Overlighting

[dctune]

This seems to be a topic I don’t often see discussed. But it also seems to be one as important as proper packing & cadence when it comes to enjoying the subtle flavor profiles of a particular tobacco.

More than once I’ve gotten over-aggressive with the flame, either drawing it too deep into bowl, or keeping it too long against the tobacco, resulting in a sort of bland/less complex smoke with muted characteristics of a blend.

Thoughts, anecdotes, wisdom?

 

[sablebrush52]

Yeah, don't do that.

I sometimes do a kind of "strafing run" with the lighter, arcing it down and around while I draw to pull the flame down, and the arcing away. Pretty quick. If the run lit the weed enough I move on. If it feels weak I'll strafe the bowl again.

With matches I just hover the match around the bowl. It's a more relaxed way for me to go.

I always wet the rim with a bit o spit before applying flame, just to help protect against scorching.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I know some on here get anxiety if the cherry of the bowl doesn't extend all the way across to all sides, but I prefer to just try to keep a cherry centered with some unburned tobaccos surrounding it to get more flavor... then most days I don't pay any attention.

 

[bullet08]

Just couple of seconds or less of moving Zippo over the tobacco and drawing in. Not aggressively, but just about the flame to hover over the tobacco. Relight is even quicker. You get used to it.

 

[kcghost]

It's tempting to do this when you run into a tobacco that won't light easily. Obviously it's to be avoided. You must remember the pipers motto: Slow and and easy is the key to success.

 

[warren]

I'm a fan of "fire and forget." Or, light and go. When I get it right it works. Eventually . . . I always get it right usually by the second bowl of the day.

 

[DanWil84]

When I watch into the pipe when puffing or blow inside the bowl I almost always get or a dead centre ember or a little bit of the sides one, never I see the whole bowl light up.

Relights are there to relight, not to incinerate. Like I do with cigars I light my lighter move it towards the bowl and draw. If I get the idea its burning enough to spark the ember I move it away, put it closer again and do that till I get enough ember to smoke again.

 

[Simmerdown☕️]

I really don’t think of this all that much. Very rarely have I ever simply ? a bowl once and smoked it down to ash. I always require a few relights depending on blend, cut, moisture, interruptions, etc.️

 

[Morrison Jeremiah]

Use a soft flame lighter held away from the tobacco, even a BIC can be too aggressive.

 

[dctune]

It’s pretty interesting how differently an overlit tobacco tastes vs. when it’s just right, or even a bit underlit.

 

[anotherbob]

you don't need the flame to touch the tobacco. It just needs to be near it. That helps I hope.