The story goes like this: I got an estate pipe (chimney) from a seller who did a decent job in refurbishing outside of the bowl and the stem, and after having passed an alcohol dipped pipe cleaner to the stem and the shank, I decided to give it a try. It was okay at the beginning but when it approached the bottom of the bowl the taste got more and more bitter. I thought that was the tobacco (Sweet Dublin) but it was impossibly bitter to that degree that I felt it was a torture, one that I could not bear anymore... So I stopped (but puffing this super-bitterness since then plagued me with a cough that has not stopped yet), dumped the dottle and used cotton swabs to clean the super narrow bottom of the bowl that is directly above the draft: after 20+ swabs and the swabs still came out really dark. Then I thought it may be the time for some alcohol-salt treatment, which I now try to avoid because this treatment increases the moisture level of the chamber, leading to gurgling of the pipes if I do not rest them for quite a few weeks after the treatment.
Of course, Ozone chamber is still the best (I read the DIY Ozone chamber of a forum member here) as it deodorize and sanitize both the bowl and the stem at the same time, leaving no smell behind after the treatment. Not so near to Walker's, I usually try the alcohol treatment first. I also included a few other pipes that I think could have delivered better tasted smoke. This time I used also the cotton balls beside salt, and as shown in the picture, some dark residue of the chamber diffuses into the cotton balls or the salt, and I tend to renew the salt / redo it until the salt looks not as dark. For the bottom of the bowl, the white cotton pipe cleaner soaked up the juice and darkened.
Current this is my only DIY method to improve the delivered taste of a pipe as I haven't tried retort and some forum member said that is unnecessary. It doesn't work super well as I am usually quite heavy handed on alcohol and the pipes treated usually gurgle even after resting for 2 weeks. And the taste of smoke may have an improvement (e.g. less bitter) that may last for 3+ times of smoking a treated pipe if I am lucky.
Cough cough cough... I wish I have a better way to judge how well an estate pipe has been cleaned near the draft hole at the bottom of the pipe, so that this won't happen again. :crazy:
Of course, Ozone chamber is still the best (I read the DIY Ozone chamber of a forum member here) as it deodorize and sanitize both the bowl and the stem at the same time, leaving no smell behind after the treatment. Not so near to Walker's, I usually try the alcohol treatment first. I also included a few other pipes that I think could have delivered better tasted smoke. This time I used also the cotton balls beside salt, and as shown in the picture, some dark residue of the chamber diffuses into the cotton balls or the salt, and I tend to renew the salt / redo it until the salt looks not as dark. For the bottom of the bowl, the white cotton pipe cleaner soaked up the juice and darkened.
Current this is my only DIY method to improve the delivered taste of a pipe as I haven't tried retort and some forum member said that is unnecessary. It doesn't work super well as I am usually quite heavy handed on alcohol and the pipes treated usually gurgle even after resting for 2 weeks. And the taste of smoke may have an improvement (e.g. less bitter) that may last for 3+ times of smoking a treated pipe if I am lucky.
Cough cough cough... I wish I have a better way to judge how well an estate pipe has been cleaned near the draft hole at the bottom of the pipe, so that this won't happen again. :crazy: