Having Some Trouble

[moignus]

I've been pipe smoking for a little now. I'm learning more and more as I watch youtube. However, I seem to be at an impasse and I don't know what else to do.
So I have my pipe, I have my tobacco. I test the moisture, I pinch it between my fingers. It unravels once dropped which indicates it's the right/perfect moisture.
I load my pipe, drizzling the tobacco and trying not to drop clumped pieces together. I gravity fill it, tap the bowl and tamp very gently with almost no pressure whatsoever. Now it's halfway filled, so I repeat drizzling the tobacco in, tapping my bowl and tamping down with almost no pressure again. It's about 3/4's now. I test the draw, absolutely no resistance. It feels the same as if it was empty. Again I drizzle the tobacco, tap the bowl and tamp down with a little more pressure than both times before.

The tobacco is slightly below the rim, it feels firm, it doesn't give and it's spongy. Bouncing back to its original position after tamping it.
The resistance feels perfect, and I mean perfect. It feels like a straw with absolutely zero blockage. I do a charring light and then proceed to tamp and light again. It seems to be going really well... Yet for some reason, it doesn't want to stay lit...
Now for some clarification, I've smoked a pipe long enough to know if the draw is tough. I've smoked multiple blends and I have two high-quality briar pipes. I've tried multiple packing methods from the complex Frank method to the simple Swirl method.

Maybe I'm doing everything right in terms of packing, but it's my lighting? Am I overdoing it on the lighting causing it to burn? Could that be the reason it keeps going out? I don't feel like this is it... In the example I listed I was smoking some 965 and boy was the flavor hitting me, which makes me think it's not burning the tobacco. It was only after relighting a bunch of times did it completely diminish into a bitter ash taste. Now I get that relighting is a perfectly normal thing. I do know that my pipe going out every minute and a half is not. Relighting 15-20 times per bowl is a sign I have to be doing something wrong. This is where my experience runs out as I've never had a nirvana perfect smoke. Either the first 5 minutes are bliss and it turns into an ash taste. Not because of my cadence, at least I think.

When I'm smoking the tobacco it doesn't seem to get hot and my bowl stays the same temperature. Again it's only after the relights does it diminish. I'm sorry for the long post, but I would really love to nip this in the bud and figure this out once and for all. I've been doing this for awhile and I've tried almost everything and it's bugging me.

 

[hawky454]

Dry your tobacco out more. Scatter it out on a paper plate and dry it to the point where you think it’s too dry and then you’ll be good to go.

 

[olkofri]

Always had the same problem. Still can't figure it out either. Tongue burn from so many relights. Frustrating.

 

[cigrmaster]

Try packing a little firmer and make sure your true light gets the entire bowl lit and not just the middle.

 

[mso489]

+1 on drying your tobacco. Pack it firmly, but not too tightly, so it still has a slight spring to it. An initial charring light is expected, though sometimes the first light keeps burning. A little tamping on the first light or two, to firm up the top is often a good idea, but again, not too tightly. You might also try one of the old over-the-counter "codger" blends, in a pouch, like Carter Hall or Prince Albert, that are famous for an easy burn, then if that works, try again with the 965. We all go through a gradual process of getting to a working technique. Just relax and see what works. Welcome aboard.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Geesh, I remember those days... trying to figure out how to get the stuff in the pipe, people telling ya to pinch it, drop it, poke it. Use a match, or two sticks rubbing togather, or better yet... catch a string on fire. ha ha.

Yeh, I like mine dry, sometimes crunchy. And, I don't give packing or lighting it much thought at all. I just shove some in, push it down and fire it up. But, of course, I've been at this for a while. I just put some in, and if I need to tighten up the draw, I just push it down a little. I rarely ever pack too tight, because my tobacco is so dry.
Smoke slow. Smoke slow, smokes slow... make this your mantra. Just smoke ssssSSSllLLLLLLLooOO0000OOooWWWwwww...
But, some folks will come on and tell you some fancy methods to figure out this or that. I suppose it's helpful. I probably did all of that stuff, back before I knew anything. Listen to them, try what they say. They mean well. But, one day, all of that stuff... you'll be drying it to crunchy and packing it with one hand while you drive. In fact, you won't even remember packing it. So, just enjoy yourself. It's pipesmoking. a bunch of guys used to make the things out of rocks and mud and sticks... how hard could it be. ::

 

[Civil War]

Dunhill 965 typically comes a little dry (as do most English/Balkan style tobaccos), so I'm not sure drying is going to help too much.
These are only thoughts/general guidelines - no hard fast rules.
In general it sounds like you are doing it mostly right (other than the going out part and having to relight 15 times). After the charring light and the first light I probably relight my pipe about three or four times (give or take). I try to let it cool in between.
I guess the only advice I can give is to change things up a little bit. Packing a little firmer may help (but try not to over pack or it may tend to burn hot). Try concentrating on keeping it lit, maybe increase your cadence a little. Don't forget to routinely re-tamp (about every 10 minutes or so (just a guideline not a hard fast rule)). Sometimes towards the end of the bowl (final third or so) I'll empty the ash part (after it goes out) and relight the remaining tobacco.
Everybody is a little different, you need to figure out what works best for you.
Good luck and welcome aboard!!!

 

[Civil War]

I like mine dry, sometimes crunchy.

I agree with Cosmic that drier is better than moist at keeping lit and having a cooler smoke.

 

[snagstangl]

I smoked cigarettes before a pipe. Sometimes i realize I am lighting my pipe like a cigarette if im not paying much attention. For instance, when relighting after tamping, I will just light again with a lighter just quick enough to ignite most of the top of the tobacco. Then puff for a minute and it goes out.
Then I realize I am doing that and will relight and go around the bowl 2 to 3 times with the flame making sure it is lit. This feel like overkill usually when I do it but after that it stays lit for much longer. I think your concern about not burning the tobacco, just trying to get it smoldering with out the flame touching it may keep you from actually lighting it well. You can light without touching the tobacco with the flame, it is just less precise and may take longer.

 

[newbroom]

Sometimes I'll get a bowl of packed leaf that will char ok, and choke itself out rather too easily.

I've had some luck using the pin on a Czechs tool and piercing the contents right in the middle, and down to the bottom.

It often provides a better draw and I can proceed with a normal smoke/tamp cadence.

I hate to dump out unsmoked tobacco, even to re-pack.

 

[maduromadness]

Assuming the packing is indeed ok(different blends burn better with firmer packing) it sounds like tamping might be the issue. I went through similar phases as we all do and proper, consistent tamping is really what has allowed me to burn whole bowls with minimal relights. That along with steady but light drawing on the pipe(heavy at times) has allowed me to fully appreciate a good burning tobacco.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Dunhill 965 typically comes a little dry (as do most English/Balkan style tobaccos), so I'm not sure drying is going to help too much.

Drier than Esoterica's, yes, but still too moist for a really good smoke. Dunhill blends can use some time to dry, depending on where you live. Most I've sampled are over 80% RH @ 70ª

 

[moignus]

I'll try again tomorrow. Maybe I'll dry it out more as well, even though it seemed dry enough. I assumed I was packing too tight that was the culprit of it going out. Although I suppose if the draw was fine maybe it was packed too light...Hmm, I don't know, I guess I'll find out eventually. It's just hard to pinpoint what I'm doing wrong when it feels like I'm doing everything right. I don't think it's my cadence either, I puff quite a bit actually now that I think about it. The problem isn't the ashy taste appearing due to my cadence. It appears after too many relights (Which I imagine in succession is causing the tobacco to get way too hot). I think this is either a packing issue or a lighting issue.
Is it possible that I'm packing properly in the middle, but at the top, I'm packing too firm, so the draw isn't necessarily restricted, but it's hard for the top part of the tobacco to get oxygen causing it to go out? Maybe it's the wind, I use a corona old boy butane lighter. Maybe it's hard for me to get a proper light going when the wind is blowing the flame everywhere. Lately, in Texas it's been pretty windy with some days having nonstop 15-20 MPH winds. Could high winds cause pipes to go out, I know there are wind caps but I always thought those were so ash doesn't blow up in your face when you're walking etc.

 

[derekflint]

Are you filling it rite up too the rim ?

 

[moignus]

"]Are you filling it rite up too the rim ?"
I gravity fill, so I drizzle tobacco in, tamp down to half, rinse and repeat usually 2 more times until it's right under the

rim.
I usually fill above the rim a little bit and tap the bowl, and then proceed to tamp.

 

[derekflint]

Lay off the gravity feed and try 2 step method with 925. Don't fill quite that high , sounds like your not getting a good draw in the beginning......3/4 of a bowl should do it.

 

[jpmcwjr]

I'll try again tomorrow. Maybe I'll dry it out more as well, even though it seemed dry enough. I assumed I was packing too tight that was the culprit of it going out.

It probably was not dry enough. When it is dry, packing is far less of a problem—really, no "technique" is needed— and it's hard to pack so tight that a decent draw isn't still there. (similar with tamping). Dry enough and tongue bit is reduced or eliminated, and relights fewer.

 

[hawky454]

Drier than Esoterica's, yes, but still too moist for a really good smoke. Dunhill blends can use some time to dry, depending on where you live. Most I've sampled are over 80% RH @ 70ª

Agreed. Even when it comes in bulk (I usually get mine from Smokingpipes and they always store their blends properly) it comes too moist for good smoking in my opinion. If you buy it in bulk from a rarer online source or a dusty ol' brick n' mortar store it might just be dry enough to smoke right away but usually at that point it's lost some of it's goodness because the bozos didn't store it properly. I would much rather get my tobacco moist and dry it out myself.

 

[moignus]

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. I've consistently done the 3 step/gravity fill method even if it looks like my pipe is ready to smoke after two fills. I'm thinking maybe the third is constricting the oxygen flow through my pipe causing it to go out. I'll try the looser two-step method on my next bowl.

 

[hawky454]

I'll try again tomorrow. Maybe I'll dry it out more as well, even though it seemed dry enough. I assumed I was packing too tight that was the culprit of it going out. Although I suppose if the draw was fine maybe it was packed too light...Hmm, I don't know, I guess I'll find out eventually. It's just hard to pinpoint what I'm doing wrong when it feels like I'm doing everything right. I don't think it's my cadence either, I puff quite a bit actually now that I think about it. The problem isn't the ashy taste appearing due to my cadence. It appears after too many relights (Which I imagine in succession is causing the tobacco to get way too hot). I think this is either a packing issue or a lighting issue.
Is it possible that I'm packing properly in the middle, but at the top, I'm packing too firm, so the draw isn't necessarily restricted, but it's hard for the top part of the tobacco to get oxygen causing it to go out? Maybe it's the wind, I use a corona old boy butane lighter. Maybe it's hard for me to get a proper light going when the wind is blowing the flame everywhere. Lately, in Texas it's been pretty windy with some days having nonstop 15-20 MPH winds. Could high winds cause pipes to go out, I know there are wind caps but I always thought those were so ash doesn't blow up in your face when you're walking etc.

I think you are way over thinking it. We've all been there and we know you are eager to have a good smoke but it will come in time. Anything worth doing has some what of a learning curve. Stick with it and soon it will become second nature.