Finally Learned the Difference Between Bite and Burn

[captainsousie]

I had heard various descriptions of both bite and burn but I didn't truly understand it until recently. In past I have experienced some tongue burn from smoking "wrong". It always happened gradually over the course of a bowl and varied with the pipe I used. I thought I had experienced tongue bite but I ran into a tobacco that proved me wrong. It's a painful lesson but here it is.
I bought some Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. Black Irish X because it looked fun and I had never tried rope tobacco. After figuring out how to prep it and loading it into a pipe I lit it up. It felt like I had just taken a mouthful of the hottest hot sauce in the world. Every puff intensified the pain and I had to put it down. I went back when the pain died down and tried again with the same result. Tried again a week or so later in a different pipe and it happened again so I'm pretty darn sure it was the tobacco.
Now I guess I'll have to go revisit the tobaccos that I thought were biting (like FVF) to see if it was truly bite or just a rookie mistake.

 

[jndyer]

My tongue said now way to the Doritos that I tried to eat after a few extra bowls today.

 

[paintedklown]

LOL! Well, I am glad I am not the only one to have these sorts of issues. I have an undying love of spicy foods, and an endless case of tongue burn...as you can imagine, this is NOT a good combination at all. :?

 

[irishjedi]

Had the same expierance a few days ago. Came off the fantail after a smoke, gulped some fresh hot coffee and I thought my tongue was on fire...not good.
Mike

 

[evenflow]

This happens to me if i drink soda right after a bowl. Not a good time. :x

 

[foggymountain]

This is purely a semantic question. Like the difference between naked and nude. I have sat in an art class and listened to a ridiculous discussion about naked & nude. There is no difference except the prudery of the viewer. Same thing with burn & bite. Two words that means it hurts your tongue.

 

[teufelhund]

I associate bite with a type of tobacco and burn with improper smoking methods. A burn is something that can happen, but bite is a characteristic of a tobacco for some reason or another which in my experience is usually directly related to the amount of perique.

 

[flyguy]

Like foggy said, bite is bite (burn). Tongue bite can have many causes; such as heat, steam or a P.H. chemical burn (acid or alkali)caused by an intolerance an individual may have with a certain tobacco or blend. Paying attention to this forum has all but eliminated tongue-bite for me.

 

[taerin]

It's hard to say how much is caused by having less than perfect technique, how much is from not having the best moisture level for that blend, and how much is actually the way the tobacco itself interacts with your particular body (which is the only thing you can't control). I've had to revisit two blends that bit me bad and I could not smoke properly because they were too wet when I originally smoked them. They are FVF and Penzance, I originally hated them both, now they are my top two favorites. Big differince moisture and correct technique in smoking and packing actually make!
Have fun at it, hopefully you like FVF as much as I do I consider FVF a no-bite blend myself when at the correct moisture level.

 

[cigrmaster]

I get an acid burn from blends that are predominately composed of Red Virginia's. As soon as the smoke hits my tongue, I feel it like acid is hitting it. Like a moron I tried smoking through it years ago because I loved the flavor of red Virginia's. It wasn't until I joined this forum last May that I learned I had a body chemistry thing that did not allow me to smoke the red's. It is the only thing I cannot smoke and it has nothing to do with technique. If you ever experience this type of burn the minute you light up, then you will know it is the tobacco.

 

[peckinpahhombre]

Harris, one thing I have never understood about your chemistry issue is how you get away with smoking Solani 660.The tin description reads:
"An incredible blend of premium dark red and sweet Virginias from the "border belt", light yellow Virginia from South Carolina and dark-fired, spicy Kentucky. Slow burning and because no flavoring has been added, this blend has a real tobacco taste."

 

[cigrmaster]

peck, it must be that the amount of Red in SS is small enough so it does not bother me. It could also be the kentucky in it that mellows the red. I can smoke that stuff all day and never have a problem.