How to avoid burning my tongue?

[andya27]

Hi,
My first post here. I'm brand new to pipe smoking. A week ago I purchased a Missouri Meershaum and tried some Prince Albert. The experience was awful. Yesterday I went back to the store, which carries low to mid-level pipes and tobaccos, and purchased a Dr. Grabow and there highest end blend (they call it a Danish blend - whatever that might mean). It is not a flavored tobacco, and a mild fragrance to it. Tobacco are shades of browns, no black.
Following the instructions on the pipe I filled it half way. I found that when lighting the pipe, the smoke would be extremely hot, and I have a tong irritation similar to eating soup that was just a bit too hot. It's still a bit tender today.
So my question - how to avoid that? Or is there no way to avoid it?
Thanks,
-Andy

 

[drennan]

1. Smoke slowly, I like most was smoking too quick

2. Learning to pack a pipe properly, I favour the 3 step method, made the biggest difference to my enjoyment of tobacco Linky

3. Smoke slowly!

 

[tobyducote]

Andy,
Tongue bite is a product to pipe smoking...as already stated...smoke slowly and let your tobacco dry out some. The "wetter" it is, the more likely it is to bite. I usually open a tin, put about half in a ziplock bag and put that bag in the center console of my car for 3 days to dry it out. The moisture level of most tobaccos is very high when the tin is first opened. The other option is when you open a tin, let it sit a few days, out of direct sunlight, to dry out some. Good luck and happy smoking
Find a good English, Dunhill 965, and give it a shot.

 

[andya27]

Thanks, gentlemen. Much appreciated. I also recognize that a Dr. Grabow is not a Savinelli, and that it's likely to burn hotter than a better briar pipe.
I have a smoke shop around 15 minutes away with a smoking lounge. It's mostly cigar smokers. They have very few pipes there, and most of those pipes have been there for a long time. The vulcanite stems are starting to oxidize in the case. From what I understand, the Cleveland area tends to be a cigar town.
Not sure if they'd like a pipe smoker to join them or not - I guess I should ask and find out.
Will check out the Dunhill 965.

 

[troutface]

You may be puffing too fast because:

1. You are trying to keep the pipe lit. Don't worry if it goes out, simply relight. Eventually you will be able to smoke a whole bowl with only a few, if any, relights. It may be hard to keep the pipe lit if the tobacco is very moist. Dry the tobacco on a paper plate.

2. You aren't getting much flavor and start puffing harder and faster trying to find it. Quality tobacco is the answer here. As mentioned Dunhill has many good blends that have nearly perfect moisture content right out of the tin.
There's nothing wrong with your cob. They smoke just as cool and dry as a good briar, but don't let me stop you from buying a nice briar

 

[rmbittner]

Andy:
Welcome to the Forum!
If you're in the market for a new pipe, be sure to check out some of this site's sponsors, with links in the left-hand column. My personal go-to retailer is SmokingPipes.com, but 4Noggins.com, CupoJoes.com, PipesandCigars.com -- plus many others -- all have their ardent supporters.
You're at a really rough stage in your pipesmoking. It's not unusual for a brand-new pipe -- no matter the brand or the price -- to smoke a bit "rougher" than a pipe that has been broken in and has an adequate cake built up in the bowl. Breaking in a new pipe is probably my least favorite pipe-smoking activity. (Yet that doesn't seem to stop us from acquiring them!)
But at the same time, you're trying to learn how to pack a pipe and how to properly smoke it. First, be aware that packing is kind of a skill and an art; different blends -- with different cuts -- will require different approaches to how tight/loose you pack. You'll also likely find that the smoking improves dramatically if you let your tobacco dry out a little bit (say, an hour or two) on a paper towel before loading your pipe. (It'll also take a match much easier.) Then keep in mind that "puffing" is a misnomer; draw slowly, hold the smoke in your mouth, then blow it out. If your pipe gets too hot to hold, you're smoking too fast and either packing too light or too tight.
No tobacco tastes better when smoked fast. But some blends are more forgiving than others. At this stage, I'd encourage you to stay away from very finely cut mixtures, which tend to burn faster/hotter than thicker cuts. Also, be aware that the phrase "smokes cool" is pure marketing hype; smoke is a result of fire, and fire tends to be hot. Smoke will be warm in the mouth and, if you're new to smoking in general, it may take some getting used to.
Although I won't agree with NOLA Cajun on his recommendation of Dunhill 965 (I'm not a fan), I'll definitely agree with his comment to "find a good English." Virtually every beginner starts with an aromatic blend. But aromatics tend to be the hottest, wettest, and least flavorful blends available. Yes, they sound delicious, but that rarely translates to the smoker. (There are probably a couple of dozen exceptions. But otherwise, you're in for a smoke that's much more appealing to passersby than it will be for you.) My personal recommendation here would be McClelland's Anniversary blend. It's a Virginia tobacco with a bit of latakia in it. (Latakia tends to be a love/hate kind of tobacco.) It's a fantastic blend that won't overwhelm you.
I'll also suggest Esoterica's And So to Bed, even though that can be very hard to find. It's also a delicious blend that will ease you into what a traditional English blend would taste like. (It's not exactly a "traditional English," but I don't want to turn you off right out of the gate!)
Bob

 

[andya27]

I think I'll take a few days off and let my tongue get back to normal.
I do not see myself as an every day smoker. In fact, in many ways this is out of character for me to be doing this. As I exercise regularly and eat healthy food, it's an out of character thing for me to put smoke into my mouth. Still not sure why I've started this. Perhaps a teenage rebellion 40 years late.

 

[blueeyedogre]

I tend to be an aggressive puffer and I have found that switching to a filtered pipe and adding Biotene mouthwash to your nightly regiment greatly reduces the tongue bite I used to get.

 

[billypm]

And remember that smoking slowly means the speed at which the smoke enters your mouth, not the frequency of your puffs. That's just MHO, but my smoking got much more pleasurable once I figured it out.

 

[IslandCobFog]

For me it was stepping away from the bulk aromatics sold at the B&M and trying some better tobaccos and of coarse slowing it down a bit. Lighting with matches instead of a Bic seemed to make a pretty big difference too.

 

[andya27]

I'll give it another go in a few days, after my mouth gets back to normal. I suspect that speed had as much to do with this as anything. Will let the tobacco dry out some.
The pipe came with one filter. Need to get some more before I smoke it again. Fortunately I have a store around the corner that carries them. If I graduate to a Savinelli or Stanwell, I don't have a B&M close by that carries anything like that.

 

[condorlover1]

Try slow burning tobacco's like black or brown twist. Cut them up when they are fresh and add them to our pouch. Try a clay pipe, but always puff slowly and don't be afraid of relights - if we didn't match companies would go bust!

 

[phred]

And remember that smoking slowly means the speed at which the smoke enters your mouth, not the frequency of your puffs. That's just MHO, but my smoking got much more pleasurable once I figured it out.

This. I've been smoking for a year now, but I've just started smoking while taking my lunchtime walk (I hear you about the doing healthy things vs. smoking - it's a little weird sometimes), and I realized that while I wasn't dragging all that often (one puff, breathe a few times, another puff), I was drawing the smoke in rather quickly - I burned my tongue last week for the first time in a while, and was trying to figure out what I was doing differently. Evidently, I've got the sipping thing pretty well down as long as I'm relaxing and reading a book, but if I'm hiking around the block, I get a little overzealous...

 

[allan]

Welcome to the forum, Andy
Trout's suggestions as well as Bob's are spot on.
I'd like to also emphasize the importance of not trying to smoke a blend that is too moist. Especially in the humid weather, if I don't take the time to let it dry out, not only will it not stay lit, it could help cause your tongue bite.
Good luck and don't give up. It will come.

 

[yaddy306]

I agree wholeheartedly with Billypm and Phred - when people say "slow down" they really mean "draw gently".
I started off with a burnt tongue, and thought that slowing down meant spacing out how often I took a big drag. But drawing hard on the pipe just ups the temperature, like bellows. Sipping very very gently was the answer for me to getting better flavour, reducing tongue burn, AND keeping my pipe lit.

 

[skapunk1]

All very true statements made.... I'd try some basic flakes...Dunhill flake or PS luxury navy flake. Rub them out loose, let them dry for 30 min, and use a basic 3 step pack.. (YouTube is a treasure of information).
Wet tobacco will actually give off steam, and your tongue won't be happy.
It's a learning process. You've come to the right place..

 

[natenice1]

Everyone's postings here are right on, not sounding cliche here but the country song "Life is a dance you learn as you go, sometimes you lead sometimes you follow" holds true here. As mentioned the wetter the tobacco the more condensation it gives off, if you get gurgle or moisture don't be afraid to run quick pipe cleaner to absorb the wetness as you're smoking. I wish this site was running 25 years ago!

 

[jamesmertens]

Awesome Advice Everyone! The explanation of Slowing Down was super helpful. Thanks even though this isn't my post.

 

[lostandfound]

Dr. Grabow's don't smoke any hotter than a Savinelli- they just have shitty stems, which tend to be overly thick at the button, become loose in a short period of time, and are easily bitten through.

 

[rmbittner]

Andy:
I'd encourage you to ditch the filters altogether. And if you're in the U.S., the only mid-priced and up pipe you'll find with a filter is a Savinelli, which sells many of its pipes with balsa filters. But virtually every other quality pipe sold in the States will not have a filter in it. (Filters tend to be much more common in pipes distributed in Europe.)
Bob