Managing the Cherry - Keeping the Ember

[fireink]

I was curious what others' techniques for keeping the cherry both going and at the right burn are. Apart from rhythmic sipping and propper lighting, I use two techniques:
To manage the cherry when pulling I create suction by covering the bowl with two fingers and letting the air jet between them (occassionally lifting to provide a greater burst of air) to manage the cherry's depth.
I also intermitently blow lightly through the stem to feed the cherry. I eye the smoke, taking note of its color and denseness or fullness. I look for a touch of white in the smoke. Too white, and I let it rest for a moment before I continue sipping. If it is too white and thick, I anticipate a soft bite, or an increase in spicyness to present itself if I continue sipping along on my merry way. So, as I mention before, I allow it the cherry to cool and calm for a moment (or as long as I can resist) before regaining sipping rhythm again.
Also, the smoke from light blow informs me of the both the location and the overall size (and sometimes even depth) of the cherry, so if I find that I do have to relight, I know where to find the unsmoked tobacco beneath the ashes. I look for both swirl, thickness, quantity and diffusion of smoke.
I find that taking these things into consideration really allow for a regulation of the smoking process, decrease chance of wetness, mitgate control for moisture of the tobacco, and insure that the magic 'sweetspot' we all seek is held onto for the longest part of the smoke.
I was curious if others do the same, if you have different techniques, if you just let it go out and relight, or puff-puff-puff like a train, or if have any other signs and symbols you seek in the clowdy augar that is the smoke of our shared and decadant pleasure?

 

[nathaniel]

I used to work hard towards my technique when I started some years ago... but now I just put fire to the leaf and smoke. It comes with some practice of course. And a good amount of burnt taste buds, but eventually one just gets the feel for it all; drying, packing, lighting, tamping, cadence etc... It all just kinda "happens" for me now.

I think I'm going on 5 years now... and still loving it. But I do enjoy reading about technique often enough.

 

[pstlpkr]

Fireink you might find a tid-bit you can take to heart in the following musings:
Slow Smoking

Setting the Benchmark

Practice Pipe Selection...

::

 

[fireink]

Yeah, the 'technique,' I suppose, appears very involved, but it is really only a glance and a taste. Not at all "hard work." Tamping is rarely, if ever needed. Perhaps the reason I bring it up is because this method gives me at least 45 mins to an hour (sometimes more) before the chance for the bacca to start even considering in its little smoldering soul about heading towards relight territory, also, as said above, it greatly increases the sweetspot.
It's my feeling that the habits of puffing or sipping or cherry management are at least on par if not, by nature of the mode of pleasure, of greater importance than pack and light methods (which one should do well, no matter their preference). To truly have full pleasure (which is wholly subjective, person-to-person), sucking it down or puff puff puff doesn't get the job done--and can kill the artisanship of the tobacconist's work we pay to get. I rarely have to tamp until past the half way point of the bowl, and then only to incorporate the unburt stuff.
In my opinion, this is the more passive and relaxed method than having to put the book, carving knife, pen/pencil down, reach for a tamper or match/lighter or any tool one might employ in the tending of the cherry-spirit-souled nicotiana tabacum so loved. I did that for months before i began to treat the whole thing like breathing life into just lit campfire tinder. Bacci's that once tasted mediocre to ok now give up the spirit of their art, and color whatever task I am at with a side note (albeit splendid experience) of sensual pleasure.

 

[fireink]

Lawrence,
Thanks for the articles, love reading into others' insights. This article, "setting the benchmark" is on the bulls eye. While I never focused so hard, over time, in the early stages, the learning curve was quite akin to this analogy of the concert. Yes, to sit with a pipe and receive a concerto from the bit is the potential we all have with every smoke. Wonderful writing.

Cheers

 

[papipeguy]

Goota go with marc on this one. After 40 years of piping I give it little thought.

 

[ace57]

Baskerville59,+1

 

[romeowood]

I find I pay most attention to cadence when first sampling a blend, and I usually do it under as undistracted a setting as possible. From then on I'm pretty comfortable knowing how a blend smokes and adjusting cadence to the pipe. Agreeing that with repetition comes unconscious acuity, I also appreciate the zen-like communion with the cherry necessary for the slow-smoke approach. Thanks for the input, fireink, and great articles, Lawrence (how did I miss those?), I'm all for anything that will help inform my gustatory enjoyment! :clap:

 

[pstlpkr]

I'm with you guys on this one....

However; when it comes to THE "Slow Smoke"... braggin' rights is worth a little extra practice.

I gotta take down Raymond.

::

 

[olderthandirt]

Kudos fireink for putting this thread out.

While some may have no need for this discussion as they've perfected their practice over the years, there are many new smokers on this pipe discussion forum that will gain new insights from threads like this.
What you outline in the OP is very similar to an article by Paul Szabady, Breath Smoking. After reading this article my relights were reduced but more importantly my enjoyment increased tremendously.

 

[tslex]

"regulation of the smoking process".
Wow. Really?
I work in a very contentious, high-pressure, detail-oriented, process-driven profession.
So when I get a chance to relax with a pipe I, ya know, relax with a pipe.
But different horse for different courses as they say.
enjoy.

 

[fireink]

For me too much lighting puts too much heat on the bacca.
And, I have to admit, while it sounds involved, it is as passive as any other way to smoke (if not more so) and just as relaxing. It's surprising with all the discussion and thought put behind rolling out, packing, lighting, filling, collecting of pipes, tobacco analysis, cellaring, etc... there is so little talked about in this subject, as it is the actual process of smoking. Something that makes or breaks the experience.
As far as I take it, this is the more passive, less involved way to smoke, as I just light, put it in the teeth and bite down, reaching for the tamp rarely. (Actually, just put down an hour bowl with only one relight all the way to the bottom). There is nothing really contentious about it at all apart from the language. The tamper and relight are the annoyance and after thought in this method. Perhaps I should have named it, to tamp or not to tamp--a technique to avoid repeated lights.
The post really just sought to provide insight into something that new smokers (as olderthandirt put it) might be wondering about. I smoke when I drive, read, work, and walk, and if I could do it when I ran I would. I think what sounds technical is the prose of the subject. I hope that people might provide a little more depth on the subject, as I know quite a few seasoned smokers who still experience bite and constant relight when they could be, as I see it, sitting back and relaxing without having to reach for tools so often, soaking up the sweetspot at lenght.
I must apologize for the techincial prose and specificity of the post, as I am a writer by trade and education. Often one reads a post about 'processes' and the language guides but without the nuance to convey the actual experience of the process itself. I failed to make it seem not so unlike a science project.
Puffs and Cheers.

 

[cyndi]

When I first read this thread I was all "pfft, I don't need to watch my stinkin' cherry!" Then I was in line waiting to get the kids from school, windows down, enjoying the newly fall weather (at 83 degrees) and the stinkin' cherry flew out of my pipe and into my pants.
Now I will pay attention to the cherry: that it stays in the damn pipe where it belongs!

 

[spartan]

I'm sure you'll find that the geeky science project oriented community here is enormous.
If you wish, please continue with the very technical posts. Many of us here are but students hoping to learn from the more experienced.

 

[seanz]

this has given me some good food for thought. so much that i am off to smoke a bowl and watch my cheery.

:D

 

[nbpiper]

Since I'm still new to smoking and working on my technique, I found a couple of things from this post interesting. I've started lightly blowing through the stem as you suggested and found that I can keep it lit for a bit longer now than usual. Can't say I do much else, but its starting to come along.

 

[dburrows]

I work in a very contentious, high-pressure, detail-oriented, process-driven profession

I do as well.

So when I get a chance to relax with a pipe I, ya know, relax with a pipe.

For many, I'd imagine, the whole process of smoking a pipe is relaxing. I basically follow much the same formula that fireink discussed and I've seen many others do as well. The more you smoke, the more unconscious the process is.