Hot Water Flush vs. Alcohol

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cigrmaster

Lifer
May 26, 2012
20,248
57,309
66
Sarasota Florida
Ok, my stem fit back onto the pipe with no issues. I filled it with 2013 Capstan Blue Flake as it is one tobacco I know very well and this Ruthenberg is a straight Virginia pipe.
Honestly it is hard to tell a difference. Maybe if I picked a dirtier pipe(which will be hard to find) I will get a better idea if the pipe smokes better. My cake was in one piece which was a good thing. I am going to experiment some to see if different pipes clean up better than others.

So as it stands I am not saying I won't get into water sports like you freaks but there is a possibility.
 
Last edited:

HawkeyeLinus

Lifer
Oct 16, 2020
5,816
42,070
Iowa
Ok, my stem fit back onto the pipe with no issues. I filled it with 2013 Capstan Blue Flake as it is one tobacco I know very well and this Ruthenberg is a straight Virginia pipe.
Honestly it is hard to tell a difference. Maybe if I picked a dirtier pipe(which will be hard to find) I will get a better idea if the pipe smokes better. My cake was in one piece which was a good thing. I am going to experiment some to see if different pipes clean up better than others.

So as it stands I am not saying I won't get into water sports like you freaks but there is a possibility.
M:
I've assigned you to Station "C" Canada.

James Bond:
Sir, I'd respectfully request that you change my assignment to Nassau.

M:
Is there any other reason, besides your enthusiasm for water sports?4D221C2C-AC7C-47F1-8909-EBC3DBB8FD49.jpeg
 
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mickeyg

Might Stick Around
Jul 28, 2015
50
345
Long Island
Bought a "lightly" smoked Dublin from Ebay a few years ago. It was clean as a whistle & looked brand new, but much to my dismay, it was ghosted with aromatics, which I never smoke. I tried packing the bowl & shank with kosher salt & then soaking it with alcohol, then letting it sit for a week. Nope, still get that ghost appearing when I get down to the bottom of the bowl.
 

jpmcwjr

Lifer
May 12, 2015
26,280
30,315
Carmel Valley, CA
Try packing damp coffee grounds in the chamber, when it dries, remove, hot water flush, dry and wait a day, smoke. Rinse and repeat if necessary.
I wish you good luck!
 
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Andriko

Can't Leave
Nov 8, 2021
384
945
London
I frequently clean water flush my meerschaum as it has become my travel pipe and so never gets a goo going over with cleaners after a smoke, and it works an absolute treat.

I've tried it once on one of my briars, but like Harris, I'm pretty conscientious about running cleaners through them after each smoke, so I don't find they need cleaning very often anyway, and the water flush didn't really make a difference.

If alcohol isn't going to damage my pipe, I don't see why water would. Just avoid accidentally using dihydrogen monoxide if possible.
 

jpmcwjr

Lifer
May 12, 2015
26,280
30,315
Carmel Valley, CA
It appears the hot water is now trendy is legit. I still just use Everclear or vodka.

I once ran an old estate bought Peterson through a heavy duty commercial dishwasher, twice! Man, was that thing clean and no more ghosts at all.
Darn....I just spend a half hour looking through my photos to find the one with the three pipes I ran through my home dishwasher. Rats!
 
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renfield

Lifer
Oct 16, 2011
5,136
41,785
Kansas
Bought a "lightly" smoked Dublin from Ebay a few years ago. It was clean as a whistle & looked brand new, but much to my dismay, it was ghosted with aromatics, which I never smoke. I tried packing the bowl & shank with kosher salt & then soaking it with alcohol, then letting it sit for a week. Nope, still get that ghost appearing when I get down to the bottom of the bowl.
Make sure that the stem and shank have been really thoroughly cleaned. Many a ghost can lurk there. Multiple bristle pipe cleaners with alcohol. A good water rinse after that.

If the ghost is stubborn and you haven’t done it already, remove all of the cake and give it another salt treatment. For whatever reason smoking Burley blends can help remove the last remnants of ghosts IME.

It’s rare that a ghost can’t eventually be exorcised. It becomes a matter of whether the pipe is worth the trouble to you.
 
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