My three rules of pipe smoking

[augiebd]

I think there is good advice on a few fronts here. When I first started smoking a pipe I tried to figure out he “rules” and tended to overthink things a bit or a lot. Depended on the day and number of relights or amount of tongue burn. I gave up on trying to get everything just right and found things went better, so keeping it simple, was advice that helped me. The biggest problem I had and still suffer from at times is packing too tight, especially the bottom half of the bowl. I do find that if I pack too tight even sipping and dry tobacco won’t save me from relights and a hot smoke.

 

[chilllucky]

Pack it. Light it. Shut up.
Also from Utah Phillips: "that's the funny things about laws, judge. Good people don't need 'em and bad people'll just break 'em anyways."

 

[jpmcwjr]

The biggest problem I had and still suffer from at times is packing too tight, especially the bottom half of the bowl. I do find that if I pack too tight even sipping and dry tobacco won’t save me from relights and a hot smoke.

If your tobacco is dry enough, you really have to try to pack it too tightly. Nor will you need "techniques".

 

[hawky454]

I like ashdigger’s rules! :clap:

 

[danimalia]

One of the great human traditions is the passing on of knowledge to subsequent generations. I suspect we've all benefited from this type of thing, and were thus spared from learning some lessons the hard way. And of course, we're all free to disregard that advice at our pleasure or risk of peril.

 

[shayde]

My 3 rules:
1. Always look cool.

2. Don’t get caught by the wife.

3. In the event you get caught by the wife refer back to rule #1.
Unfortunately my wife isn’t the most appreciating of my passion for pipes and my insatiable addiction to vitamin N.

 

[tobefrank]

One thing that helped me a lot as a beginner was the idea that the draw should feel like drinking through a straw.
This generally results in a good pack for me, but I have also noticed that it helps to pack lighter when smoking flakes that may expand a bit after lighting.

 

[haparnold]

My philosophy of pipe smoking is similar to my philosophy when rock climbing:
1. Have Fun

2. Look Cool

3. Safety Third

 

[railman]

Of all the how-to videos on YouTube, the good, the bad, and the ugly, I’ve never really seen one that discusses drying down tobacco before trying to smoke it. Most go directly from “choosing a tobacco” right to “packing and lighting” skipping right over the step of drying the tobacco. I’d think video would be a great way to demonstrate the “pinch test.”
I did some experiments with a hygrometer and was quite surprised how dry tobacco can feel and yet still be at 65% RH. Some people can smoke fairly wet but I don’t have the tongue to tolerate it and following rule #1 has greatly improved my experience.

 

[husky]

Why is tobacco so moist when you buy it? Is it to allow the flavours to marry?

Depending on where you are and the season, indoor relative humidity is around 40-50%

so tobacco left to air dry will not get any dryer.

I should be able to just leave the tin open? What am i missing?

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

I'm the same as hawky454 and thereby will follow to Ashdigger's advice

 

[jpmcwjr]

Gents-
You've hit the nail on the head. Tobacco is tinned and shipped moist so no one can complain it's too dried out when they get it. And water is cheaper than tobacco. Those are the cynical reasons. Perhaps the tobaccos marry a bit in the tin. In the old days "tins" weren't as well sealed as they are today. Materials are better. Some of the reason is just that's the way it's always been done.
So, what to do? You're right that feel alone is hit and miss, unless you're smoking just one or two blends and so know what the right moisture is by feel. My house is ca. 50-60% RH, so leaving a tin open for some time works for me. I use small hygrometers to dry down a jar of tobacco to about 65% RH. Below 55% I get concerned. Once it hits 60%, I close the mason jar and know that I have a bunch of a blend ready to go. Some in bail tops, some in regular mason style jars. (Ball and Kerr to be exact, as well as Mason brand).
These hygrometers are under five bucks and can be had on Amazon. I can't recommend them highly enough for those who are trying new blends, or have a large rotation of tobaccos.

 

[railman]

Jpmcwjr, great advice on the hygrometer. It’s a more scientific method of testing moisture, and done more easily than trying to determine moisture by weight.
Many have probably seen this article by G. L. Pease about moisture but if not it’s an interesting read. At the end in the notes he compares RH to MBW.

http://pipesmagazine.com/blog/out-of-the-ashes/dust-in-the-wind-a-primer-on-tobacco-moisture/

 

[sablebrush52]

Why is tobacco so moist when you buy it? Is it to allow the flavours to marry?

Partly it's to promote marrying of the flavors of the component tobaccos. Partly it's to help against the tobacco drying out in the tin before the tin is opened. Keep in mind that few tins are actually sealed 100%. They're mostly leaking very slowly from the moment they're sealed. Cutter tops were great for long term storage, seven years and beyond. Square and rectangular tins are not.

Depending on where you are and the season, indoor relative humidity is around 40-50% so tobacco left to air dry will not get any dryer.

That can be an issue in many locations. If you have a desk lamp with a flexible neck you can place a dish with tobacco near the light source to gently evaporate the moisture. Years ago there were tobacco warming plates one could buy for just such a purpose. And you can zap it in your microwave, though I personally don't like the effect superheating the tobacco has on it's flavor.

I should be able to just leave the tin open? What am i missing?

I don't see that you're missing anything, but leaving a tin open in a highly humid area isn't going to help it dry. I live in a dry climate, so opening a tin and letting it dry works quite well for me as long as I remember to stir the tobacco in the tin every 30 to 60 minutes or so to redistribute the drier leaf with the moister. You can also leave the top slightly ajar, which will slow the drying process, but help mitigate against the top level of tobacco drying out too much before the rest of the tin dries down.
In any case, it all depends on what you want your smoking experience to be. Indoor smokers have an easier time of it because they're sitting in a cloud of their smoke that they can smell, so the level of technique doesn't have to be all that high. Outdoor only smokers need to have a higher level of skill if they're going to taste what the blend has to offer. That's when moisture levels become more critical.

 

[yuda]

My rules are more for everyone else that isn't a pipe smoker.

1. Don't bother me.

2. Stop asking if that's really tobacco in my pipe.

3. Ask nicely and I may let you have a few puffs.

4. Don't bother me.

 

[ukbob]

I’ve only got one enjoy.

 

[odobenus]

A few of my (guidelines):

1. Smoke in the house only if wife is out of town for at least 3 days.

2. Smoke only when I've got the time to enjoy it (alternately: make the time).

3. Smoke only my favorites.

 

[winton]

Everyone is missing the most important rule!
DON'T SET YOUR BEARD ON FIRE!!!

 

[thomasmartin]

Thanks for all the replies to my post. For those who where offended by my using the word „rules” I wish to point out that I specified these being MY rules. They apply to me only. I just wanted to share them because they may help a novice pipe smoker. In fact, if I had known them when I started to smoke a pipe some 30 years back, they would have spared me from a lot of trouble.

 

[gatorlope]

We know that... and you’re right, but between the anarchists, pirates and rugged individualists, it’s been a fun post!