I joined the pipe smoking community today. I bought a basket pipe and an ounce of Lane Limited 1-Q. Here's my issue and I'm hoping some of you may be able to help. When I lit my pipe, I used a lighter since I was outside. My mouth was instantly overcome with the taste of cheap cigarettes. The first half of my bowl burned off in 10 minutes. When I relit the second half, I experienced tongue bite like none other. Any particular reason for the bad taste? Anything I can do to bring out a pleasant taste from my next bowl?
First Time Advice?
- Thread starter bluecollarpipe
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First off, welcome!
Your looking at a few variables, but don't be discouraged. I burned the heck out of myself smoking a cherry blend my first time out. It was sore for three days.
First off you might try slowing down on your puffing. By the rate your tobacco is being burned up I think its likely that your shot gunning. Think of your tobacco inside your bowl. Fast smoking causes it to burn fast, flavors and sugars turn to carbon and taste like ash.
Smoking slow causes it a slower simmer, the leaf is consumed slowly, giving sugars and aromas a chance to hit your tongue and nose. Don't worry if you have to relight your pipe because you were pulling at it too slow. I relight mine all the time. Better to go slow and enjoy it.
If your smoking fast your going to build up moisture in the bottom of your bowl which makes the leaves soggy. Overly wet leaves make steam when heated and that can burn the piss out of your tongue.
Check out some videos on packing your pipe also. It really affects how it smokes. But I'll let someone else cover that.
Just don't be discouraged my friend! 90% of us have all been right where you are. I still have to make myself slow down every now and then. Keep at it, take your time, and be sure and keep us posted!
Your looking at a few variables, but don't be discouraged. I burned the heck out of myself smoking a cherry blend my first time out. It was sore for three days.
First off you might try slowing down on your puffing. By the rate your tobacco is being burned up I think its likely that your shot gunning. Think of your tobacco inside your bowl. Fast smoking causes it to burn fast, flavors and sugars turn to carbon and taste like ash.
Smoking slow causes it a slower simmer, the leaf is consumed slowly, giving sugars and aromas a chance to hit your tongue and nose. Don't worry if you have to relight your pipe because you were pulling at it too slow. I relight mine all the time. Better to go slow and enjoy it.
If your smoking fast your going to build up moisture in the bottom of your bowl which makes the leaves soggy. Overly wet leaves make steam when heated and that can burn the piss out of your tongue.
Check out some videos on packing your pipe also. It really affects how it smokes. But I'll let someone else cover that.
Just don't be discouraged my friend! 90% of us have all been right where you are. I still have to make myself slow down every now and then. Keep at it, take your time, and be sure and keep us posted!
If you're finishing a half a bowl in 10 minutes, you're smoking WAY too fast. It should be 3 times longer.
The "taste of cheap cigarettes"? 1-Q is very, VERY cheap tobacco covered sugar and preservatives. My advice is to slow down and buy higher quality tobacco. A better pipe wouldn't hurt either.
But that's just my opinion.
The "taste of cheap cigarettes"? 1-Q is very, VERY cheap tobacco covered sugar and preservatives. My advice is to slow down and buy higher quality tobacco. A better pipe wouldn't hurt either.
But that's just my opinion.
I think what you are experiencing is common among new pipe smokers. I know it was form me. Just slow down and sip. Feel your way through it. Don't give up. Be patient.
I have found that cigarette smokers in particular draw in very quickly and puff like there's no tomorrow (I know this from experience). Once you get it out of your mind that you are not smoking a cigarette, and remove yourself from looking for that thick smoke on a small draw, then you will begin to experience your pipe much more. With cigarette smokers, they expect more 'plumage' from their draw, and when they don't get it, they puff harder and faster, causing the tobacco to burn uncontrollably fast, and burn, leaving a nasty taste. Get your mind and body prepared to break the habitual habits you had with cigarettes, and sip... sooner or later your mind and mouth begin to understand the difference between pipes and cigarettes. This transition is when you begin to understand the tastes, the body, feel and more importantly, less tongue bite.
Shutterbug
Shutterbug
A lot of good advice already added here. I will add that when you are smoking outside even a light breeze can make your pipe burn way to hot. In essence, you have a blast furnace going. When I am outside I like to keep my hand loosely cupped over the top of the bowl to protect the tobacco from the wind. Kind of like a hand tent I guess with my palm like two inches above the bowl.
Finally, if I was to base my pipe smoking on my first few bowls, I would never smoke again; however, based on what it taste like now, I would never give it up. Hang in there, ask questions (this forum and youtube are your best online friends) and enjoy.
Finally, if I was to base my pipe smoking on my first few bowls, I would never smoke again; however, based on what it taste like now, I would never give it up. Hang in there, ask questions (this forum and youtube are your best online friends) and enjoy.
I will add, that as you research online you will find many ways to pack and light your pipe. Give them all a few tries and you will soon find a method that fits you, the tobacco you smoke and the pipes you use.
bluecollarpipe, plenty of good advice here, I think. Let me add a point or two. If you can, start by smoking
indoors. Getting a good smoke outdoors is a little more advanced. If you can't smoke indoors, find a place
like a porch or a side of a building out of the wind where you you can sit (if possible) and take your time.
Q-1 is pretty mild, so perhaps that is not the problem, but try one or two other tobaccos, in small quantities,
until you find one that goes better. Keep the Q-1 to try again once you get the hang of smoking a pipe.
Carter Hall is an inexpensive tobacco and pretty tame, so it might be one to try. And maybe go a little higher
priced, to see if that's better, but make sure it's a mild blend. I second the advice on slowing it way down.
Cigarette smokers (or former cig smokers) always drag on the pipe like the devil, and that's guaranteed to
give you mouth burn/tongue bite, and a bad time. If it doesn't work out, save the pipe. The whole activity
might come back around to you with time. I just learned to tie a bow tie at the age of mumble-mumble,
having always been a bow tie dyslexic. Now I want to wear them to the grocery store, just for fun ( I don't,
but I'd like to).
indoors. Getting a good smoke outdoors is a little more advanced. If you can't smoke indoors, find a place
like a porch or a side of a building out of the wind where you you can sit (if possible) and take your time.
Q-1 is pretty mild, so perhaps that is not the problem, but try one or two other tobaccos, in small quantities,
until you find one that goes better. Keep the Q-1 to try again once you get the hang of smoking a pipe.
Carter Hall is an inexpensive tobacco and pretty tame, so it might be one to try. And maybe go a little higher
priced, to see if that's better, but make sure it's a mild blend. I second the advice on slowing it way down.
Cigarette smokers (or former cig smokers) always drag on the pipe like the devil, and that's guaranteed to
give you mouth burn/tongue bite, and a bad time. If it doesn't work out, save the pipe. The whole activity
might come back around to you with time. I just learned to tie a bow tie at the age of mumble-mumble,
having always been a bow tie dyslexic. Now I want to wear them to the grocery store, just for fun ( I don't,
but I'd like to).
bluecollarpipe ... just a footnote ... Forums likes us to use initial capital letters on our
titles to our posts, so like yours would read First Time Advice. It's what they call in
newspapers the style sheet, to keep the Forums looking snappy. I'm telling you because
I had to be reminded of this myself!
titles to our posts, so like yours would read First Time Advice. It's what they call in
newspapers the style sheet, to keep the Forums looking snappy. I'm telling you because
I had to be reminded of this myself!
Welcome to the Club Bluecollarpipe!!
My advice would be to pick up a couple Missouri Meerschaum corn cob pipes in my opinion the best smoking pipe out there and far more forgiving than briar. Then pick up some Carter Hall and as everyone else has said slow down relax and enjoy. Relight as many times as needed. I too had some of the same problems of tongue burn and cig taste when I started but it has been a great journey towards a fantastic smoking experience with the help of everyone on this forum.
Happy Puffin 8)
My advice would be to pick up a couple Missouri Meerschaum corn cob pipes in my opinion the best smoking pipe out there and far more forgiving than briar. Then pick up some Carter Hall and as everyone else has said slow down relax and enjoy. Relight as many times as needed. I too had some of the same problems of tongue burn and cig taste when I started but it has been a great journey towards a fantastic smoking experience with the help of everyone on this forum.
Happy Puffin 8)
Welcome to pipe smoking and the forum.
I agree that a good part of your problem is that you are probably smoking way too fast. Slow down and take your time.
I'll also agree with Bigvan, and give my standard advice - smoke the best pipes and tobacco you can afford. It does make a difference.
I agree that a good part of your problem is that you are probably smoking way too fast. Slow down and take your time.
I'll also agree with Bigvan, and give my standard advice - smoke the best pipes and tobacco you can afford. It does make a difference.
Welcome aboard, you've already received better advice than I could give so I'll just say we've all been there. Enjoy you're in for an amazing ride!
Welcome sir, I will add that there is certainly the possibility that the 1Q you have is too moist. You may need to let it dry some, so you can pinch some up and when you let it fall, it should separate, not stay clumped together. I have to dry almost everything I smoke to get the moisture right, which really helps eliminate tongue bite. As others have stated slow down and enjoy, most all of us have been right where you are now. It take a little time to learn, but it's well worth it in the end.
Welcome! How I learned was to have a soda with a straw when I was smoking my pipe. Then I tried to mimic the slow soda drinking with the pipe smoking. Hope it helps!
Thanks everyone! I'm in it for the long haul, so your advice helps a lot. I will definitely slow down and see where it gets me.
Some of the members of the fourm are creating a cheat sheet for new smokers over here: http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/cheat-sheet-for-new-pipemen-need-your-help-with-some-crowd-sourcing. It has lots of good advice, and there are some real words of wisdom above.
I'll second the mention of purchasing a Missouri Meerschaum cob. Unlike a briar pipe, cobs have no real break-in period. This will allow you to focus on cadence, packing, and appropriate tamping without having to also learn how to break in a pipe. I recommend seeking out one of the larger models that has the hardwood plug in the bottom. It can be difficult to learn how to pack the smaller ones because the chambers are often so narrow you have to pack with a pipe tool and not your fingers.
When you purchased the pipe I hope you also purchased pipe cleaners and a tamper/pipe tool of some sort. Two of the most popular and inexpensive tampers are the Czech tool and the pipe nail. If you are in it for the long hall I also recommend an pipe pouch. The pouch helps to keep everything together and has easily paid for itself in the amount of pipe nails that I haven't lost since purchasing it. Mine holds have one that holds two pipes, a few ounces of tobacco, and has a side compartment that I use to hold cleaners, a tamper, and matches / lighter.
I'll second the mention of purchasing a Missouri Meerschaum cob. Unlike a briar pipe, cobs have no real break-in period. This will allow you to focus on cadence, packing, and appropriate tamping without having to also learn how to break in a pipe. I recommend seeking out one of the larger models that has the hardwood plug in the bottom. It can be difficult to learn how to pack the smaller ones because the chambers are often so narrow you have to pack with a pipe tool and not your fingers.
When you purchased the pipe I hope you also purchased pipe cleaners and a tamper/pipe tool of some sort. Two of the most popular and inexpensive tampers are the Czech tool and the pipe nail. If you are in it for the long hall I also recommend an pipe pouch. The pouch helps to keep everything together and has easily paid for itself in the amount of pipe nails that I haven't lost since purchasing it. Mine holds have one that holds two pipes, a few ounces of tobacco, and has a side compartment that I use to hold cleaners, a tamper, and matches / lighter.
A good quality pipe (even a corn cob from MM) to start with,
High quality bacci, some research on packing, lighting, etc
and as others have said above all else, patience...it will all
come together, and when it does....WOW! Enjoy the ride!
High quality bacci, some research on packing, lighting, etc
and as others have said above all else, patience...it will all
come together, and when it does....WOW! Enjoy the ride!
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