Flakes
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Yes. Experiment with the preparation as it can really affect taste and smoking properties. For example, I tried cube cutting marlin flake and got a strange rotten fruit taste but rubbed out or folded and stuffed it was excellent. The pipe matters too. Have fun playing with the flakes!
It could also be the type of flake you are smoking. I know with VA's, it took a couple attempts before I finally "got" them and it opened a whole new world. I typically rub mine into a shag and smoke that way. There are many different ways to prepare them so its best to experiment based on your preference and the type of pipe.
Which flakes did you try?
Which flakes did you try?
Ah pipe smoke'in , an endless journey for all of us ;-)
Flake is also part of that endless journey. IMHO and my
way for 95% of flake smoked is just a fold / stuff method, but dry-time and the
correct pipe also plays into unlocking pure smoke'in bliss of the flake... Tons
of great information here to set you on your way.
.....may the flake be with you
Flake is also part of that endless journey. IMHO and my
way for 95% of flake smoked is just a fold / stuff method, but dry-time and the
correct pipe also plays into unlocking pure smoke'in bliss of the flake... Tons
of great information here to set you on your way.
.....may the flake be with you
instymp, not all flakes will be to your liking. Let us know which ones you are talking about. As said above, experimenting with different pipes and size pipes and shapes of pipes will make a big difference. If you are trying to smoke the flakes in a really big pipe, that could be one problem. Not drying it enough or preparing it right could be another. Let us know how you are going about it and I am sure we can help. Once you get it, flakes are a wonderful thing.
I do too, But it could be worse than PG. It is used in foods, soaps, and all kinds of things that go in and on you. So, I wouldn't worry too much about Propylene glycol.
I would suspect any blends that stay unnaturally moist as having PG in em.
Also, I have some flakes on the way and cannot wait to try em for the first time!
sam, it is the aromatics and most notably OTC's that have loads of that stuff. The higher priced flakes and brand names generally have very little if any.
This is exactly why for the vast majority of my 20+ years smoking a pipe I have stayed away from Aro's.... the first Aro's I tried were local B&M bulk varieties that were just slathered with cherry and other flavorings... completely gunked up my pipes and were just horrible. Now just this year I am finding out that well made higher end tobacco's are much smoother and more complex. They dont HIDE the tobacco but compliment it.
Now, my experience is still very limited on Aro's... but slowly getting into them much more.
I have tried Samuel Gawith, Solani, Escudo... scisors, stuffed, rubbed & prayed to. I think I dry them out enough but maybe not. #2 or 3 & larger pipes also. I thought I read larger smokes better but I guess not. Now that you brought it up, the escudo, dry to the point of crumbling did taste better in a smaller pipe. I am not necessarily abandoning ship with them. Some bite my tongue like a killer whale after a Blue.
Thanks gentlemen.
Thanks gentlemen.
instymp, all of the ones you mentioned are in my regular rotation and none of them have any bite at all for me. I think it is maybe your smoking style that is giving you problems and maybe the size of the pipes. I think that a group 5 pipe is about as big as you should try until you get your smoking technique down. A pipe that has a bowl height of no more than 2" bowl width of no greater than 13/16" bowl depth of no more than 1 3/4". If you have a dublin or apple or billiard or lovat in that size range, give them a go. As far as drying you want to make sure it is not too dry or too wet, use the pinch test method to determine humidity. Most of all, you need to smoke slowly to get the most out of the flakes. I would also stick to the cube cut method for a while, it is the most consistent in my opinion. Keep at it because those blends have tons of flavor when smoked properly and when the moment comes that you get it smoking right, you will have a whole world of blends open to you. Be patient, flakes have a higher learning curve, but they are so worth it.
Propylene glycol functions like a regulator that maintains a 70% humidity level. It does so by locking up water molecules
when the local humidity exceeds 70%, and by releasing water molecules when it drops below 70%. But I read somewhere
that there are modern "designer" hygroscopic agents, perhaps modified PG itself, that can be purchased to obtain any humidity
level a manufacturer specifies (e.g. 38%).
In any event, I think a proper moisture level for pipe tobacco is somewhere in the 12 - 15% by weight range.
ps. I have no claim to expertise in organic chemistry. I'm just relating the understanding I had after reading about it.
when the local humidity exceeds 70%, and by releasing water molecules when it drops below 70%. But I read somewhere
that there are modern "designer" hygroscopic agents, perhaps modified PG itself, that can be purchased to obtain any humidity
level a manufacturer specifies (e.g. 38%).
In any event, I think a proper moisture level for pipe tobacco is somewhere in the 12 - 15% by weight range.
ps. I have no claim to expertise in organic chemistry. I'm just relating the understanding I had after reading about it.
I just got some macbaren ODF in today. It smells like barbeque.anyway , I had never seen a flake before, very cool!
I wanted to pop it in my mouth like a stick of gum, but I resisted.
I tore a half flake to try and halfway rubbed it out half way folded it, seems to burn ok. I'm excited to try different ways of stuffing it
I wanted to pop it in my mouth like a stick of gum, but I resisted.
I tore a half flake to try and halfway rubbed it out half way folded it, seems to burn ok. I'm excited to try different ways of stuffing it
instymp, that is awesome you got a good smoke out of the Escudo. It is one of my favorites, keep at it and it will only get better. Soon you will be a flake junkie like many of us.
I have a question: is it normal to only smoke one flake at a time ? Or does it depend how you prepare it?
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