Liquid coming through stem

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youngsterpuffer

Starting to Get Obsessed
Sep 3, 2013
116
0
Okay guys so I have 2 briar pipes. THe rest are cobs or MM hardwoods (because of cost). So I was wandering, why do I get a nasty brownish liquid coming through the step every time I smoke a briar pipe? It only happens with briar, not cobs or hardwoods. It's like spit, but it isnt, I made completely sure not to let any get down the stem when I smoke. It's brown, tastes disgustingly bitter and sour, and ruins my relaxation time with my pipe. Why does this happen? I smoke 1Q, captain black, frog morton (worst culprit for this) and squadron leader.

 
It is condensation, which is a natural bi-product of combustion. You are getting this mainly in the briar, because the CC pipes have a more open draw. In the briar, you are puffing too hard. In my opinion, if you puff at all, this is too much. The draw should be very very slow, almost as if the pipe is smoking itself.
The stem acts as a condenser in an air conditioner, or a moonshine still. As the warm smokey air is drawn through a cool tube, it forces the water out of the smoke, making the smoke drier. The harder you pull the more liquid that gets removed from the smoke.
My suggestion is to smoke slower. In fact, with the clenching style (Breath Smoking) if you ever even see smoke, you are doing it wrong. I tend not to stand near people who puff with billowing swarms of smoke about them, lol. It's totally Ok if someone wants to smoke like that (to each his own), but in the world of men smoking pipes that I grew up in, someone with billowing smoke is someone who doesn't know what they are doing.
Slow down, and water will not be condensed as much in the stem.

 

nsfisher

Lifer
Nov 26, 2011
3,566
20
Nova Scotia, Canada
In the meantime mate, run a pipe cleaner through it several times during your smoke.

I don't sip, or let the pipe smoke itself, I smoke the durn thing and enjoy it, and have been doing so for 20 yrs.

 

pruss

Lifer
Feb 6, 2013
3,558
370
Mytown
Guessing here, but I'm thinking you may be smoking too fast. This heats up your pipe to chimney temperatures and pulls moisture from both briar and 'baccy resulting in a nasty sludge in your bowl. Consider drying your tobacco a bit before loading your bowl, and also slow down your cadence. Sip the smoke, don't puff it.
During a smoke, if you're getting moisture, run a cleaner down from bit to bowl to soak up some of that nastiness.
Good luck!
-- Pat

 

andrew

Lifer
Feb 13, 2013
3,042
400
That stuff mentioned above, but I'd say the main thing is your tobacco is probably not dry enough, considering you stated frog morton is the worst for it, and I find McC's tobacco's to come dripping wet and require quite a bit of drying time. I used to get this too until I learned the proper moisture to smoke at. Once you have the tobacco at the proper moisture the gurgling will be a thing of the past.

Also DO NOT take the pipe apart when you run a pipe cleaner down it, run it from the mouthpiece down or your stem will not fit anymore if you take it apart while it's still warm.

 

bryanf

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 16, 2013
742
8
Try smoking with your pipe angled downward slightly. Mid smoke put your thumb over the bowl and snap the moisture out the stem with a flick of your wrist. That's what I do.

 

rmbittner

Lifer
Dec 12, 2012
2,759
1,994
I'll also ask how often you smoke and how much drying time you allow your briars between "smoking days." I personally have no problems smoking the same pipe for 3-5 bowls a day, but then I let that pipe rest and dry out for at least a week. If your pipes aren't allowed to dry, then moisture is going to continue to build up like this.
If your tobacco is overly moist, you'll notice gurgling after just a couple of minutes of smoking. If the gurgling doesn't appear until much later, then you're either allowing moisture to travel down the stem as you smoke (a very common error) or, as others have said, you're puffing too much. If you have to puff hard just to keep the pipe lit, then you're either packing too tightly or, again, the tobacco is too wet to start with.
My guess is that it's a tobacco-moisture issue AND a puffing issue. Even an overly moist blend that's gurgling in the bowl should NOT result in you getting a mouthful of liquid unless you're really drawing hard. As others have said, don't be afraid to run a pipe cleaner through the pipe during a smoke.
Even though I don't follow Cosmic's guidelines, I definitely agree with his comment about "puffing." It's been said a lot here, but despite the common phrase of "puff a pipe," puffing is not something you want to do. It creates way too much heat. Slow draws are the best way to keep the pipe cool enough to handle and to keep the tobacco burning at a comfortable temperature. No blend tastes better when smoked fast.
Bob

 

puffdoggie

Can't Leave
Dec 14, 2013
398
0
All the above and make sure you properly clean the pipes between smokings. Bristle pipe cleaners can be very effective in helping to remove crud before the next smoke. Happy puffin',
Dave :puffy:

 

allan

Lifer
Dec 5, 2012
2,429
7
Bronx, NY
I must admit that when I began smoking pipes again after many years of cigar, the cigar puff transferred over to the pipe.
That did not work for me. The pipe got hot and moisture was excessive in the stem.
As others have said, slowing down the pace will certainly help in all ways and you will also find that you will enjoy it much more.

 
To clarify, there are as many ways of smoking as smokers. The clench style is just one. There are those that sip, those that puff, and those that may stick the stem up their noses for all I know, LOL. Who am I to judge another style, but the way I smoke works for me best.
All of the above sounds like plausible answers also. I might suggest Fred Hanna's book, The Perfect Smoke. There's lots of great insights on how the pipe works and styles of enjoying it.

 

youngsterpuffer

Starting to Get Obsessed
Sep 3, 2013
116
0
Thanks everyone. I will admit that I make that thing a chimney when I smoke. Always smoke coming from the bowl. It seems to be the only way to keep the tobacco lit. I'll try smoking slower but it seems that until I have time to sit down and smoke instead of smoking in my car, I will have to smoke my cobs to defend against moisture. Thank you for your input everyone

 
Ahhh, sounds like a packing issue also. Make sure before you light it, that the draw feels more like sucking soda through a straw, not a milkshake, nor an empty cup. There are techniques for packing your bowl all over the place here, but all in all, its whether you have the right amount of draw on the pipe.

 

youngsterpuffer

Starting to Get Obsessed
Sep 3, 2013
116
0
Could be. Normally I just pinch the tobacco and drop it in the bowl and push it down a little, and repeat until the bowl is full.

 

youngsterpuffer

Starting to Get Obsessed
Sep 3, 2013
116
0
Lostandfound if I'm gonna do that I gotta find a lighter tobacco. Been smoking too strong of tobacco and my nose is not prepared for that. Lol

 
For me, I find that a stronger blend gives me more flavor in the smoke, so I'm not tempted to tug a little puff out of it to get more flavor. So for me, the heavier blends are better for working in the garden or fishing, where I can just keep the pipe in a clench.
I love the light Virginias, but I tend to find myself just puffing harder to get more flavor and end up getting a tad scalded.

But hey, there's no rules. Throw some gas on that dottle and burn it down, lol. It just depends on what you enjoy.

 

rogermugs

Might Stick Around
Mar 10, 2013
61
0
Alternatively you could do what I do. That is, own Briar so you're not uninformed. And never smoke anything but MM ever again.
Every once in a while I pull out a briar, and ever 15th smoke in a Briar i have a great smoke. But my MM's are great every. single. time. I really don't understand why people smoke anything else (other than the whole thing about you paying more for it actually makes you enjoy it more....)

 

petes03

Lifer
Jun 23, 2013
6,212
10,653
The Hills of Tennessee
Ahhhh........the dreaded JUICE!!!

Good advice has been given already. Just pay attention to how you prep, and pack your pipe. Make sure you get a good charring light and true light, smoke slowly, tamp as needed (and gently), run a pipe cleaner down the stem as needed, give your briar pipes a day of rest per bowl smoked, and life will be good!

 

rmbittner

Lifer
Dec 12, 2012
2,759
1,994
roger:
To each his own. To me, cobs are disposable pipes that you only smoke when you don't care what happens to them or what you put into them; they aren't trusted friends that will go with you for the rest of your life -- which, for me, is what a briar or a meerschaum is. I'd much rather encourage someone to put their money into a pipe that will grow and change with them through the years -- deepening in color and flavor, even as it helps them learn how to care for a pipe.
I'm not anti-cob. . . just not pro-cob.
Bob

 
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