Pipe Cleaning and What Alcohol to Use

[spragu]

So after a while i finally realized it is time to clean out my pipe as its to that point where everything has a distinct flavor associated with each smoke. Any ideas about the best type of alcohol to use. and is pipe boreing necessary? for the time being the only alcohol i have available is lab grade ethanol as i am not 21. perks of working in a genetics laboratory in college.

 

[cavendish]

I use walmart 99% isoproponal alcohol and a Q-tip to clean out the shank and the mortise. Same for part of the stem. A fluffy pipe cleaner dipped in the alcohol and fed through the stem will clean it out nice. Repeat until cleaners come out clean. not need to rinse as alcohol evaporates. I clean mine every sunday morning for the beginnign of the week. If I have smoked heavily out of one or two pipes I will clean them every 4-5d to keep them 'sweet' tasting.

 

[trailspike48]

Your ethanol alcohol should work fine. It is the lab equivalant of everclear and everclear is very good to clean pipes with. Do not spill on your finish because it will remove finish. Use an eye dropper. Do a search for how to sanitize a pipe, look for how to soak the bowl in salt and alcohol to remove ghosting. Good Luck.

 

[hfearly]

The higher percentage of alcohol, the better it cleans, and the faster it evaporates. I use 97%-99% Isopropryl alcohol ("rubbing alcohol") from the pharmacy section all the time (doing a thorough cleaning of all pipes every weekend).

 

[scottishjohn]

The lab grade Ethanol is as good or better than Everclear.

Wish I still had access to such a perk. It will clean and sweeten

a pipe better than anything else

 

[eazye77]

+1 Cavendish

 

[cajunguy]

I'd like to reiterate and emphasize what others have hit on with regards to cleaning the shank area. You'd be surprised how much this area can affect the taste of your tobacco. I consider this the bilge area of the pipe where all the crap collects [lol]. Moisture, tobacco, dirt, dottle, unknown substances, Waldo--this is where they all like to party. Things can get nasty down there.
Twist up a paper towel and go at the bowl post-smoking to keep the cake even, clean your stem, and purge the shank area with q-tips/a shank cleaner when you do your heavy cleaning routine. Rinse and repeat until the Q-tips are either clean or a very light brown color. Don't be too aggressive with the circumference where the tenon inserts, as this could lead to a loose fit.
In my experience, this will keep your pipe smoking nice and fresh.
The "Professor Treatment" mentioned above is as follows:

1. Fill bowl until slightly below the rim with salt; cotton balls work as well, and is preferred if you have spider lines in the chamber;

2. Take a medicine dropper and add your spirit of choice (I use Everclear) to the salt. 10-14 drops should do it, depending on the size of the bowl;

3. Leave sit overnight (at least 12 hours, in my opinion). The salt will be hard and crusty and, if the bowl was dirty, brownish in color. Empty the bowl, making sure you get all the salt out of the chamber. Swipe with a paper towel and give it some more time to finish drying.

4. Enjoy.
Hope this helps. Cheers.

 

[igloo]

Norton micro mini flap wheels are great for removing excess cake . Just go real slow . You may possibley the only college student ever who does not have access to drinking alcohol .Knock on the dorm room next door and see what they have . If you like to drink it ,you can clean your pipe with it . ::

 

[cortezattic]

Cajunguy nails it. I have found that cleaning the shank of the pipe really well is more important than spending a lot of time with the chamber.

 

[ryanpblyth]

I know very little about pipes but I know enough about chemistry and woodworking. I wouldn't use isopropanol. It tends to leave behind mineral deposits, and I doubt they're good for you, let alone give you good flavor.I agree with cortez and cajunguy - the shank probably has the most affect on flavor, as it's the least affected by heat. I wouldn't worry too much about the area around the tenon - the way a pipe is engineered,the mortise and tenon do not have to fit as perfectly as most woodworking - a perfect vacuum is certainly not necessary, though it would be nice. Using alcohol around the area will possibly shrink the wood a bit, unless you already live in a very dry area. Anywho - getting to the rambling point now. Best of luck!
Oh, and your lab's ethanol is going to be amazing stuff for cleaning. Make sure to bring home a jar or two!

 

[foggymountain]

Perry's Tot 114 proof gin, made in Brooklyn. It is near undrinkable straight, but does a great job on pipes.

 

[rmbittner]

I'm also a Bacardi 151 user, but if you're not of legal drinking age, that's kind of moot.
I did want to add this though: Don't be shy when it comes to using multiple pipe cleaners. I give all of my pipes a twice-annual alcohol cleaning, using a shank brush, bristle pipe cleaners, and fluffy pipe cleaners. And after first going in with the shank brush (dipped in alcohol), it can take maybe 3-5 bristle cleaners and 1-3 fluffy cleaners (all but the last ones dipped in alcohol) before the shank and stem are as pristine as I can get them.
Of course, this is in addition to running a pipe cleaner or two through the stem and shank after every bowl.
Then I let the pipes dry for at least 7 days before using them again. (My cleaning is on a rotating basis, so I'm never without smoking to smoke, though.)
Bob

 

[dragonslayer]

91% isoproponal alcohol, $2 and pipe cleaners, I just bend them in half for mortise. But I do dry clean after every smoke and wet clean them every couple days so they're fairly clean. Just keep it away from the pipe's finish.