How Do You Clean Your Pipes After A Smoke?

[americaman]

Ok, this had been something I have modified a couple of times since I started, and now blends are just not tasting the same anymore. I want to know how others do it.

When I started, it was a pipe cleaner through the stem and then a light brush with a folded pipe cleaner in the bowl after each smoke.

Then I started wiping the bowls out HARD with a paper towel after each smoke to keep the level of cake low. (I also tried the water flush method for a while.) But lately, I’ve noticed I am not getting the same flavors from smoking. I am wondering if I am “disturbing the cake” too much (inadvertently breaking off pieces of carbon and starting to taste that as I smoke).

What do you veterans think about wiping down the bowl? What method do you use after each smoke?

 

[FurCoat]

Like yourself, I run a pipe cleaner through the stem and twist a paper towel in the bowl. I find this to be sufficient for awhile. The flavors tend to loose their punch after about 6 months at which point I clean my pipes with Everclear and the flavors of the tobacco seem to regain their profile.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Pipe cleaner through, turn it around, run it through again, double it and wipe the bowl. Then water flush finished up by wiping the bowl inside with a paper towel.

 

[anotherbob]

take the stem off. Run a pipe cleaner backwards through it. Pulling it in such a way as to swap the space in the button. Fold the pipe cleaner over really tightly and swap out the mortise (if you're only going to do one thing, do this that's where the most nasty lives). Make a larger fold or less tight and wipe out the chamber. If it starts to get nasty same thing but add booze (make sure to tell the wife it has to be top shelf) by dipping the tip of the pipe cleaner in it repeat until it comes out totally clean. Use a q-tip with booze for the mortise though, in a pinch water will work takes a few q-tips to get that clean. And then it taste like a new pipe.

 

[cigrmaster]

Most of my stems I can put pipe cleaners side by side and yank then through. I then double those over and wipe out the bowl real well. If I didn't get all I expected, I will take two more pipe cleaners and repeat. I then take a Bristle pipe cleaner, double it over and run it through the shank, bank and forth. I might have to do it 2 or 3 times before my pipe is as clean as I like it. I then take a bristled cleaner double it twice and get into the mortise and get that clean. Pipe cleaners are cheap and I use mine without thought as to how many. I won't put it back in my rack until it is properly cleaned. I refuse to smoke a pipe that is dirty in any way. I spend good money on my tobacco and I expect a great smoke every time out. I have been told I am a bit anal about my cleaning methods but I don't really care, I like a nice clean pipe.

 

[warren]

I smoke meerschaums exclusively at home. I clean them on Sunday and run a cleaner or stiff bristled brush whenever the draw tightens as I smoke them. Briars are smoked when out shooting, they get cleaned on Sundays also. Cobs are smoked usually when fishing or doing manual labor. Should they survive the outing, they also are cleaned on Sunday.

Sunday cleanings involve breaking the pipe down, reaming as needed, alcohol swabbing as required and pipe cleaners until they, the cleaners, emerge clean.

 

[Olkofri]

Scrubbing the bowl with paper towel.

Any kind of incipient cake is terminated with extreme prejudice.

 

[trouttimes]

Holy cow! Nobody got time for all that. I bet you guys take a bath more than once a week too. When I was young, we had to smoke a pipe till the cake was so thick you couldn’t load more than 5 min.s worth of tobacco and we liked it. This young generation is really privileged I tell you. Don’t you know, pipe cleaners cost money!

 

[OneGoodBulldog]

Just your basic pipe cleaner through the parts for most occasions. Every once in awhile I'll give my pipes a bath and a scrub with some hot water. Haven't had to do anything more drastic than that. I used to use rum but that's really more for a deep cleaning I think. Hot water does fine to remove old flavors and I tend to stay away from most aromatic tobaccos, so unless I've got a Latakia blend there isn't much call for a deep cleaning.

 

[jpberg]

Meh. I usually don’t until I want to smoke it again.

 

[edger]

I have three Falcon stems and nine bowls. I smoke these a great deal. Swabbing out the humidome after every smoke and gentle scraping of the hole in the bottom of the bowls with a sharp penknife takes care of maintaining a flavorful smoke. The stems get thrown in the dishwater occasionally for a freshening.
"Normal" briars and cobs get a pipe cleaner put through them regularly and the occasional Everclear scrub. I like a little cake in my bowls and very clean and shiny stems.

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Holy cow! Nobody got time for all that. I bet you guys take a bath more than once a week too. When I was young, we had to smoke a pipe till the cake was so thick you couldn’t load more than 5 min.s worth of tobacco and we liked it. This young generation is really privileged I tell you. Don’t you know, pipe cleaners cost money!

There are folks who never wash the car or farm tractor. It just matters if you are so wealthy that buying them again matters . ?

 

[trouttimes]

There are folks who never wash the car or farm tractor. It just matters if you are so wealthy that buying them again matters . ?

Ha Ha, don’t you know, the dirt Protects the finish and holds everything together? Can’t have the bolts vibrating lose. Cow shit works better than loctite.

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Ha Ha, don’t you know, the dirt Protects the finish and holds everything together? Can’t have the bolts vibrating lose. Cow shit works better than loctite.

I agree, cow shit sticks and lasts...LOL!!!

 

[mingc]

After each smoke, swab bowl with wet paper towel. Pull stem off and clean with pipe cleaner dipped in isopropyl alcohol if vulcanite, dish detergent and water if plastic. Shank gets cleaned with pipe cleaner and isopropyl alcohol.

 

[workman]

Two or three pipe cleaners through stem and shank, until they appear clean. Then double one over and swab the chamber. Saliva on a finger to rub the rim of the bowl. That's it.
Once or twice a month I'll do the water flush to some of my pipes, and once or twice a year I go all the way with alcohol and q-tips and whatnot.

 

[Fiddlepiper]

Paper towel in the bowl. Few pipe cleaners through - usually one bristle and then however many not until I’m happy.

Once in a while if I feel they aren’t tasting right I do a deeper clean with whisky or vodka but that’s fairly rare. I find the above works grand.

 

[ChippewaAce]

Complete transparency, I'll only clean a smoked pipe after 3-4 bowls have been smoked through it. I have around ten pipes, so I often rotate and just do a mass cleaning after a month or two. Old pipe brush to remove loose bits followed by a pipe cleaner partly soaked with a bourbon of some sort. I'm not too picky with cleaning, maybe I should be.

 

[select565]

Might be your palate/tastebuds? Maybe take a break and come back to a new pipe. Or try a new cob or new cheap briar

 

[warren]

Superficially, a cleaner or two at most only as needed. I breakdown pipes I've smoked during the week on Sundays and give them a thorough cleaning.