No More Tongue Bite

[Petros]

Hi guys, i am a relatively new pipe smoker, 2 years now, and i have tried more than 60 blends so far. There are a lot of blends that i like, but only a handful made my rotation because of the dreaded tongue bite. Even with those in my rotation, i would still get a nasty tongue bite that would last days.
I have tried everything, biotene, smoking slow, the breath method, pipes with longer stems. Lately i found something that really works and since i tried it i never suffered from tongue bite, no matter what blend i smoke or how hard i smoke.
The solution is this: Dissolve 1 teaspoon of baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) in half a glass of water, preferably warm water so it gets dissolved, with half a teaspoon of salt. After smoking a bowl that you think will cause you a tongue bite, sip some of the solution, leave it a while on your tongue and spit it.
This is it. If you got a bad tongue bite just do it 3-4 times during the day and by next day your tongue will be fine. Sometimes i do this without the salt and i drink the solution, an old home remedy that help with us suffering from GERD.

 

[anotherbob]

You know people say they smoke slow but if they're getting tongue bite they probably aren't smoking slow. For example if baking soda is helping that means it's a chemical reaction that is being absorbed by the baking soda. And if that many blends are giving you that chemical reaction you're smoking hot. Even if you smoke slowly you could be over lighting too. The thing I've found is the same sip that works for smoking works for lighting and you can tell if you're doing it correctly because the lighter or match flame will only pull down slightly (more bulge at the bottom) instead of going into the tobacco.

 

[Petros]

You know people say they smoke slow but if they're getting tongue bite they probably aren't smoking slow. For example if baking soda is helping that means it's a chemical reaction that is being absorbed by the baking soda. And if that many blends are giving you that chemical reaction you're smoking hot. Even if you smoke slowly you could be over lighting too. The thing I've found is the same sip that works for smoking works for lighting and you can tell if you're doing it correctly because the lighter or match flame will only pull down slightly (more bulge at the bottom) instead of going into the tobacco.

I used to do that in the beginning, but now i am not letting my pipe get hot. Of course some blends are so tasty, i can't help myself. I am still working on my technique though.
You are right though, i am not lighting it the right way, most of the times the flames goes deep into the bowl. Thanks for the advice.

 

[anotherbob]

I used to do that in the beginning, but now i am not letting my pipe get hot. Of course some blends are so tasty, i can't help myself. I am still working on my technique though.
You are right though, i am not lighting it the right way, most of the times the flames goes deep into the bowl. Thanks for the advice.

Figuring out how to light a pipe was certainly a process. Also using wooden matches, a soft flame lighter, or a zippo makes a big difference too.

 

[mso489]

I seem to have decidedly better luck with non-aromatic blends than aromatic. You still have to slow down, sip don't puff, etc., but it worked for me. More tobacco forward aromatics also do better for me than flavoring forward.

 

[olkofri]

Keep in mind: tongue bite is NOT the same as tongue burn.

Normally, we just let the term slide and take it to mean "a sore tongue", but when it comes to suggesting remedies we must differentiate. Tongue bite can occur no matter how slow and cool you smoke if your mouth chemistry and pH react strongly to a given tobacco/blend. It's not inherent to aromatics: it can happen with ANY blend if your body chemistry doesn't like it. Part of the learning process of pipe smoking is sussing out what agrees with you and what not, and then avoid of find a way to tame the latter.

Not knocking your home remedy off, @Petros; just clearing something up.

I'm taking note of the remedy. I might need to use it in the future. Biotene, aloa vera juice, drinking whilst smoking, and all those suggestions never worked for me either.

 

[SlowerThanMost]

Keep in mind: tongue bite is NOT the same as tongue burn.

Normally, we just let the term slide and take it to mean "a sore tongue", but when it comes to suggesting remedies we must differentiate. Tongue bite can occur no matter how slow and cool you smoke if your mouth chemistry and pH react strongly to a given tobacco/blend. It's not inherent to aromatics: it can happen with ANY blend if your body chemistry doesn't like it. Part of the learning process of pipe smoking is sussing out what agrees with you and what not, and then avoid of find a way to tame the latter.

Not knocking your home remedy off, @Petros; just clearing something up.

I'm taking note of the remedy. I might need to use it in the future. Biotene, aloa vera juice, drinking whilst smoking, and all those suggestions never worked for me either.

100%. Thats one of the things I love about pipe tobacco, and why i like to read other peoples reviews. Everyone tastes and reacts to blends differently. Reading reviews by other people on blends that I enjoy make me search for flavors i have yet to find, but also may never find.

 

[ofafeather]

I’ll echo @olkofri - try to clarify where you’re getting the irritation from. “Bite” is a chemical burn usually from smoke that is alkaline but other chemical irritations are possible. If it is that, drinking something acidic while smoking can help. I get that from many MacBaren blends. The problem is, other things can happen at the same time. Blends with added sugar can have the sugar burn first so even when smoking slow and cool the sugar is burning hotter than the leaf. Then there’s moisture - too much and the burn is retarded and people puff harder to compensate resulting in steam burns. Too little and the tobacco can burn too fast and hence hotter. Moisture trapped in the bottom of the bowl can trap flavor also making puffers puff harder to try to get more. Lots of variables. I would say start with one simple blend - not a heavy aromatic. Dry it somewhat - depending on the type of blend, and maybe try different moisture levels. Check your packing. Maybe a little dryer and looser than you might think to start. Smoke it exclusively for a while and change one variable at a time.

 

[Toast]

I also think ash management can play a part.

Ash is an amazing insulator, its the stuff that won't burn after all. So for a smoker who likes to keep a tiny ember alight for hours, not dumping the ash really helps.

If you smoke faster though, dumping the ash will help more heat to dissipate.

It's, like everything pipe related, a balancing act. What works for one person might not for another.

 

[Chasing Embers]

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Sounds like a chemical reaction that you're neutralizing with your home cure.

 

[kurtbob]

Sounds like a chemical reaction that you're neutralizing with your home cure.

100% agree. I can smoke anything, and I mean ANYTHING and have no problem. Load up a bowl of Granger and......BAM?

 

[olkofri]

The way I cut the tongue bite once was to eat a very hot and spicy wrap after smoking. Tongue bite that woulda lasted the whole day and beyond gone after the meal.

 

[brian64]

The way I cut the tongue bite once was to eat a very hot and spicy wrap after smoking. Tongue bite that woulda lasted the whole day and beyond gone after the meal.

Makes perfect sense to me...I always recommend gargling with Tabasco for tongue bite.

 

[olkofri]

Makes perfect sense to me...I always recommend gargling with Tabasco for tongue bite.

Even better: throw your head back and pour a few drops down your nose: you'll forget any mouth vexations, guaranteed!!

Hmm, maybe that'd be an effective remedy for the thing currently going around everyone's afraid of. ?

 

[kcghost]

What ever works is okay by me.

 

[ofafeather]

Even better: throw your head back and pour a few drops down your nose: you'll forget any mouth vexations, guaranteed!!

Hmm, maybe that'd be an effective remedy for the thing currently going around everyone's afraid of. ?

Sounds like a cure for a lot of things!

 

[Civil War]

Sounds like a chemical reaction that you're neutralizing with your home cure.

I agree, everybody's chemistry is different. I've been smoking pipes since college and for the last 30 years I have had to manage some level of tongue bite no matter what technique I try, or how I prepare the tobacco, or what I do after smoking a pipe. It's ok, a slight irritation (sometimes not so slight) is a price I am willing to pay to enjoy my pipes. I'm not a masochist, I don't enjoy pain, but the pleasure I get from smoking my pipes outweighs the slight irritation I get.

Petros, thanks for the home remedy, I'll give it a try.

By the way, I have a buddy who has never been to the dentist and has never had a cavity. He brushes daily and takes care of his mouth. I on the other hand go to the dentist twice a year, brush and floss twice a day and I still get cavities from time to time. Just different body chemistries.

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

Thanks for the useful tip, then If You got a chance ,you might wanna try these falcon pipes,preferably with meerschaum bowl, put some some meershaum chips /philtpad in the bottom of the chambe, then load it up with either Condor or say Ennerdale mix,and I bet You,You' will encounter no tongue bite whatsoever afterwards

 

[cosmicfolklore]

When I first started, my tongue cracked open after a chemical burn from the tobacco, and I fried my sinuses or glands in my throat. I found a jug of aloe juice at the pharmacy, and started gargling with that till I felt better. Then I just worked on slowing way down, further and further.
But, if that works for you, then great.

After a while you get a bit of leather tongue, like a cat's tongue. Mrs. Cosmic doesn't complain.