Hard to understand what is going on with packing

[zanxion]

I am a total newbie with just over three months in tobacco pipe smoking. I bought a tin of Erinmore Flake, and decided to smoke a flake by folding it and stuffing in into the bowl.
And here comes what meant to swipe away all of my understanding about packing and smoking. Previously, I've been smoking Captain Black Gold. In general it gives a nice and easy smoke, and it has been a great teacher on how to smoke slowly (mastered the breath method). But even so, you could feel the relatively thin bowl of a cheapo Bruyere Garantie pipe getting somewhat hot (not to an alerting point though).
With an Erinmore Flake in the bowl, the smoke was completely cool throughout. How come? Shouldn't the denser tobacco cause more heat? Do different tobaccos produce different heat? Is it my packing wrong?

 

[BingBong]

Seems like a deal to me. I smoke all flakes folded and stuffed these days; it's not an absolute guarantee of a cool smoke to the end but it's a slow smoke - fewer air pockets, slower combustion, cooler smoke in general.

 

[Auxsender]

I am a total newbie with just over three months in tobacco pipe smoking. I bought a tin of Erinmore Flake, and decided to smoke a flake by folding it and stuffing in into the bowl.
And here comes what meant to swipe away all of my understanding about packing and smoking. Previously, I've been smoking Captain Black Gold. In general it gives a nice and easy smoke, and it has been a great teacher on how to smoke slowly (mastered the breath method). But even so, you could feel the relatively thin bowl of a cheapo Bruyere Garantie pipe getting somewhat hot (not to an alerting point though).
With an Erinmore Flake in the bowl, the smoke was completely cool throughout. How come? Shouldn't the denser tobacco cause more heat? Do different tobaccos produce different heat? Is it my packing wrong?

A cool, flavorful smoke is what we’re all after as far as I know.
Packing wrong? I’d say more like packing right.
Good job.
Keep doing it and try to get that same result with other blends.

 

[zanxion]

No matter how I packed the Captain Black Gold, the pipe gets a lot warmer compared to the Erinmore Flake.
Should I try Captain Black packed any denser?

 

[Auxsender]

No matter how I packed the Captain Black Gold, the pipe gets a lot warmer compared to the Erinmore Flake.
Should I try Captain Black packed any denser?

Yeah. And looser too. And try it in other pipes and at other times of day. Try other tobaccos and pipes and methods and repeat until you die.
Welcome to pipe smoking.

 

[BingBong]

No matter how I packed the Captain Black Gold, the pipe gets a lot warmer compared to the Erinmore Flake.
Should I try Captain Black packed any denser?

There's a limit to what you can do with a cut or rubbed tobacco. I tend to pack them as dense as I can, although must accept that flake density is next level. Sadly, plug must be sliced, else I'd try to smoke that as is!

 

[zanxion]

How dense can I pack a bowl with ribbon cut tobacco without having to re-light it too much?

 

[BingBong]

How dense can I pack a bowl with ribbon cut tobacco without having to re-light it too much?

Trial and error, depends on the blend, springiness of ribbon, moisture level. So long as you can draw after packing, you've got a smoke - and you can tamp as you go.

 

[Pypkė]

How dense can I pack a bowl with ribbon cut tobacco without having to re-light it too much?

I don't believe that there is one good answer for this. Too many variables to account for like what @BingBong listed. You just have to grind through a trial and error phase. I prefer to attempt to control the moisture level variable by allowing the tobacco to dry out outside the tin. It seems to be the easiest variable to control, and often times drying out the tobacco seems to improve its burn characteristics. If you are dealing with frequent relights and a burned tongue from steam - moisture levels might be something to consider.

 

[telescopes]

I use a spice mill for a second on my dense plugs and flakes. Packing is never an issue.

 

[The_Non_Compliant_One]

captain black uses humectants, ie the goop.

They will smoke hotter then you want. And ironically I dont do captain black due to the humectants. I first tried it one summer long ago. had some success. but it burnt like a tire fire and made the finish on my cheapo pipe run

 

[anotherbob]

I am a total newbie with just over three months in tobacco pipe smoking. I bought a tin of Erinmore Flake, and decided to smoke a flake by folding it and stuffing in into the bowl.
And here comes what meant to swipe away all of my understanding about packing and smoking. Previously, I've been smoking Captain Black Gold. In general it gives a nice and easy smoke, and it has been a great teacher on how to smoke slowly (mastered the breath method). But even so, you could feel the relatively thin bowl of a cheapo Bruyere Garantie pipe getting somewhat hot (not to an alerting point though).
With an Erinmore Flake in the bowl, the smoke was completely cool throughout. How come? Shouldn't the denser tobacco cause more heat? Do different tobaccos produce different heat? Is it my packing wrong?

burns slower so less heat. that's the wonder of flakes.

 

[Peter Turbo]

captain black uses humectants, ie the goop.

They will smoke hotter then you want. And ironically I dont do captain black due to the humectants. I first tried it one summer long ago. had some success. but it burnt like a tire fire and made the finish on my cheapo pipe run

I've smoked a few pouches of the original and royal, including the bulk versions and I've never had an issue with the burn rate, or with the finish running on any pipe lol.

Sometimes I just sit here and scratch my head at the shit people say about these blends.

Sounds more like user error, friend.

 

[The_Non_Compliant_One]

I've smoked a few pouches of the original and royal, including the bulk versions and I've never had an issue with the burn rate, or with the finish running on any pipe lol.

Sometimes I just sit here and scratch my head at the shit people say about these blends.

Sounds more like user error, friend.

Lol, is that response caused by the fact you have good experiences with that blend or brand. Or is it some generic blanket statement about things you dont like reading?

How do you feel about folding socks?

 

[didimauw]

Just shred the tobacco. I dont ever mess around packing. Break it in to tiny pieces. Obliterate it. Then fill the bowl.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Sounds like the problem is with Captain Black. It has goop added to it and it is a ribbon cut. Therefore, it is going to burn faster and hotter by the nature of the beast. IMHO, that's not a great tobacco, so put it behind you. By the same token, the flake is going to burn slower and therefore, cooler.

You're quite young in your pipe smoking experience. Try to some different blends and cuts. Try drying them out a reasonable amount before smoking them. In general, you'll get in more trouble by packing too tight than too loose. If you start smoking and find you're packed too loose, use the tamper to pack it tighter. No harm, no foul.

Packing is likely the most difficult thing to master with pipe smoking. Takes time and experience. If you pack one too tight, use the rod like tool on the tamper the slide into the bottom and loosen the tobacco up. If worse comes to worse, empty the bowl and start over. Fighting a bowl of tobacco packed too tight is never worth it.

 

[The_Non_Compliant_One]

Sounds like the problem is with Captain Black. It has goop added to it and it is a ribbon cut. Therefore, it is going to burn faster and hotter by the nature of the beast. IMHO, that's not a great tobacco, so put it behind you. By the same token, the flake is going to burn slower and therefore, cooler.

You're quite young in your pipe smoking experience. Try to some different blends and cuts. Try drying them out a reasonable amount before smoking them. In general, you'll get in more trouble by packing too tight than too loose. If you start smoking and find you're packed too loose, use the tamper to pack it tighter. No harm, no foul.

Packing is likely the most difficult thing to master with pipe smoking. Takes time and experience. If you pack one too tight, use the rod like tool on the tamper the slide into the bottom and loosen the tobacco up. If worse comes to worse, empty the bowl and start over. Fighting a bowl of tobacco packed too tight is never worth it.

I have come to realize that some of the old general thoughts on pipe size and shape do indeed have an impact on how the pipe tastes. And each size and shape of pipe bowl does as well.

But I do agree that the one way ism of using specific "methods" to pack your pipe is only going to hurt you after a while.

Pack a too wet ready rubbed to hard, and youll be sucking on a pint of cream to deal with the tongue burn. But pack it loose and youll get bitten, but youll learn to stop a smoke and walk away for a while.

 

[Peter Turbo]

Lol, is that response caused by the fact you have good experiences with that blend or brand. Or is it some generic blanket statement about things you dont like reading?

How do you feel about folding socks?

The finish ran from your pipe but you're blaming the blend? You're mad because I criticized what you said? Ok, lmao.

Smoking too hot maybe? Like I said, user error. Another clown joins the forum.

 

[The_Non_Compliant_One]

The finish ran from your pipe but you're blaming the blend? You're mad because I criticized what you said? Ok, lmao.

Smoking too hot maybe? Like I said, user error. Another clown joins the forum.

Dont worry, I shant supplant your position here. You seem most edgy about that for some reason.

lets see blend is a particular tobacco... smoking it causes heat, heat causes finish on pipe to blister and run.