How Far is Too Far?

[luigi]

I'm not too impressed when there's only ash left because I know I also smoked a dottle. Fortunately the taste tells almost every smoke when it's past the limit of tasty and that's when I dump what's left.

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

I smoke until the tobacco is gone. There are starving people in foriegn countries..

 

[Country Bladesmith]

I think the pipe makes a difference sometimes. I can smoke pretty much anything down to ash in my meer or in most of my cobs, without any real effort. Oftentimes I don’t know the bowl is done until I get ash through the stem. I think it might have to do with how the juncture of the chamber and airway is situated. I could be wrong though.

 

[Sonorisis]

Like others have said: when the amount of work exceeds the amount of enjoyment, it's time to stop. Additionally, I'm mindful of avoiding charing the draft hole.

 

[cigrmaster]

I smoke till I have ash and flame spewing through my eyes.

 

[Sloopjohnbee]

Packing loosely, tamping gently and drying the tobacco helps reducing the so called dottle. That said, I usually dump what remains in a bowl at the point when I hear boiling sounds of the condensate at the end of a smoke. I'm not into rare blends so I have nothing to regret when a smoke comes to its end...

ah yes, the boiling - that was there the other night - I continued onward

 

[Country Bladesmith]

I guess I’m not a very “wet” smoker. I rarely get enough condensation to cause a gurgle in the stem, much less make boiling noises at the bottom of the chamber. ?

 

[bullet08]

EDIT: Fixed Capitalization in Title (See Rule 9)

I find that when it comes to rarer harder to come by blends I tend to smoke down to the bottom of the bowl - which is typically less enjoyable - it's almost the antithesis of the initial intention - ever happen to anyone? how far down the bowl is too far and deemed 'dump'?

I don't really think about it. If light goes out, I'll look into chamber to see if I should smoke further. If it's near the bottom, I'll stop. Sometimes, things just go right and the bowl will end at the bottom of the chamber.

But, I do enjoy the tobacco more towards the bottom. It just taste "right." Not all blends are enjoyable near the bottom, but I'm finding most are.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I mostly smoke Virginia blends and they seem to get better and better during the bowl. I smile most to fine ash to the bottom without much effort. If a bowl isn’t getting better and is becoming difficult, I stop and empty it

 

[Bushido]

I dump near the bottom when relights become too frequent. Although tonight I had the last bit of FMC I may ever get, and I relit that mofo ‘till there was nothing but vapor left.