Lacking in the packing?

[obc83]

Picked up a pouch of Half n Half recently and am thoroughly enjoying it. Pairing nicely with coffee and a clipboard, it has mostly supplanted Nutty Irishman as my morning smoke. More evidence, I suppose, of my pallette opening up to new and better things. Or whatever. One problem though; I can't keep it lit. In general I've started to get fairly proficient at the 3 step pack and having way more successful long burns than not. But with the HnH I'm wondering A) if I need to learn a new packing method and B) if I need to start drying it more. Intellectually I realize that you should usually, if not always dry your tabac. But emotionally, I really want to be able to pop that blue collar, chuck a pouch in my pocket and head out for the day. I may just be the pipe man's version of a basic b*tch, but I need the pipe to fill the same slot in my arsenal as cigs once did. Mobility and convenience being central to that notion. Anyway, sitting here now on my second Saturday morning bowl, I am noticing that a looser pack may just be the ticket but I'd love some insight. Also, for what it's worth I appreciate anyone who can stick out my long-form queries and see them as conversation fuel. I'm otherwise taking on these little pursuits all by my lonesome so any input is taken onboard. Tap thy keg of tradition and pour me an imperial pint.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

It seems like the three level pack is probably the worst advice given to new pipe smokers—it’s too easy to get wrong. Gravity filling and tamping to adjust the draw gives you a better chance at a consistent success rate.

 

[yanoJL]

Some time ago, a user on this forum shared a video (below) of a packing method that I often use, with success, on a few different blends. I find that the results of packing this way can produce a result similar to the "air pocket" method described by Fred Hanna in his book, but might be a little easier to execute.

 

[PA Piper Mike]

Let me start off with stating the obvious, everyone will have different methods as to what works best for them. That being said, I usually gravity fill mine to the brim, then gently use the thumb to tamp it down a little, then fill back to the brim and use my thumb again to tamp it down (gently again) so that it's about a 1/4 inch below the rim. Then I will test the draw (tamp again if needs be...rarely ever needed now) then light up and relax. I find using my thumb gives me a better "feel" for tamping down opposed to using a tamper when packing a bowl.

Regardless of all that, I will still have times where I will need multiple relights and that could be any number of factors...not drying the tobacco enough, very slow cadence, the cut of the tobacco, etc. Don't worry about relights, you aren't smoking a cigarette or cigar. This is a normal thing (unless you need to relight after every 3-4 puffs).

In the past, I used to try to get as much tobacco in my pipe as I possibly could so I could have a nice long smoke. I realized it was better to go less, with a looser pack and just smoke a 2nd bowl if I wanted more. Two 30 mins smokable bowls are much better than one 1 hr densely packed bowl.

 

[obc83]

Hm, thanks... so by gravity fill you guys mean to just sprinkle the tobacco in loosely? I've tried something like that I think, sort of making a funnel out of my thumb and forefinger and then tapping the bowl to settle it all in.

And thanks for the link Yano.

 

[PA Piper Mike]

Hm, thanks... so by gravity fill you guys mean to just sprinkle the tobacco in loosely? I've tried something like that I think, sort of making a funnel out of my thumb and forefinger and then tapping the bowl to settle it all in.

And thanks for the link Yano.

Gravity fill for me is either sprinkling it in (if I lay out some tobacco on my plate to dry out) or codger scoop it with putting the bowl in the jar and giving it a little tap.

 

[vosBghos]

Not much to say about packing and dry time and all but if you want a no-nonsense shuv it in your pipe and smoke it cause you want some nicotine ,I highly recommend Five Brothers. $5 bucks a pouch and it just works you can pack it tight as it's a shag , pure burley so plenty of Nic and good flavor. Not everyone's cup of tea but in the morning with coffee on a construction sight when you just gotta get things done I cant think of a more reliable pouch to have in the glovebox.

 

[sardonicus87]

Relights happen to the best of us, it's par for the course. Maybe 30% of the time I have no relight, the rest it's maybe 1-3 relights for the entire bowl (average sized bowl that holds 1 rubbed out flake), depending on the tobacco and a multitude of other factors.

I don't know if you're doing it or not, but tap out the ash occasionally. If the ash layer on top gets too thick, it'll go out. Nothing fancy here, just turn the pipe over and lightly tap the bottom with your index and middle finger. Takes half a second, still leaves some ash on top of the ember. Just flatten it back out after. Should only have to do this maybe 2 times through the whole thing.

Also, make sure you're drawing while you're tamping. Metal tampers pull heat from the ember and can make parts of it go out, never mind the act of tamping itself cutting off oxygen to that part of the ember.

But relights happen more than people talk about or like to admit. Unless you're having to relight every five minutes or something, then you might be doing something wrong.

 

[anotherbob]

some of the older blends only smoke good for me with a straight gravity fill. Sprinkle it in tap the heel until it's near the top of the chamber and no pressing down on the tobacco mixture 79 and egr are my two main ones that I have to smoke like that. Both seem to have chunkier ribbons then more modern blends.

 

[Sigmund]

Funny, must be in the air. Today I had packing problems with my smoke. It was ribbon cut. Ive been smoking flake lately. I overpacked it and it kept going out. It wss fine once I took a pipe tool to it. Some days its easy to be heavy handed.

 

[ThermionicScott]

It seems like the three level pack is probably the worst advice given to new pipe smokers—it’s too easy to get wrong. Gravity filling and tamping to adjust the draw gives you a better chance at a consistent success rate.

If it weren't for the apparent sincerity of pipe tobacco manufacturers recommending the 3-stage pack over the years, I'd assume it was just a long-running prank on newbies. It always resulted in tight spots and dottle whenever I tried it.

 

[RustiePyles CPG]

Codger scoop HnH, it burns hot n’ fast and needs lots of air. Just mindlessly dip your briar in the pouch and jostle it around until it’s a little over full and VERY lightly press it down. This is the way, with all codger blends. If you can do this without looking down, you’ve achieved codger level greatness. Three step is way to tight for nearly all tobacco unless you’re smoking a cob.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Above works for most blends at the right moisture level.

Rope, slices, plugs, cake etc., take additional steps to prepare.

 

[brian64]

One problem though; I can't keep it lit. In general I've started to get fairly proficient at the 3 step pack and having way more successful long burns than not. But with the HnH I'm wondering A) if I need to learn a new packing method and B) if I need to start drying it more. Intellectually I realize that you should usually, if not always dry your tabac. But emotionally, I really want to be able to pop that blue collar, chuck a pouch in my pocket and head out for the day.

In my experience, if it's not dry, it's not going to stay lit, no matter how you pack it. I know there are others here who say otherwise, but I guess the laws of physics just work differently for me. My only advice is dry it before attempting to smoke it.

 

[obc83]

Thanks guys, been packing a lot lighter since yesterday morning and it does seem to be helping. I also realized, as Sardonicus said, that I'm probably almost never ashing out my bowl. Don't know why but I kind of thought you weren't supposed to. Bit of a head slapper, that... I'm also in a ridiculously wet environment and at the moment living in a cabin with no temperature control, etc. So, whatever's outside is to a lesser degree, inside. Besides the rain, I'm not living in a box.

 

[obc83]

Codger scoop HnH, it burns hot n’ fast and needs lots of air. Just mindlessly dip your briar in the pouch and jostle it around until it’s a little over full and VERY lightly press it down. This is the way, with all codger blends. If you can do this without looking down, you’ve achieved codger level greatness. Three step is way to tight for nearly all tobacco unless you’re smoking a cob.

Thank you, I'll be hence forth chasing this paradigm. Not that I'm trying to seem nonchalant or anything...

 

[renfield]

Gravity fill and compress until the draw feels right works for me with most blends. Flakes usually get a fold and stuff but that doesn’t work for everybody.

 

[LeafErikson]

If you get a foldable tobacco pouch and keep it filled with whatever you’re smoking, it always kinda stays at the perfect moisture level. It always seems to dry out blends just a bit but not bone dry since there’s usually a good bit of tobacco in there. I’m surprised that isn’t working with you half and half pouch but I’ve never tried the blend.

 

[bullet08]

Gravity fill is just like three pinch method. You just don't shove it in with you thumb to pack it. Just drop in the tobacco, maybe.. just maybe tap it on the bottom to settle it. Drop in some more. Tap. Until the tobacco is at top. Then, very gently make sure the tobacco is pressed just enough it won't fall out. Don't force it down or anything. Whole idea is making sure there's plenty of space between the tobacco for air to move around and keep the ember alive. You rarely have to dry OTC, codger blends even if they feel little moist to touch.

 

[badbriar]

See if you can get jiminks and embers to weigh in here!