Packing, Lighting, and Enjoying -- Getting the most out of a bowl.

[benjamin]

Hey all,
I am fairly new to the pipe world, but I know enough about myself to say a few things: I'm big on English blends (favorite go-to tobacco being Mississippi River) and I like to light with matches. I am having some problems/questions however:
1) I can't seem to get a full flavor out of my smoke. I'm not sure if it's how I'm packing or if the bowl shape is wrong or how I am smoking, but I would appreciate some advice on how to get the most flavor. I smoke primarily Mississippi River. Any thoughts? i.e. How I should be packing, lighting, tamping, etc.
2) I have read quite a bit about the moisture content of Mississippi River and letting it dry out. How dry should it be? How moist?
3) How slowly should I be puffing? It seems that my bowl gets pretty hot about halfway through my smoke, but when I try and slow it down, it just goes out. Any thoughts?
Thanks guys!

 

[dottiewarden]

Welcome to the forum Benjamin!
Sounds like you're off to a good start.
I usually pack fairly lightly and tamp gently as I go.
Getting the right moisture level can be a bit tricky, but as soon as you light up you'll immediately know if it's too moist or too dry.
When I get the moisture level right and the bowl properly filled, I just sit back and slowly sip on the pipe. All this talk is getting me in the mood for my next bowl: EMP in a Chacom Salsa 297 Smooth Canadian!

 

[benjamin]

Thanks dottiewarden, I appreciate the advice!
How would I be able to tell if it was too moist or too dry? Any signs to watch out for?

 

[drennan]

When I first started I kept reading about not packing too tightly, I followed the advice to pack lightly but I was packing too lightly, as a result the tobacco burned a little too hot and as a result it lacked flavour. Packing lightly also meant the cherry wasn't in touch with enough tobacco to keep the pipe smoking well, the pipe was prone to going out and I was relighting ever couple of minutes. Packing a wee bit tighter helped on the number of relights and I get ALOT more flavour. I use the 3 step packing system.

 

[kcvet67]

Welcome to the forum. It sounds like you have a pretty good grasp of the basics, the rest is just a matter of working out the details. There is no hard and fast set of rules that will work for every smoker and every blend of tobacco. Trial and error is really the only way to find out what works best for you. I'd recommend keeping a journal to help you remember what works and what doesn't. Nothing fancy, just a few notes. It is a very good idea to only change one variable at a time and see if there is an improvement.
You might start by drying the tobacco a little more than usual (nothing too drastic) and make a note of the result. If that seems to help, try drying it a little bit more until you reach the point where it gets worse. I smoke mostly flake blends, so I prefer it pretty dry, your taste will probably vary.
Experiment with packing. If looser is better, make a note. If not, pack it a little tighter and see what happens. What works well for one type of tobacco may be disastrous for another type. What works for me may be unsuitable for you. One of the joys (and one of the biggest frustrations) of pipe smoking is that tiny details can make a big difference.
Smoking too fast will definitely affect the flavor. Most of the flavor you get from a good tobacco comes from essential oils in the leaf, you want it hot enough to release those oils without being so hot as to scorch them. You should be able to grasp the bowl firmly for a few seconds without branding your hand. If it's too hot just put it aside for a few minutes to cool. There's no shame in relighting your pipe. Sure, it's nice to light your pipe once and smoke it to the bottom but the world won't stop revolving if you need to relight it once or twice along the way.
As you progress, you'll notice that different factors interact with each other. If you dry the tobacco more you may find that you need to pack it a little tighter (or a little looser). This is why it's a good idea to keep notes.
The most important thing to remember is that you're doing all of this to please yourself, not to impress others. Once you find the way that you like to smoke, if someone else tells you that you absolutely, positively are doing it the wrong way, tell them to pound sand up their ......

 

[mso489]

I second the motion on using matches. As someone on Forums said, it's a softer flame. Besides, it's

the tradition.

 

[settersbrace]

If you are smoking only one blend and you didn't mention how often you are smoking, 1,2,3 bowls a day, a week? It may be that you need to mix it up a bit with another English like Dunhill MM965 or Nightcap. Sometimes your taste buds go flat with repeated smoking of one steady mixture.
If you think your pipe is getting hot at mid bowl then it is too hot. It should feel warm but never hot. Slow your cadence down and read up on sipping or breath smoking your pipe.
Packing is an area that requires much trial and error. The three step gravity method is by far the most reliable, consistent method for most tobacco cuts. Flakes, broken flakes, thick ribbon cut and plug tobaccos require a little more finesse and practice to perfect, if there is such a thing as the perfect pack.
Lighting the pipe gets less discussion than any other facet of the hobby but I feel it's an important part of the overall smoking experience. Lighters, matches, hot coals, whatever, the important thing is to get a good charring light or 2 or 3. Light the pipe and let the tobacco expand and swell, lightly tamp to level and light again. If the tobacco puffs up again, repeat and tamp flat again. Now give it a good thorough true light that ignites the whole top surface of the bowlful and calmly smoke while using your tamper to gently keep things going until a well established ember starts to take hold. Tamping as you smoke will decrease relights but don't stress if the pipe does go out. I've smoked a pipe for years and rarely get through a bowl without a few relights.

 

[whiterabbit]

I usually only have to toast my tobacco once, I'll have to see if a second time helps with the flakes.