How Much Does it Take to Ghost?

[Sigmund]

I know there are a few blends that will very quickly ghost a pipe. Im more interested in the more standard fare.

I got an estate yesterday. It was clean but when I smoked a lighter blend I tasted lataka as the bowl progressed and got warmer. The Shank was clean. Finally I dumped it. I sanded down to wood. It was almost to bare wood but spotty. Ghosts gone.

I found it curious. While I do have a couple of pipes dedicated to a blend I wondered it a pipe needs to be heavily smoked with Lat Blends to get that way. In other pipes I smoke lat, vapers, and burley. I never detect ghosts. Also, Ive wondered...Does leaving a pipe full of spent or half spent tobacco to sit around for periods of time result in increased ghosting?

It isnt a big deal but curious minds wander

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

can't stand any residue /ghost of Latakias

 

[Sigmund]

Somehow the ghosts of latakia taste different than the tobacco. It may be because its an after taste rather than out front. At least it wasnt lakeland.

 

[lukifer]

While ghosts certainly do reside in the carbon cake. I have found in my pipes that have been ghosted or gone sour, the shank is the haunted house. I always try to remove the stem and use a folded over pipe cleaner in the shank after the normal pipe cleaner usage. When I fail to do so consistently they tend to get spooky.

I'd bet that you could better prevent ghosting in half smoked pipes by doing a quick clean of the stem and shank before letting them sit.

My money is on moisture being allowed to cool, dry and soak in is the cause of ghosts. Smart money is on me being wrong though.

 

[didimauw]

I know there are a few blends that will very quickly ghost a pipe. Im more interested in the more standard fare.

I got an estate yesterday. It was clean but when I smoked a lighter blend I tasted lataka as the bowl progressed and got warmer. The Shank was clean. Finally I dumped it. I sanded down to wood. It was almost to bare wood but spotty. Ghosts gone.

I found it curious. While I do have a couple of pipes dedicated to a blend I wondered it a pipe needs to be heavily smoked with Lat Blends to get that way. In other pipes I smoke lat, vapers, and burley. I never detect ghosts. Also, Ive wondered...Does leaving a pipe full of spent or half spent tobacco to sit around for periods of time result in increased ghosting?

It isnt a big deal but curious minds wander

Depends on the blends and pipes as you know.

One thing to note, is I feel like prepacking a pipe a day early or so, helps it "ghost" to the blend that's in it. Also DGT ( Delayed gratification technique) [doing the char light and letting it sit for a while] also helps get rid of any past flavors

 

[captainsousie]

While ghosts certainly do reside in the carbon cake. I have found in my pipes that have been ghosted or gone sour, the shank is the haunted house. I always try to remove the stem and use a folded over pipe cleaner in the shank after the normal pipe cleaner usage. When I fail to do so consistently they tend to get spooky.

I'd bet that you could better prevent ghosting in half smoked pipes by doing a quick clean of the stem and shank before letting them sit.

My money is on moisture being allowed to cool, dry and soak in is the cause of ghosts. Smart money is on me being wrong though.

Same for me. I find if I clean the mortise and shank most ghosts are exhorsised

 

[Danimal92sport]

My current estate pipe was cleaned like crazy by yours truly - but the two smokes I’ve had from it have the distinct taste of old lady flower perfume or something. WTF how does that even happen? My pipe’s ghost is a Golden Girl? Hoping the salt/alcohol trick fixes it.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Before the above treatment, try filling the chamber full of wet (spent) coffee grounds. When fully dry, dump out, flush the chamber and stem with hot tap water. towel dry and smoke....

OK? if not, then proceed to the harsher treatment.

 

[renfield]

As others have mentioned even after removing all of the cake on an estate the stem usually harbors the nastier ghosts. I surmise most people don’t clean the stem like they do the chamber.

I prefer the salt and Everclear treatment to deep clean a pipe as it usually takes care of the stem as well. I haven’t tried the coffee grounds method.

A good water flush afterwards and let it dry completely. Repeat if you have to. Keep hot water off the stem as it can cause some kinds of vulcanite to oxidize almost instantly. Ask me how I learned that...

If there’s still a faint ghost a few bowls of a Burley blend seem to help and leave the pipe more neutral.

 

[minerLuke]

I have a little Rattray's Ahoy poker that when it was brand new, I made the mistake of smoking two bowls of Gawiths Black Irish XX twist in it. I really can't smoke anything else in that pipe now because it so badly ghosted with that burnt BBQ/motor oil taste of the black twist.

 

[bullet08]

Lat don't bother me. Like you, I have a pipe that I smoke whatever. But usually after smoking something else for few bowls, and Lat trace is hard to find. Do have some pipes I only smoke Lat blends, and others just VA and VA/Per.

 

[Sigmund]

Yes, I need to dedicate some pipes to heavy lat blends. Now, I frequently toss in a pinch of lat to other blends I mix as a condiment. I dont think I need to be concerned with that ghosting a pipe since its light. Thanks for the reminder. I probably do need to segregate my lat bombs. Its not like I dont have enough pipes.....wait, you never have enough pipes!

 

[jpmcwjr]

<< Snipped bits out >>. A good water flush afterwards and let it dry completely. Repeat if you have to. Keep hot water off the stem as it can cause some kinds of vulcanite to oxidize almost instantly. Ask me how I learned that...

Hot water, water, very hot water: None of it creates oxidation. It will reveal what's there in dramatic fashion.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Depends on what was previously smoked in the pipe. If the pipe was dedicated to Virginia blends. 1 bowl of anything will leave a discernable ghost. May be light but it will be treated.

 

[kcghost]

I don't get much "ghosting" when I smoke Latakia in a VaPer pipe. Don't know why and at this point I don't care.

 

[tmcg81]

I smoked less than 5 bowls of crooner in one pipe and the deer tongue ghosted it pretty badly. It took reaming, salt and alcohol, heavy duty cleaning, and a few bowls of tobacco to start getting back to normal. An ounce of G & H Kentucky Nougat also severely ghosted a pipe. It was actually the same pipe, now that I think of it.