I was thinking of making some really specific type of pipe videos. Just because I hate most pipe videos. You know like videos that utilize editing and don't talk about what I am smoking and where I got the pipe.
Packing a Flake?
- Thread starter turtlehead
- Start date
that actually helps a lot - my brain is getting slow at my 41 year old age, and I hadn't even thought about drying and then putting it into a jar.
Thanks!
An old trick that may help get the folded stuff lit is to sprinkle just a tiny amount of snuff on top. It lights quickly, and if you keep it to a minimum will only momentarily affect the flavor.
I used to do this years ago, and I think I still have a couple of tiny tins of snuff around.
"When I die I may not go to Heaven.
I don't know if they let cowboys in.
If they don't just take me back to Texas.
Texas is as close ad I've been." --Tanya Tucker
I used to do this years ago, and I think I still have a couple of tiny tins of snuff around.
"When I die I may not go to Heaven.
I don't know if they let cowboys in.
If they don't just take me back to Texas.
Texas is as close ad I've been." --Tanya Tucker
Be careful with a briar. A folded flake, or in my case unrubbed cube cut, can burn a lot hotter once you manage to get it lit. I eventually burned up the bowl in my first Grabow with folded and stuffed LBF and unrubbed PS41 Cube Cut.
If you master it, however, it can be really nice because the tobacco continues expanding through the whole bowl. It's like a magic pipe with a capacity far greater than it's appearance would suggest.
If you master it, however, it can be really nice because the tobacco continues expanding through the whole bowl. It's like a magic pipe with a capacity far greater than it's appearance would suggest.
I literally just posted a similar trick. To use a shag like five bros or some very dry ribbon. It works well. Though careful with the snuff because some of the flavors are going to be fine but some just really don't come through as you'd expect as in their terrible. And the terrible ones can stay for most of the pipe. Funny how that works.
Wait until you're pushing 50!
Very happy to help!?
I enjoy Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake, but, unless I cube cut and dry for hours, it's incredibly difficult to keep lit. The humidity in your area might affect drying time as well.
I generally wind up rubbing everything out. But, I don’t really smoke that many flakes. LBF, but I don’t fold and stuff that because of the cavendish center. I don’t fully rub it out though either because if I do I cannot smoke it like I like it. So, it’s like a coarse form. I guess by comparison it’s like Old Gowrie or HOTW out of the tin, if that makes sense.
Most of the other “flakes” I’ve smoked aren’t really flakes. It’s more like broken flakes or pieces of flake. So, it doesn’t quite work out to well. I’ve only been successful smoking flakes by fold/stuff when they get folded then pinched around a little.
Regardless - anything that I’ve smoked that is “flake” anything (excluding English/latakia blends) it has to be far drier than what you’re probably comfortable with. Flavors pop…and it just burns better…especially if you want to SLOW down because you don’t have to draw to pull in smoke and it will still smolder to the bottom with minimal relights.
Experimenting with it is part of the enjoyment. I still like rubbing LBF out 4 oz at a time because it’s the one of the best smelling blends because to me it’s got one of the cleanest “tobacco” smells of any blend I’ve had to date…it’s what tobacco is supposed to smell like. I’m sure there is a casing - but, it’s got to be simply sugar water…?
…I don’t know - but, I sure do love it.
Most of the other “flakes” I’ve smoked aren’t really flakes. It’s more like broken flakes or pieces of flake. So, it doesn’t quite work out to well. I’ve only been successful smoking flakes by fold/stuff when they get folded then pinched around a little.
Regardless - anything that I’ve smoked that is “flake” anything (excluding English/latakia blends) it has to be far drier than what you’re probably comfortable with. Flavors pop…and it just burns better…especially if you want to SLOW down because you don’t have to draw to pull in smoke and it will still smolder to the bottom with minimal relights.
Experimenting with it is part of the enjoyment. I still like rubbing LBF out 4 oz at a time because it’s the one of the best smelling blends because to me it’s got one of the cleanest “tobacco” smells of any blend I’ve had to date…it’s what tobacco is supposed to smell like. I’m sure there is a casing - but, it’s got to be simply sugar water…?
…I don’t know - but, I sure do love it.
I'm about 40% fold, 60% rubbed. Really depends on how much time I have to smoke that day, as folded it takes about twice as long for me to work through a bowl.
I'm one of those guys who, early on, struggled to get and keep a folded flake lit. For years I gave up on flakes. But, about a year ago, the stars aligned and when I came back to flakes, I had success smoking them folded.
It seems that some flakes taste better rubbed out (e.g. Ennerdale), some taste pretty much the same either way (e.g. Capstan Blue according to JimInks, but I've had only the pre-rubbed out), but most taste best folded (e.g. HH Pure VA).
If folding and stuffing isn't working for you right now (like it didn't for me, for awhile), there's nothing wrong with coming back to that later in your career. But I would advise you not to waste flakes that taste best folded, during that time. Check others' reviews -- if many credible reviewers claim that a flake tastes great rubbed out, maybe it does. But if some credible reviewers say that a flake is best folded, and burns too hot or loses nice flavors once rubbed out, then just steer clear of that flake until some point in the future when you have success smoking that form.
It seems that some flakes taste better rubbed out (e.g. Ennerdale), some taste pretty much the same either way (e.g. Capstan Blue according to JimInks, but I've had only the pre-rubbed out), but most taste best folded (e.g. HH Pure VA).
If folding and stuffing isn't working for you right now (like it didn't for me, for awhile), there's nothing wrong with coming back to that later in your career. But I would advise you not to waste flakes that taste best folded, during that time. Check others' reviews -- if many credible reviewers claim that a flake tastes great rubbed out, maybe it does. But if some credible reviewers say that a flake is best folded, and burns too hot or loses nice flavors once rubbed out, then just steer clear of that flake until some point in the future when you have success smoking that form.
I’ve always preferred to smoke flakes in their compressed form as much as possible, so I cube cut or fold and stuff. It provides a longer bowl and burns a little slower and cooler (at least in my experience). Being able to successfully F&S took me a lot of practice, so just keep working at it. Loading cube cut (see Embers’ video above) is basically idiot proof and doesn’t take a lot of practice. For both methods, just be careful to pack on the loose side, as the compressed tobacco will expand quite a bit.
That all being said, it all comes down to what you like, and one method isn’t “better” than other. If you get good results rubbing out flakes, then rock on.
Another thing to note in Embers’ video is how you can hear how dry the tobacco is. A wet flake or cubes is gonna smoke like a hot, swampy mess. Cubes or a flake that is a bit crispy on the edges still has plenty of moisture inside and is not too dried out.
That all being said, it all comes down to what you like, and one method isn’t “better” than other. If you get good results rubbing out flakes, then rock on.
Another thing to note in Embers’ video is how you can hear how dry the tobacco is. A wet flake or cubes is gonna smoke like a hot, swampy mess. Cubes or a flake that is a bit crispy on the edges still has plenty of moisture inside and is not too dried out.
Thanks guys - dried out my tobacco for the first time last night and it was much better - and still think I need to go even more dry.
I'm gonna give a run at folding after I get better at drying things out.
But... I'm also interested in trying to cube cut now.
I'm gonna give a run at folding after I get better at drying things out.
But... I'm also interested in trying to cube cut now.
Some flakes just burn well, even fresh out of the tin. Solani Aged Burley Flake:
The site bots look for key words. Try to post a video called Corona lighters.Maybe you’re being watched. ?️
Something to be said for having little-to-no electronic footprint. ?s …this is what we have now?! ?
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I suck at the fold&stuff technique.
BUT I thought I'd give it another go this afternoon.
It did result in a much slower smoke - more so because I needed numeorus relights and time out to allow the bowl to cool down.
Was it a better smoke ? Any theoretical flavour improvement from flakes vs rubbed-out was negated by the stop-start cadence.
I concede that I still suck at this technique and will go back to rubbing out my flakes from now on. ?
BUT I thought I'd give it another go this afternoon.
It did result in a much slower smoke - more so because I needed numeorus relights and time out to allow the bowl to cool down.
Was it a better smoke ? Any theoretical flavour improvement from flakes vs rubbed-out was negated by the stop-start cadence.
I concede that I still suck at this technique and will go back to rubbing out my flakes from now on. ?
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Over 90% of what I smoke is Flake. I think the biggest mistake people make is packing it too tight. The wetter it is, the looser it has to be to accommodate expansion when heated.