So I need some advice. No matter how slow or how well I pack my pipes I always seem to get the gurgling sound after about 20 mins. The only time I don’t seem to get this is when I am smoking my medico ventilator pipe with a filter. Advice?
Got the gurgle
- Thread starter Briar’s Echo
- Start date
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Bent pipes seem to do this worse than straight, and it also depends on airflow turbulence (i.e., nooks and crannies) in the passage from bottom of bowl through the mouthpiece. The smoother that passage for smoke, the less moisture will develop. Thus, some pipes just produce more moisture no matter how dry the tobacco or slow you smoke, as water is a product of the combustion process.
Did you dry the tobacco? What do you mean by well packed pipe? Are you making sure it's not packed tight? Loose enough for plenty of air?
Save for extreme examples, in my experience tobacco moisture isn’t as big of a factor as packing your pipe loosely enough. Try packing looser than you have been and see if that helps. A little gurgle can also be remedied with one pipe cleaner mid-smoke and it’s not something I’d obsess over. Some pipes are more prone to gurgle than others.
I should also add the tobacco isn’t too moist. It doesn’t clump when I pinch it and I don’t think I’m packing my pipe to tight as the draw is easy but not too easy.
Try freshly bone dry and gravity fill it.
If nothing works maybe it's not tobacco. I often produce a lot of moisture just exhaling, it enters the stem and after some time there's enough to make non-filtered pipes gurgle if I don't prevent it with a pipe cleaner. Some call us "wet smokers". 
Dry your tobacco more, a lot more. Gravity feed is good, with a light pack. Sometimes a pipe gurgles. It's an indicator of moisture build up. Mostly I don't care if a pipe occasionally gurgles.
Someone already mentioned this, but gurgle isn't always an indicator you are doing something wrong (or even the quality of your pipe). With pipes with extreme bents especially, it is hardly uncommon. Just run a pipe cleaner through. If that solves it, then the gurgle is likely just minor moisture buildup and isn't indicative of your cadence or how you pack your pipe. If running a pipe cleaner doesn't solve the issue, or you have to do this several times per smoke, then yea, there may be something wrong with your pipe, tobacco, or you (or combination of any of the three).
But 9/10 just keeping a pipe cleaner handy will solve this and you can go on smoking without much issue. Even with pipes that don't gurgle, I make it a point to run a pipe cleaner through every now and then to promote a dry, clean smoke.
But 9/10 just keeping a pipe cleaner handy will solve this and you can go on smoking without much issue. Even with pipes that don't gurgle, I make it a point to run a pipe cleaner through every now and then to promote a dry, clean smoke.
I’m not saying this is true, but I had a Vauen Apple shape that gurgled like mad. Then after smoking it enough, it quit and hasn’t done it again now it’s a great and solid smoker. Keeping it swabbed May be your answer until it dries out or starts behaving. YMMV
Not clumping isn't really dry. If it feels cool when you pinch it, it needs to be dried further. Draw resistance and packing, make it so there's no resistance. From that point, you can tamp to adjust the resistance.
Appreciate it. I do have several bent ones and a couple straight. The medico I mentioned is a straight estate pipe I picked up. That is the only one ( I probably just jinxed myself) that doesn’t gurgle.
Appreciate everyone getting back to me and all the great advice. Getting started on it now as there is no time like the present.
Has anyone noticed more gurgle with the humidity if smoking outside? I know if I go out after a rain or on a really humid day I tend to have more gurgle no matter how I dry my tobacco. I don’t really know if there is a correlation or if it’s all in my head.
Nothing wrong or unusual about being a ‘wet smoker’ Luigi. LolIf nothing works maybe it's not tobacco. I often produce a lot of moisture just exhaling, it enters the stem and after some time there's enough to make non-filtered pipes gurgle if I don't prevent it with a pipe cleaner. Some call us "wet smokers".
In Britain & Ireland where tobacco traditionally comes wetter than most, it’s fairly common. Perhaps why ‘system’ pipes & falcons are or were so popular. You can follow all the sage advice above, pull your hair out in frustration or simply pop a ‘birds nest’ in the bottom of the bowl.
A ‘wet smokers’ dream!
Yes I tend not to smoke if it's very humid. Guaranteed gurgle for me. A lot of pipe disassembling and stem flinging!