There's one I would have to contest. Frequent tamping can keep an ember going long after you would think it had gone out. Tamping in many cases can completely replace the need for relights.
Making Bowl Last Longer
- Thread starter TheWhale13
- Start date
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I think some hymns might... er, uh, make the "fire" go out.
I think I used to hear something about puppies...
Interesting because i tamp all the time, that was one that is in the beginners thread, maybe i'll pull it out of my version, i thought it was just standard and that i was the one that tempted too much.
There's a constant battle of the heat expansion of the tobacco lifting the ember from the unburned contents. Using the weight of the tamper frequently while drawing quickly solves the issue.
I'll smoke a Dunhill Group 6 size bowl in an hour 30 minutes, it certainly lasts longer than a Pipes Magazine Radio Show episode. Seldom relighting the bowl during smoking and just taking my own sweet time with it.
John72 makes some very valid points.
John72 makes some very valid points.
Heat expansion of the tobacco, formation of the ash cap, and frequent tamping limit the airflow to the point that its not burning quickly. More happens to aid in the smoking than does in the preparation.
How to use up those small grains of tobacco.For what it's worth... I find I get the longest smoke from a plug cut (aka cake) tobacco. My technique is to fill the pipe "almost" to the top while trying not to leave any voids in the tobacco. I then check the draw. If it's good to go I move to the final step.
Now, some may think this is a good or bad idea, but hey, works for me. Plug cuts burn nicely after you get them lit, the problem is the lit part, as they are hard to get going. I pick another blend that has similar smoking characteristics but is a finer cut, give the jar a few shakes to make the smallest grains go to the bottom. I know, I could just grind some of the plug real fine, guess I like the contrast. Then I fish some of those small grains out and top off the bowl with them. They act like kindling when building a fire because they light easily and they will help get the plug burning.
View attachment 151003
When your tobacco jar is getting low, tilt it 45 degree to one side and gently shake. This will make the small grans fall to the bottom. Left image.
Then tilt it to the other side gently and the small grains should appear along the upper rim of the tobacco. You can use your fore finger and thumb to get them. Right image.
How you can use them as a topping for the bowl without them clogging the pipe's draft hole.
Agree. And to add to this..
No need to scrape the sides in an effort to keep a level ash surface.
Just press on the center when tamping - addressing only the ember.
The sides may be a bit higher than the center but will soon crumble and catch.
I actually tamp around the center and build a dome.