Kosher Salt Substitute

[disinformatique]

Hey guys,
Currently I am in India and its illegal to sell salt in India without iodine in it because of the goiter cases in India. Can rock salt be used in the Salt and Alcohol treatment instead of Kosher salt? I am scared of using my briar pipes as I don't want to get stuck with pipes I cannot clean thoroughly.
Thanks in advance,

Cheers,

Chris

 

[cmdrmcbragg]

I think that's a good question. I don't know though, I'm sure some other more seasoned member will pipe in (good pun).

 

[mikestanley]

Often the salt is replaced by cotton balls.

Mike S.

 

[cortezattic]

IMO, the salt and alcohol treatment is passé. It's just too difficult to remove all traces of the salt after the treatment.

Long ago, I switched to alcohol and cotton balls to soak the chamber of the pipe. Much easier and just as effective.

Finding that even this was a big PITA, I stopped doing alcohol treatments of the bowl altogether! When it came time to

clean the pipe I merely swabbed the shank with an alcohol-soaked pipe cleaner. I discovered that the shank, not the bowl,

is where the pipe "sours". For the bowl, I merely keep the carbon to a minimum with the spoon end of a pipe tool.

 

[disinformatique]

Hey Mike,Cortez, Cmdr and ae1pt
Hmm thanks a ton for the feedback, I'll keep that in mind, Do you use pure alcohol like IsoPropyl or our regular whisky/rum will suffice?
Cheers,

Chris

 

[cortezattic]

These days I use isopropyl -- cheap drugstore stuff. Sometimes I will revert to using gin.

 

[lochinvar]

I use Graves, 190 proof and cheaper than Everclear, with the cotton balls, as well as in my alcohol retort cleaner. The salt is a pain. Either way, what you save on estates is worth the extra elbow grease.

 

[andrew]

I use 99% iso and rock salt, no issues. I'll have to try the cotton ball next time though.

 

[smokeybear]

99% Iso and Cotton Balls All the way! works perfectly for me.

 

[disinformatique]

Awesome posts guys, I feel more wiser now with all the wonderful insights.
Cheers,

Chris

 

[instymp]

151 Bacardi rum

 

[disinformatique]

Trying the cotton and alcohol treatment today, its turning out great IMHO. I even stuffed the shank with cotton and got a little alcohol to trickle down there. The pipe I got has a clean bowl but the shank is another story, don't know if the bristle pipe cleaner will suffice.
Any recommendation on a drill bit will be appreciated, it is a 9mm Radford S Action Pipe made by Chacom.
Cheers,

Chris

 

[jarit]

The thing about the kosher salt is that it is presumably free of additives (such as the noted inclusion of iodides or iodates), and has a lower mineral content. Sea salt and some mined salts are generally very high in additional minerals--this contributes to their different taste characteristics

This is true, but I understand there's also an another good reason for recommending kosher salt for the salt/booze treatment -- namely its grain size and shape.
From wikipedia:
"The term "kosher salt" comes from its use in making meats kosher by removing surface blood, not from its being made in accordance with the guidelines for kosher foods as written in the Torah, as nearly all salt is kosher, including ordinary table salt. One salt manufacturer considers the term ambiguous, and distinguishes between "kosher certified salt" and "koshering salt": "koshering salt" has the "small, flake-like form" useful in treating meat, whereas "kosher certified salt" is salt that has been certified as such by an appropriate religious body."[1]
and:
Rather than cubic crystals, kosher salt has a flat platelet shape. Salt crystals are forced into this shape under pressure, or grown flat in an evaporative process. Kosher salt is usually manufactured with a grain size larger than table salt grains.[2]
The traditional use of kosher salt is for removing surface blood from meat by desiccation, as part of the koshering process for meat. The meat is soaked in cool water, drained, covered with a thin layer of salt, then allowed to stand on a rack or board for an hour. The salt remains on the surface of the meat, for the most part undissolved, and absorbs fluids from the meat. The salt grains are then washed off and discarded, carrying away the fluids absorbed.[3] Compare this process to full desiccation of meat, which yields salt-cured meat.
Salt isn't (at least not well) soluble to ethanol and therefore the grain size and shape contribute to how the salt / alcohol leeches the tars out of the bowl. In my experience kosher salt combined with high proof potable alcohol has worked easily the best for me. The worst combo I've tried was a a regular 40% vodka with fine grain table salt. The fairly slow evaporation and the high water content in the booze forms a crust on top and leaves a wet slush in the bowl for days. On the other hand, I feel that larger grained rock salt doesn't have enough surface contact with the wood. This could be just be just my own false conjecture, though.
Having said all this, I must admit that I now also use cotton balls instead of salt. It seems to work as well as kosher salt and is much easier to clean.