet08]

Ditto to experiment. What works for other might not work for you.

Air pocket works. That's why codger scoop, and Frank method of packing works well. Packing light and gravity method also works. You just have to try and see what works for you.

 

[Thundersmoke]

Ditto to experiment. What works for other might not work for you.

Air pocket works. That's why codger scoop, and Frank method of packing works well. Packing light and gravity method also works. You just have to try and see what works for you.

What is the gravity method

 

[bullet08]

What is the gravity method

It's where you just let the gravity do the work. Put tobacco in the chamber, lightly tap the bowl to settle the tobacco.

 

[Thundersmoke]

It's where you just let the gravity do the work. Put tobacco in the chamber, lightly tap the bowl to settle the tobacco.

Thanks I will give it a try you don’t never know what works until you try

 

[Chasing Embers]

What is the gravity method

Skip to 1:51.

 

[Old School 3319]

I guess I should ask what you are smoking. I mostly smoke OTC codger blends so no need to dry but some of the aro's I have need it

 

[Thundersmoke]

Is it OK to smoke aromatics an English blend out of the same pipe

 

[jpmcwjr]

Sure, if you like it.

Most tobaccos are shipped at a moisture content higher than needed for an optimal smoke. If you're having trouble keeping it lit, try drying more.

 

[musicman]

Is it OK to smoke aromatics an English blend out of the same pipe

I wouldn't. I find that Latakia can leave a bit of a ghost, so your molto dolce might taste a bit smoky. I don't dedicate all my pipes, but I definitely dedicate my Latakia pipes. However, everyone has a different preference in this regard, so YMMV.

 

[anotherbob]

Is it OK to smoke aromatics an English blend out of the same pipe

depends on how much you want a pire experience I personally like the extra hints of flavors of blends past.

 

[anotherbob]

packing is the trickiest thing in pipes. I just use the classic three step of first third barely press down, middle third press down in a weak manner last third press it down while checking the resistance by sucking on the stem and press down like you thought you should from the start the tobacco should barely spring back up to slightly below the rim. The thing is it will take a while before you find it easy and instant without thinking. That may or may not help.

 

[sablebrush52]

I smoke pipe tobacco for the flavors. I get the best flavors when I can keep the tobacco simmering, just at the edge of going out while gently sipping the smoke. It's a bit of a balancing act to get that working.

99% of what I smoke are Virginias and their variants like Va/Pers, Va/Bur/Pers, Va/Ors, etc. I've learned that when I dry the Virginias, etc, to just shy of bone dry I get the deepest and broadest flavors and it's much easier to perform that balancing act.

Some people use hydrometers to read the relative humidity, which is optimally between 10 and 15%. I do it by feel. As I've been smoking pipes for 48-49 years, I've had time to develop a sense of what that "feel" is.

Most tobaccos are tinned at much higher moisture levels, though H & H, and D & R tobaccos are generally tinned at the optimal smoking moisture. I once asked Mark Ryan why so many tobaccos are tinned with all this excess moisture and he jokingly replied, "because water is cheaper by weight". That's also why so many of his tins weighed less. He didn't add excess water. He didn't believe that smokers should be paying a premium rate for water.

There are a number of ways to pack a pipe. What most of them have in common is that the pack is slightly denser at the top of the bowl than at the bottom. As others have suggested, start by packing loosely. You can experiment to find what works best for you. Avoid a tight pack. You should be able to draw easily.

Snorking, also known as retrohaling, is the process of easing the smoke out through your nose. You have many more flavor receptors in your schnoz than in your mouth. The snork will offer you more flavor nuances.

I've had people tell me that they don't do this and that they pick up everything just fine. All of those people are also indoor smokers who don't realize that they're sitting in a cloud of tobacco smoke and are smelling it, which amounts to much the same thing. I only smoke outdoors and the difference is quite noticeable and really adds to the flavor experience.

Take all of the info and suggestions above and experiment. Eventually you will develop a technique that works for you.

 

[BROBS]

I smoke pipe tobacco for the flavors. I get the best flavors when I can keep the tobacco simmering, just at the edge of going out while gently sipping the smoke. It's a bit of a balancing act to get that working.

99% of what I smoke are Virginias and their variants like Va/Pers, Va/Bur/Pers, Va/Ors, etc. I've learned that when I dry the Virginias, etc, to just shy of bone dry I get the deepest and broadest flavors and it's much easier to perform that balancing act.

Some people use hydrometers to read the relative humidity, which is optimally between 10 and 15%. I do it by feel. As I've been smoking pipes for 48-49 years, I've had time to develop a sense of what that "feel" is.

Most tobaccos are tinned at much higher moisture levels, though H & H, and D & R tobaccos are generally tinned at the optimal smoking moisture. I once asked Mark Ryan why so many tobaccos are tinned with all this excess moisture and he jokingly replied, "because water is cheaper by weight". That's also why so many of his tins weighed less. He didn't add excess water. He didn't believe that smokers should be paying a premium rate for water.

There are a number of ways to pack a pipe. What most of them have in common is that the pack is slightly denser at the top of the bowl than at the bottom. As others have suggested, start by packing loosely. You can experiment to find what works best for you. Avoid a tight pack. You should be able to draw easily.

Snorking, also known as retrohaling, is the process of easing the smoke out through your nose. You have many more flavor receptors in your schnoz than in your mouth. The snork will offer you more flavor nuances.

I've had people tell me that they don't do this and that they pick up everything just fine. All of those people are also indoor smokers who don't realize that they're sitting in a cloud of tobacco smoke and are smelling it, which amounts to much the same thing. I only smoke outdoors and the difference is quite noticeable and really adds to the flavor experience.

Take all of the info and suggestions above and experiment. Eventually you will develop a technique that works for you.

Absolutely with the schnoz. Most of the “flavor” of tobacco is there, not in your mouth.

 

[Lyle b]

Hey everyone. So, I’m still fairly new at all of this and find that most of the time I wind up having to puff kind of fast to keep my pipe lit. I can’t tell if it’s just that I need to let my tobacco dry out more or if I’m not packing it right. I know relighting isn’t a big deal, but I feel like I’m missing something about the technique. is there a good way to troubleshoot what I’m doing or is it just one if those things you have to pickup from trying it over and over?

Having to keep your pipe lit is an overrated myth , slow down relax and enjoy , don't worry bout how many times you have to relight , over time you will work out what's good for you ,

 

[lordofthepiperings]

I would say starting out probably best to stick to ribbon cuts and try out different packing methods. I agree in the beginning it's better to pack a bit looser so there's more air flow and it's easier to keep lit. A major thing to remember is that the goal isn't to get massive plumes of smoke, the goal is to get maximum flavor from the tobacco and that's achieved by keeping the ember as cool as you can while keeping the tobacco burning. Most blends don't really need much drying time unless you're smoking aromatics, then I would say let it sit out for 30min to an hour before you smoke it. Also, keep your palate moist by sipping on water. This helped my cadence, because I was getting more flavor so I was puffing less often and keeping the ember cooler. A key to remember is when you're tamping just let the weight of the tamper flatten out the ash. Tamping too firmly can basically put out your ember.