Newby News - 1/8/22

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Old_Newby

Part of the Furniture Now
Jan 1, 2022
564
1,448
Texas
Some of you may not want me sharing so much but I decided to chronicle my experiences and learning as a new pipe smoker. Newby News is what I am calling it.

Today I started week 2 of this adventure and this morning I tried my second tobacco. My P&C order came in yesterday as well as a sample kit I received from a fellow member here. Right or Wrong I jared them all. Left all 1oz in plastic bags in the jar, but opened the 1.75 oz pouches and transferred to jars.

Week one I smoked SWRA but also battled the packing and lighting woes. This week I chose Captain Black Regular. Many of you gave me great packing and lighting advice after week 1 and today was much better.

Things I discovered today.

1) Packed bowl tighter and after char light I tampered well. After true light it only went out once. I had a good 20 minute burn. Much better today.

2) It went out at last 1/6 of bowl and after ash removal I lit again and it burned only another minute. Very little left in bowl. Just crumbs.

3) At this writing I don’t know if CBReg is a aromatic or not but I like it. The smell was a little medicine like. Not bad smell but if it were food I might NOT taste it. Of course I am so ignorant to tobacco this might just be how it smells. It’s not a pie.

4) The experience - I don’t know if it’s the tobacco or if I am learning how to smoke better. There were some occasional ash taste but coincided with lighting and puffing hard or at the very bottom of bowl. However most of my smoke was a pleasantly light sweet flavor with something else I don’t know what to call it. It burned so good I actually got to focus on my smoking technique.

5) What I discovered - I had an aha moment today. That pipe smoking is “delicate” endeavor. It’s not drawing, puffing, or even sipping as some describe it. For me it’s like smelling with your mouth. As if you lightly and slowly sniff a wines aroma. For the pipe you do the same soft gentle intake except it’s through the mouth. It’s as if the flavor is released and is riding the smoke, but if you draw just a little too hard it also pulls some burned ash flavor ruining the flavor. For me I discovered I wanted to barely barely barely cause the smoke to come into my mouth. When I did this it was amazing.. no ash flavor, just a good flavor. In addition for me I discovered if i do this with tip in lips but in front of closed teeth I taste sweetness better than if I have tip in mouth (behind teeth) where the smoke hits center of my tongue. It’s still good but the tip of my tongue is better suited for some flavors.

It was a great day of learning and tastes. I want to retry the SWRA again using this technique to confirm if it’s more technique or the tobacco?

My mild asthma has me worried because I am realizing it better to just breath normally rather than trying to avoid all the second hand smoke in the lungs.

Long Term Goal - to manage a good smoke but not think about smoking. To do it but free my mind to read, daydream, or contemplate other things, as i can do without smoking. I am sure this comes with time.
 

monty55

Lifer
Apr 16, 2014
1,725
3,573
66
Bryan, Texas
If and when you get the notion to move on from the Aero's, try a mild to medium English blend, like Low Country Cooper, then try a VA/Perique ... one of these may open your eye's and pallet to a whole new world you didn't know existed. You will start to taste creaminess and other nuanced flavors that will blow your mind. And they don't tend to bite or smoke hot like a lot of Aero's do. Good luck, have fun and enjoy!
 
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PipeIT

Lifer
Nov 14, 2020
5,088
30,332
Hawaii
You’re smoking the way I like; All about the flavor!

So, I too barely sip to get the full mouth flavor. I also barely light the tobacco, because to much fire/heat can destroy flavor.

I don’t smoke a pipe to keep it lit, I barely light the pipe, again I want maximum flavor/nuances experience, so after a few sips, I let it go out, let the pipe cool down, and start all over.

I’m not in a race, or in a hurry to smoke, I smoke for flavor!

I know there are a lot of smokers that can describe a vast amount of flavors and nuances, I just wonder if they’ve ever experimented with barely lighting the tabac, and only taking a few sips, going at it like a wine taster, then letting it go out and cool down, to then see if they notice more.

When I smoke this way, I always experience more that the tobacco has to offer.

Every time I’ve tried to keep a pipe lit, flavor has always diminished.
 
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tklee

Lifer
Dec 31, 2021
1,137
1,818
Malaysia
I am new too, I just smoked pipe for one month, and just joint this forum for 10 days ? . I now share my experience and learning curve ?
I used to put filter in my pipes, but don't know whether it's the weather here or the tobacco i smoke, the filter moisture a lot. After 1st bowl, the 2nd bowl will be a bit hard to draw, due to the moisture of the filter. But if i don't put filter, sometimes ash goes into my mouth. After that I tried to put a silver screen at the bottom of the pipe, and smoke without filter, now it tastes a lot better, and draw easily, and no ash goes to my mouth. Like i said, after each session, after i knock out the ash, I'll check and see how well it burn ?, from there, from the draw, from the light, i know whether i pack my pipe correctly or not.
When I started, 1 bowl could last me about 30 minutes, fully packed. But yesterday I followed exactly the gravity fill method, 1st small pinch (2 fingers), 2nd medium pinch (3 fingers), 3rd big pinch and storm the bunch of tobacco in the bowl, then only apply a bit pressure on it. That bowl last me about 45 to 50 minutes! ?.
But without filter, i find that the stem is more dirty after smoking. Mmm.... just gotta clean it more diligently. Pipe smoking is really a patience hobby. Not race to be the fastest, but race to be the slowest ?