On Smoking Slowly and the Benefits...

[OverMountain]

I am guilty of smoking to fast and hot. Thank you for this experience and insight, it is appreciated.

If you follow this advice you are about to go to flavor town doc.

 

[kqdog]

It has been 8 years since I have posted a thread about the benefits of slow smoking. I took a break to let other smokers step up and address this issue. But, I notice that a lot of new posts can easily be summed up with taking notice that smoking slow is the goal.

So, here is goes...

The Benefits of Slow Smoking

For guys who didn’t grow up around other pipe men, and watching the experienced smoker ssssllllloooooooowwwwllllyyyy sipping away at their pipes, it might take a lot of trial and error to figure out that almost every problem you might encounter from smoking a pipe would come from just smoking too fast. How fast is too fast? I’d say that you just can’t slow down enough. When you think you are going as slow as possible, slow down even more. I see guys making large billowing clouds of smoke, and if you are into smoking just for the visual effects of making clouds, then keep on, more power to you. However, here are some of the benefits to slowing down and keeping the clouds minimal.

Taste is affected by how slow you smoke. When you get a really flavorful tongue pleasing taste of tobacco, it is not coming directly from the smokes and combustion. This is cigarette mentality. What you taste is the surrounding tobacco to the combustion heating up and giving off its essential oils. This goes for aromatics, latakia blends, to Virginias. Slowing down and not allowing the full width of the bowl to cherry up, is giving the surrounding tobacco time to heat up and give off its flavor before combusting into smoke. Plus, if you are just allowing smoke to drizzle into your mouth, you are giving the flavor time on your tongue, enjoy that flavor, relish in it. Puffing harder faster doesn’t give you more flavor, just more smoke. In fact the harder and faster you draw the smoke in, the more your flavor receptors on your taste buds will get overloaded and overheated. Slow down and sense every nuance of flavor the experience provides.

Thusly, by heating surrounding tobacco to have them release their essential oils, you also speed up the cake process and breaking in of a pipe. The oils and tars are released and get pushed to the inside of the chamber. The faster you smoke, the more you increase the temperature of combustion, destroying those oils that are needed to cake the bowl. So, smoking faster does not help you break in a pipe nearly as much as just slowing down. I realized this when I started practicing for a slow smoking contest. As I limited my puffing and just allowed the smoke to drizzle into my mouth, I noticed that I had to scrape my pipes much more often than I did the years I had been smoking at a moderate (too fast) a rate.

You don’t get more nicotine from smoking faster. This is cigarette mentality also. You are only pulling in nicotine from the small blood vessels of the mouth and sinuses, unless you are inhaling. And, you may be inhaling because you are smoking too fast, not giving your blood vessels time to absorb. The pipe hobby delivers nicotine much slower than cigarettes. You have to go slow and allow the nicotine time to pass through the walls of your skin and blood vessels. Stretching a small bowl out to an hour gives you way more nicotine than a large bowl huffed in thirty minutes. No one celebrates smoking faster. This is why we have slow smoking contests. Smoking fast is just a neophyte behavior. If you want the full benefits of smoking a pipe, then stretch that experience out as long as you can. This is what makes the nicotine reaction in our bodies different and more relaxing than that of the cigarette smoker’s. We actually process way more nicotine, but only over a much longer period of time.

Your pipe will smoke better the slower you smoke. Whether a bent or straight pipe, it has the potential to gurgle if smoked too fast. Gurgle comes from condensation formed from temperature and pressure changes, like the condensation coils on your air conditioner or the copper coils on a moonshine still. I hear, so often, people suggest drying out aromatics to reduce condensation. It seems logical, but you are removing all of the flavor toppings by doing that. And, bone dry non-aromatics have just as much potential to gurgle a pipe, because the natural bi-product of combustion is H2O. Drying out a tobacco will not solve the problem. Air pressure is most affected by turbulence. This is why well-made straight pipes don’t tend to gurgle, and a well-made bent pipe can. Curving the flow, rough surfaces inside the stem, small diameter holes, and drawing too hard by puffing, increases turbulence. You can actually take a gurgler of a pipe and just slow way way way down and get way more enjoyment from that pipe in flavor, nicotine, and a gurgle-free experience.

Live slowly. The reason for the boom of the cigarettes over the pipe came, when we were persuaded that we needed to rush, rush, rush to make a living and get everything that needs to be done, done. All of our time-saving inventions were taking up all of our time. Cars go faster, microwave meals, drive thru, iPhones, computers going faster and faster to download less and less relevant crap. You get the feeling that you don’t have time to smoke a pipe. If that’s the case… then why did you want to smoke a pipe in the first place? Is it a decoration or accessory for you? For me, my pipe is a time machine. It takes me back to an age when men had time to live and enjoy living and being alive. I savor those flavors that men enjoyed back in the time of Isaac Newton, George Washington, etc… From the time I light my pipe till I have finished the bowl, time just melts away. I never feel rushed to finish a bowl. It’s not a contest to get to the bottom. I could care less if I finish a complete bowl. I smoke at my leisure. I try my best to make it stretch as long as possible. I don’t want the sensations to end. If I do have something hounding me to get finished, I just set the pipe aside. Feeling anxious or rushed does not mix well with the pipe.

I remember as a kid when I used to run up to my granddad with some daunting question, he’d tell me to hold on… he’d pull out his pipe and make me wait, wait, wait, till he packed the bowl, lit it, sat down, and eventually he’d get to my question… He taught me patience in a world wanting me to rush faster hurry up and come on. In fact, I can’t think of many things that are designed to make us slow down as much as this hobby. Sure, sure, sure, if billowing clouds of smoke are your thing, I won’t tell you that you’re wrong. If hot-boxing a pipe down in 45 minutes or less is your thing, by all means continue. But, not to brag, but I have yet to find a pipe small enough that I couldn’t make it last an hour or more. There are no rights and wrongs. I didn’t write this to make anyone feel bad about huffing huge clouds of noxious smoke. I just wanted to share some things that I noticed about the hobby. Smoke however you want; however, if you are a billowing cloud of smoke sort of guy, please don’t stand next to me. I don’t want someone to think I just bought a pipe and started smoking today. I grew up around pipe men, and they’d definitely crack a giggle at the clouds.

Slow down, give it a try…

Cosmicfolklore, I wish I could sit with you and learn that beautiful pace. I try to live that way--eat slower, drive slower, talk slower, etc. I just started smoking. I seem to work fast to keep it burning--or think I need to do so (a lesson on anxiety I'd say). I will reread your wise words. Worth it! Thank you again.

 

[kqdog]

I think that everyone has gotten in a bit of an unconscious hurry from time to time. Sometimes, even while clenching, I will be doing some task or have someone start asking me something that causes stress, and I may increase my cadence, but then I just try to catch myself and correct it. No one is a perfect slow smoker all of the time, especially if we always have a pipe in clench.

Cosmicfolklore, I've read your post about 4 times now. I love it. Even your recovery is so artistically human. Beautiful. I know I am a beginner but you painted the picture of how I want to smoke. And the story of your granddad, perfecto. I love his pace! Thx again. Please keep teaching me.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

One of the little discussed benefits to smoking slowly is that unless someone is paying careful attention, they never see smoke. On many occasions I have walked into a store and spent several minutes in there before I realized that I had my pipe in clench. I have completely done my grocery shopping while smoking, and no one noticed. They just thought that I was some nice old man who liked to chew on a pipe. You can get away with so much more with slow smoking, ha ha.

 

[aspiring_sage]

Thank you for this post @cosmicfolklore !!

I thought I was smoking slow enough before, but after trying some ideas from this post I see there is a whole other level!

This was in a shortened MM cob packed ~loosely frank method, but only 2 layers packed instead of 3.
Back when I packed tightly, this should last 1:15. Well I was in the garage reading and smoking one bowl for 2.5 hours before this thing ran out.

My goal was to (generally) have no visible smoke come out of the pipe, and minimal visible smoke. It was very difficult to go that slowly. Being my first time I didn't have any sort of sustainable cadance, needed maybe two dozen relights. I'll have to work on it but the flavor was totally different!

It was Sutliff Vanilla Custard. Usually I can detect the topping, but this time I could barely detect the tobacco, it was like sipping vanilla custard flavored air. It was pleasant, maybe too flavorful. A completely different smoke.

The flavor was so different that I feel the need to go back and re-try everything again. How fortunate.

I appreciate the re-post of this valuable information. Thanks Cosmic!

 

[wesquire]

It was Sutliff Vanilla Custard.

Good one to practice with. From my experience it burns hot and requires more relights than most.

 

[The Clay King]

I like this, but I also like to blow smoke rings sometimes.

@aspiring_sage I'd like to be able to blow smoke rings but I just can't get the hang of it. Would like to do it at clay pipe era re-enactments

 

[OverMountain]

One of the little discussed benefits to smoking slowly is that unless someone is paying careful attention, they never see smoke. On many occasions I have walked into a store and spent several minutes in there before I realized that I had my pipe in clench. I have completely done my grocery shopping while smoking, and no one noticed. They just thought that I was some nice old man who liked to chew on a pipe. You can get away with so much more with slow smoking, ha ha.

That’s some PhD technique right there!

 

[aspiring_sage]

@aspiring_sage I'd like to be able to blow smoke rings but I just can't get the hang of it. Would like to do it at clay pipe era re-enactments

I’m convinced that given enough time, you’ll figure it out.
I found there’s not many YT tutorials for smoke rings, but many tutorials if you search for “vape rings”

 

[The Clay King]

I’m convinced that given enough time, you’ll figure it out.
I found there’s not many YT tutorials for smoke rings, but many tutorials if you search for “vape rings”

@aspiring_sage Thanks for the advice; it would be AMAZING if the Clay King could blow smoke rings!

 

[anotherbob]

Check out the UPCA and slow smoke competitions. The slowest smokers in the world are competing with no relights. Obviously, you don't have to get it perfect in real life, but sipping the whole time is what it takes to smoke slowly. When you get a feel for it there are no more or less relights than usual. I had a win time of an hour and forty seven minutes with no relight, with the standard three grams of tobacco.

I probably said it already but from my experience slow smoking makes relights less of a thing. They happen still but not like they used to. I think it's because you get more fair warning. When you sip instead of just dying out the smoke starts getting weak and you have more then enough time to fumble for the tamper and get the ember back in proper contact with the tobacco.

 

[anotherbob]

@aspiring_sage I'd like to be able to blow smoke rings but I just can't get the hang of it. Would like to do it at clay pipe era re-enactments

you have a tongue? If so you can do it. Think of them as smoke donuts instead of rings. And you can puff your checks right? I think you can figure it out from that. Now go and prove me right!!!

 

[aspiring_sage]

@aspiring_sage Thanks for the advice; it would be AMAZING if the Clay King could blow smoke rings!

Smoke rings will make you feel powerful.

 

[Highlandpiper]

Thanks Cosmicfolklore , I try and keep cadence in my mind when smoking as I know I smoke too fast but then I find myself stressing about it and smoke faster. Its an ongoing labour that I will master as I definitely get a better appreciation of the flavours of my tobacco when I slow down.

 

[hawky454]

This is one thing that I still can’t get onboard with. Maybe I see the wrong pipe smokers but I’ve never seen a pipe smoker that didn’t produce visual amounts of smoke and aroma. The fact that you are grocery shopping with a pipe in your mouth must be a regional thing, try doing that in Austin, you could be blowing bubbles in it and they would still ban you from the store, just the sight of a pipe meant for tobacco is offensive here. Whenever I’ve tried to smoke with barely a whisper of smoke it is utterly dissatisfying but for those of you who do this, more power to ya, whatever floats your boat and as you say, as long as you are enjoying it, you are doing it right, it would drive me nuts though, however, who knows? I may change my mind someday, I still attempt it from time to time because it‘s so frequently preached talked about on the forums. Don’t get me wrong, I think slowing down is always good advice, I definitely sip my pipe but I still produce a fair amount of smoke when I…. well, smoke my pipes.

 

[The Clay King]

Thanks Cosmicfolklore , I try and keep cadence in my mind when smoking as I know I smoke too fast but then I find myself stressing about it and smoke faster. Its an ongoing labour that I will master as I definitely get a better appreciation of the flavours of my tobacco when I slow down.

@Highlandpiper I bet you weren't smoking as fast as these guys:

 

[mbmoehl]

I just smoked some Orlick Golden Sliced in a Bones billiard and tried to smoke it as slowly is i could. I had to relight quite a bit more than usual, but tried to keep the flame to a minimum. I do have to say that I tasted more flavor than before, but not significantly more. A typical smoke this pipe lasts me about an hour, however, I still had half a bowl left after an hour. Had to call it because the temp dropped and froze me out as the sunset. It was more relaxing slowing down my cadence and come warmer weather can see this being an enjoyable experience. Now my few larger pipes seem too big. Thanks for the advice.

 

[kqdog]

One of the little discussed benefits to smoking slowly is that unless someone is paying careful attention, they never see smoke. On many occasions I have walked into a store and spent several minutes in there before I realized that I had my pipe in clench. I have completely done my grocery shopping while smoking, and no one noticed. They just thought that I was some nice old man who liked to chew on a pipe. You can get away with so much more with slow smoking, ha ha.

Awesome Cosmicfolklore. Always enjoy reading your posts. What a goal to strive for.

 

[Hillcrest]

Slow down, give it a try…

I have been practicing this for the last three months. Today I nailed it ! In fact the person I was driving with didn't even know my pipe was lit. And flavor ? WOW ! With each sip I experienced what you wrote ie: "Plus, if you are just allowing smoke to drizzle into your mouth, you are giving the flavor time on your tongue, enjoy that flavor, relish in it."

I can't imagine going back to puffing now. Its also gonna save alot on tobacco because the bowl is going to last 3-5 times longer now ! Thank you !!!

 

[stumichael]

I'm still learning to slow down and having to remind myself to do so.