I keep burning my tongue and the roof of my mouth

[ravkesef]

Andy, here's the advice I offer to new smokers, especially those with your issues:
1. The tobacco should be a lot drier than you think it should. A lot drier.
2. The pipe should be packed a lot looser than you think it should.
3. The pipe should be smoked a lot slower than you think it should.
If the bowl is too hot in your hand, that's generally an indication that you're smoking it too quickly. The bowl should be pleasantly warm. How warm is pleasantly warm? If you place it against a baby's skin, the baby will smile because it feels pleasantly warm. Any warmer than that, and it's too hot, and you're smoking the pipe too fast.
I sip my Pipe slowly, and depending upon the size of the pipe, and the tobacco I'm burning, an hour and up is not too much to expect. Remember rule three.
Follow the advice I've given above, and the tongue bite will disappear in a few days. You will also be enjoying your tobacco a lot more, and frequent relights will be a thing of the past.

 

[cigrmaster]

To answer this question properly we need more facts. What are the exact blends you are smoking? This matters because if you are smoking a lot of Red Virginia and are allergic to it( like I am) then nothing you do will stop the burn. If you are smoking Over the Counter Aromatics like Captain Black, that will make a difference in the answers you get. To tell if you have a red virginia allergy, all you need is to let the smoke hit your tongue and you will start to feel an acid burn.
What kind of pipes are you smoking?
Packing too loosely will cause serious tongue burn and bite. When you pack loosely, the tobacco burns hotter and faster which will cause a burn to your tongue and the roof of your mouth.
Packing the pipe properly is very important, too tight no good, too loose no good. I use the three step method and when I am done packing I want to feel some resistance, like sucking a thin milk shake through a straw. If you have no resistance it is too loose.
Making sure your tobacco is the proper humidity is also a key, too dry and it burns hot and fast, too much humidity will make steam and burn you. The pinch test is the way to go.
Is your pipe clean, do you clean it properly, do you have pipe cleaners to soak up excess moisture? Do you own a pipe that has a shank dimension of 4.0-4.5mm? If the shank dimensions are too small, that will lead to a hot and wet smoke. If you only have one pipe then you cannot smoke it a few times a day everyday. Pipes need to rest. I smoke one bowl in one of my pipes and then it rests at least a day or two. If you have new pipes then there is a break in period, some pipes need 20 plus bowls to break in. You need to develop a cake in your pipe which will make it burn cooler.
If you are wanting to get into pipe smoking seriously you need a few good pipes, not basket pipes but a decent name like Savinelli. The Italian makers generally use a shank dimension of 4.0-4.5mm.
The more info you provide the better we can figure out what is causing your problems.

 

[necron99]

When you say shank dimension, do you mean diameter, wall thickness.........?

 

[ravkesef]

Harris is right on target ( as always,) except I find that rookie smokers tend to pack too tightly more often than the opposite. Too dry can also be an issue, but again, I find that rookies have a propensity toward too moist, and the steam generated may scald the tongue. Both of these issues, packing density and moisture levels are perfect set ups for the third mistake: puffing too fast. You don't want to look like a steam engine. The occasional wisp of smoke as you sip gently is what you should be seeking.

 

[smokertruck]

also all that preservative in tobaccos today is an issue for me - ALL tobacco burns my mouth but i do like the relaxing concept of smoking a pipe - did as a kid 60 - 70 years ago when there was little or no preservatives - never talked about mouth or tongue burn then puffing like an old steam locomotive on great tobaccos - original 3nuns & erinmore - good old days

 

[cigrmaster]

necron99, when I say shank dimensions, that is the dimension of the inside of the shank. In my experience the Brits generally have a smaller shank dimension than the Italians. Some of the Danish carvers also use a smaller shank although most of the better ones( Former) do have larger ones.
When people refer to a pipe that practically smokes itself, they are smoking a pipe that has the larger dimensions.

 

[necron99]

I see. Thanks.

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

-agusto
First time I smoked, I burnt my mouth a lot. What really helped me was the Frank Method of packing... there is a nice video from pipesmagazine.com in youtube!
[+] Embed the video | Video Download Get the Video Plugins
Try that!

After watching the "frank" method and experimenting a bit, I find you can roughly achieve the same thing without quite so much fuss just by grabbing a bundle with your fingers, as described (basically creating a plug), and shoving it in your pipe. Sometimes I get an uneven pack, but if you see it burning only on one side that's easily fixed (stab the tobacco with a match or pipe tool on the side that's not burning).