Help me Understand why I can't Keep my Pipe Lit.

[Steelman007]

Being a fairly new pipe smoker, when I encounter problems I like to try and work on them for a bit and see if they clear up on their and I learn from them. Although it's only been a alittle over a week, I've ran into something I find myself doing more times than not to keep the pipe lit.

Often times I'll do what I heard others call the carburetor method. I put my finger(s) over the bowl when I notice my pipe is going out. Most often, this is enough to get the ember going again and I have a few more good sips and it either needs it again or goes out altogether and I need to relight.

Is this from packing too loose, or tight, moisture issue(I've been making sure my tobacco is dry to the touch). I've gravity filled the bowl and tried, packed it down tight and tried, sometimes it smokes great with less than 10 relights a bowl(a good number for this beginer) other times I just fight it the whole time. I notice if I go outside when there's a slight breeze it keeps lit alot better. But not always, like it said it's seems inconsistent. Normally the I've has trouble keeping lit for more than 30 seconds without me influencing it.

What do you all think? Thanks

 

[lukasstrifeson]

It's going to take a lot more practice than a week to learn how to maintain a proper breathing cadence to keep a pipe lit. Unlike cigars, where it's very much plug-n-play or cut-n-light, there's a little more know how requirements for tobacco pipes.

Is it packed too loose? Too tight? Are you drying it enough? Drying it too much? Puffing too fast? These are all questions only you can answer, but the fun in the hobby is to experiment and see what works for you. I'm usually not too concerned with relights, I like to touch up with a match whenever necessary.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Are you using a tamper as you smoke?

 

[Laurent]

To me it’s a balancing act. What kind of tobacco, ribbon or flake,how moist or dry, how fast are you sipping and are you keeping up with tampering. You’ll get it. Practice makes a relaxing smoke

 

[Streeper541]

Keep doing what you're doing. Give it a month and then revisit this question.

 

[Steelman007]

Are you using a tamper as you smoke?

Yes sometimes when It stays lit well, I forget, tamp and have good smoke again, but I haven't really gotten a good Rythym to tamp yet, just when I deem it appropriate, sometimes too late.

It's going to take a lot more practice than a week to learn how to maintain a proper breathing cadence to keep a pipe lit.

Yes, I understand that. I find myself using this carburetor method often. Which I shouldn't. So why would the carburetor method be helpful in my situation, or is it hard to say? Is there something I'm doing which would cause this method favorable in which I should change? That's really what my question is asking

 

[Steelman007]

What makes me think it's a packing issue is I can light it, and the next sip 30 seconds later, it's out

 

[Laurent]

What’s the carburetor method?

 

[jpmcwjr]

Unless I misunderstand the carburetor method you mention, why is that a problem??

 

[jpmcwjr]

What makes me think it's a packing issue is I can light it, and the next sip 30 seconds later, it's out

I don't try to sip for a while after first light- some pretty good hearty draws, nor do I wait 30 seconds to start sipping.

What tobacco is it, and how are you drying it before loading?

 

[Steelman007]

What’s the carburetor method?

I tried to explain it in my OP, but it's when you cover the bowl with your fingers and draw, and I guess it's kinda like the choke on a carburetor. It helps to relight an ember and I guess it's okay to occasionally do

Unless I misunderstand the carburetor method you mention, why is that a problem??

It's because I'm trying to keep it going, way more forcefully than what I understand I should. Doing that followed by constantly puffing untill the verge of tounge bite just to keep it lit is not exactly relaxing. Once hot it'll smoke okay for a few, but then the cycle repeats

What tobacco is it, and how are you drying it before loading?

Tonight was a danish export. And it's fairly dry out of the bag. For the aromatics I've tried I've left them out untill they look dry, with even putting some in front of a space heater on low for faster results. I've felt I've gotten the moisture pretty good as before when it was slightly wet the dottle would be a wet ball. Now with dry tobacco only the very bottom layer of tobacco is damp when I dump my dottle.

And a problem might be just because I want to try different tobacco every day. My palate is changing very quickly and like to revist each one. I've only been smoking 2 weeks and some days. With acually only having a briar I picked up for 10 days. It's hard to recall which ones smoked great and which ones didn't. I just enjoyed them. Maybe I should write a log detailing what I did and my experience each time.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Yes sometimes when It stays lit well, I forget, tamp and have good smoke again, but I haven't really gotten a good Rythym to tamp yet, just when I deem it appropriate, sometimes too late

As the tobacco heats up, it'll rise the ember up completely off of the unburnt contents beneath it. Drop the tamper down on the ash cap every few draws while drawing to bring that ember back where it needs to be.

 

[Laurent]

I tried to explain it in my OP, but it's when you cover the bowl with your fingers and draw, and I guess it's kinda like the choke on a carburetor. It helps to relight an ember and I guess it's okay to occasionally do


It's because I'm trying to keep it going, way more formally than what I understand I should. Doing that followed by constantly puffing untilo the verge of tounge bite just to keep it lit is not exactly relaxing. Once hot it'll smoke okay for a few, but then the cycle repeats

Tonight was a danish export. And it's fairly dry out of the bag. For the aromatics I've tried I've left them out untill they look dry, with even putting some in front of a space heater on low for faster results. I've felt I've gotten the moisture pretty good as before when it was slightly wet the dottle would be a wet ball. Now with dry tobacco only the very bottom layer of tobacco is damp when I dump my dottle.

And a problem might be just because I want to try different tobacco every day. My palate is changing very quickly and like to revist each one. I've only been smoking 2 weeks and some days. With acually only having a briar I picked up for 10 days. It's hard to recall which ones smoked great and which ones didn't. I just enjoyed them. Maybe I should write a log detailing what I did and my experience each time.

Ok I get it now, I work on carburetors so it made me over think it.

 

[jpmcwjr]

AKA Venturi, Bernoulli - by whatever name, I don't see a problem using it to get the ember up to speed.

 

[lukasstrifeson]

Yes sometimes when It stays lit well, I forget, tamp and have good smoke again, but I haven't really gotten a good Rythym to tamp yet, just when I deem it appropriate, sometimes too late.



Yes, I understand that. I find myself using this carburetor method often. Which I shouldn't. So why would the carburetor method be helpful in my situation, or is it hard to say? Is there something I'm doing which would cause this method favorable in which I should change? That's really what my question is asking

I think you're overthinking it a bit.

By the sounds of it, you are doing everything correctly. Yes, a more experienced smoker will have less and less "carburetor cycles" to maintain tasting temperatures, but you're not really doing anything wrong.

To me, your problems sound like "Hey guys, just starting running a week ago but I can't seem to get a 4 minute mile? Am I doing something wrong?..."

 

[captpat]

IME difficulties in keeping a pipe lit are due to wet tobacco, packed too tight, or a combination of both. Using a tamper as suggested can be helpful, however, don't get overzealous as you can overpack it with the tamper.

 

[troutface]

What makes me think it's a packing issue is I can light it, and the next sip 30 seconds later, it's out

This is my boilerplate answer, but l don't think your pipe is adequately lit from the get go. Sort of like Embers, I light the tobacco and then while drawing it rises up and I tamp it down gently to get that burning tobacco in contact with the tobacco below it. We always warn beginners about not puffing too hard or frequently, but you do need to give it a bit more mustard to get the whole show on the road. I know it can be frustrating, but you'll get there.

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Not all of my pipes stay lit the same. The good members here recommended loading, doing a char light, tamping, then another light.

 

[warren]

Combustion requires a three elements, oxygen, fuel and heat. Which of them is your pipe being starved of? Why? Figure that out and you have your solution. Should be pretty easy to solve. Lots of suggestions above, wet fuel being one. I'm looking at your application of the venturi effect, oygen deprivation. Could be a combination.

There is a fairly gentle learning curve to the pipe. The new smoker needs to apply attention to the starting process which the experienced smokers do without thought.

 

[tzinc]

As long as the tobacco is dry and is not packed super tight this is what I recommend put a light down onto the tobacco on top and take 15 20 puffs. This gets the fire going pretty good.