New Smoker Issues

[KDD]

Hi All,

I am new to smoking a pipe, just bought my first pipe (Savinelli Noce 626) received it and trying to break in. My issue is i cannot keep the pipe lit. Each puff needs a relight.
I am using Davidoff flake medallions.

First time i just rubbed them, filled the pipe losely to the top. took me about 10 minutes to finish the bowl but had to relight every single time. So i thought the Tobacco might be wet.

I let the pipe rest for 48 hours then put some tobacco out for an hour on a napkin to dry it. Same issue with the relights but this time the tobacco tasted nastier than the first time. I think i dried it alot.

Right now, i dont care about the taste as long as i learn to keep the pipe lit. And its not like im lighting, taking a puff and sitting back for a couple of minutes to take another puff. As soon as i puff the smoke out i need to relight again.

Now i need to wait for another 48 hours before i can light it up again?

Can anybody help?

 

[Sonorisis]

Run a pipe cleaner through the pipe, swab out the bowl with a wadded up paper towel and it's good to go. The tobacco needs much more than an hour to dry. Set it out overnight and try again.

 

[KDD]

I just tried again before reading your post,

This time i filled the bowl and tamped it down to about third of the bowl. I needed to relight less, i can see the tobacco lit but when i try to puff there is barely any smoke although the tobacco is lit, i need to puff quick hot puffs to get one smooth one then go through the same process few quick hot puffs and then a smooth one.

Maybe the tobacco is really wet, dont know if those flake medallions come like that. I will let the tobacco sit out for a day and then give it another try tomorrow. Just hope i dont burn the pipe. Its getting hot but feels warm on my cheek not hot.

Is it normal to start developing black marks in the bowl ? they dont feel rough or anything, very smooth and the cake is developing nicely.

 

[mso489]

I don't know that blend or cut, but I think you might do better starting out with loose tobacco, maybe an over-the-counter brand like Carter Hall or Prince Albert. I'd save cuts that require some preparation -- like flake, coin/medallion, plug, or rope -- for when you have mastered loose tobacco, one thing at a time.

 

[KDD]

I don't know that blend or cut, but I think you might do better starting out with loose tobacco, maybe an over-the-counter brand like Carter Hall or Prince Albert. I'd save cuts that require some preparation -- like flake, coin/medallion, plug, or rope -- for when you have mastered loose tobacco, one thing at a time.

I think i should do that, i will give it one more try tomorrow to see how it goes although im rubbing the flake into ribbons. As you said, ill get me some ribbon tobacco.

 

[ashdigger]

First thing to do is relax.

You need to make sure the tobacco is dry. That’s the number one beginners mistake.

YouTube is your friend. Plenty of great videos.

 

[jerseysam]

There's a thread from yesterday, "moisture issues", that talks about exactly what you are bringing up. It's likely less about moisture and more about pack.....check that thread out, and as MSO suggests trying to get the hang of ribbon first can help.

 

[gamzultovah]

I agree wholeheartedly with MSO. Start with something easy to load and easy to smoke like Lane 1-Q. You won’t be disappointed. Another easy to load and smoke tobacco is Peter Stokkebye Proper English. It comes dry to the touch, loads easy and smokes easy.

 

[gamzultovah]

Also, this...

 

[Old School 3319]

Make sure when you tamp down dont push let the weight of the tamper do the work. And as MSO said try some old codger blend Cater hall is great for beginners to learn with. no real need to dry it out.

 

[highwaycobbery]

If you are new to pipe smoking leave flakes and medallions alone. Try to find a true shag cut Virginia, don’t use a three pack method just loosely fill bowl to top gently push down and fill again. The last pinch push a little harder and you should be all set. Just remember, too loose is easier to fix than too tight

 

[bullet08]

Waiting 24 hours should be enough. There are those that will clean the pipe, dry out the moisture and go again. I'm not familiar with your pipe, but the pipe might be packed too loose and the ember is going out. First regarding tobacco drying. Don't just leave the tobacco and hope it will dry to perfection by itself. First few times you are smoking the blend, check the moisture level by taking good pinch between your thumb and index finger. When it's ready, it should feel dry. As to packing, if you give light pressure, it should give a little. Check the draw, it should be free draw, very little resistance if at all. Light the top of tobacco evenly all across.

 

[jpmcwjr]

There's a thread from yesterday, "moisture issues", that talks about exactly what you are bringing up. It's likely less about moisture and more about pack.....check that thread out, and as MSO suggests trying to get the hang of ribbon first can help.

Usually, other way around.

If the OP states where he's from, it might help in suggesting drying time/

 

[EvertonFC]

A lot of good advice already. Here are a few of the tips I picked up along the way:

• Stick with ribbon cut tobaccos. It's also a good idea to stick with just one ribbon cut tobacco, as to reduce the number of possible variables.
• Dry it out more than you think. Moisture brings about a "cool" feeling when you play with the tobacco between your fingers. Wait until the coolness has nearly dissipated before packing
• Pack it lighter than your intuitions would suggest. You can always tamp down more.
• Lightly tamp the ember whenever you feel the quantity of smoke dropping. In essence, you're returning the fire to the material you wish to burn
• Stick with it. Almost everyone takes a while to figure it out, as it's more art than science

Ultimately, if your tobacco is going out, it's either too wet, packed too tightly or not packed tightly enough. Err on the too wet and too tightly.

 

[KDD]

ok so i gave it 24 hours to dry.

A bit better than the day before, but i still needed to puff a bit faster to keep it lit. tasted nasty btw!! lol
i hope i didnt burn out my pipe.

I will be changing to a ribbon cut, i have ordered the peterson early morning. lets see how it goes.

 

[elnoblecigarro]

I would also like to give you a tip to keep it lit: if it's on the edge of going out put one or two fingers on top of your bowl and puff gently a few times. This is often enough to keep it going.

And as everyone said pack light. I packed two tight for two years when I started without even realizing it. Also don't take big fast puffs, these will only heat up the pipe unnecessarily.

Good luck, you will learn it and once you do, it will be much more relaxing.

 

[jerseysam]

ok so i gave it 24 hours to dry.

A bit better than the day before, but i still needed to puff a bit faster to keep it lit. tasted nasty btw!! lol
i hope i didnt burn out my pipe.

I will be changing to a ribbon cut, i have ordered the peterson early morning. lets see how it goes.

KDD, I think you're making a good move with trying ribbon first. My humble suggestion, try the light level-tap/pinch fill method talked about in the "Moisture Issues" thread and see if at least get's you through a bowl.

There are a lot of experienced pipe smokers on this board...many more so than I (I've been back to pipes for about two years now). My opinion only, I think moisture is more of an 'experts' issue. Moisture has typically impacted me in two cases.....rare cases where I struggle to get flame going on the tobacco to start and where I don't get the flavors I expect from a blend. When you are an experienced smoker who is really dialed in on flavors, I think moisture then becomes a noticeable factor in experience. But for newer smokers...there are many blends that smoke "fine" out of the tin or with 10-15 minutes of dry time spread out on a napkin/paper plate. If everyone had to dry for hours to some specific RH...very few folks would be doing this (or less then the few today )

The 'right' pack isn't complicated voodoo but it is a bit like getting the knack of starting a camp fire. Some logs and tinder...put in a dry seeming area...toss match and done, right? You learn quick you've got to set your tinder/smaller kindling a certain way, leverage larger logs for right airflow...pretty soon you've got an eye for what the right space/flow/kindling is and you can repeat without issue. Pipe tobacco has that moment where you learn the right 'spacing' of the pack (especially starting with ribbon) and it's off to the races. Most folks are following the "three fill/tamp" method and you get started OK because the top is that looser sprinkle...but everything beyond the first 1/3 or so is easy to become compressed too much. You re-light and puff, re-light and puff in rapid succsession....heat goes up, moisture draws out....doesn't stay light, get's wet, and tastes sour/ashy.

 

[Capt Morgan]

Good choice on the EMP, I got some in last night, but waited till the morning to try. With coffee in one hand and pipe in the other, I was blow away. I lit it once, false lite, lit it again, 3 good draws, and smoked it all the way to the bottom without a single re-lite. The EMP has a very nice natural flavor, and was good to go right out of the can, I didn't need to dry it at all. The bottom of the bowl was pretty dry too. Left a nice manly aroma in my beard too.

 

[anotherbob]

I just tried again before reading your post,

This time i filled the bowl and tamped it down to about third of the bowl. I needed to relight less, i can see the tobacco lit but when i try to puff there is barely any smoke although the tobacco is lit, i need to puff quick hot puffs to get one smooth one then go through the same process few quick hot puffs and then a smooth one.

Maybe the tobacco is really wet, dont know if those flake medallions come like that. I will let the tobacco sit out for a day and then give it another try tomorrow. Just hope i dont burn the pipe. Its getting hot but feels warm on my cheek not hot.

Is it normal to start developing black marks in the bowl ? they dont feel rough or anything, very smooth and the cake is developing nicely.

I think they come out of the tin smokeable. I bet your packing too tightly because coins and flakes really love expanding after you introduce flame too them. The relights are happening because there isn't enough air in the bowl to sustain burning not because the tobacco is too wet I mean you'll get relights but one or two or a million at the start (flakes and coins do that no big deal). This trick may work for you take two or three coins depending on your chamber size and kind of break it up a little bit and roll it into a ball that can be stuffed into the pipe and leave the bottom part with an air bubble maybe roughly about a third of the total room in the bowl. That isn't my favorite packing method but it's easy and seems to work well even though you'll be surprised when the bowl just suddenly stops smoking . Great choice on what tin to buy by the way it is one of the ones that doesn't get the mad love it deserves often enough. Though sometimes you have to search it out cause it's got mild supply issues. Right out of the tin it's one of the few blends I can smoke it down to that fabled fine white ash and I have no idea why but it does tell me it's not too moist from the tin.

 

[FurCoat]

I second MSO. I may be repeating what others have said, but a good initial charring light will help. Took me awhile to figure that one out.