Problems Smoking Makes Me Want to Quit

[easterntraveler]

I have been enjoying this process and I have had some really good highs and really bad lows. It is to the point now that I am completely lost on how to fix my reoccurring issues. I always build up moisture in my pipes. The first half of the pipes generally smokes well but the second half is miserable. When I finally give up smoking the pipe for the day I always find a lot of moisture at the bottom and the second half of the bowl looks like it took a bath. Yes my tobacco is dry. I use the pinch method. I have gone as far as to dry the tobacco to the point that it is almost crispy and yet this issue still is happening. I have 4 briars and 2 meerschaums and this happens with all my pipes. The only way to keep the second part of the bowl lit is to run a pipe cleaner through the stem after every sip. If I pack it loose this happens if I pack it what I believe is right with a little amount of resistance this happens. I do not clench so I do not believe it is my own saliva. Any Ideas? I take a 1 second sip every 5-7 seconds. I have tried waiting longer between sips and the bowl goes out every 4 or 5 sips and I still have the problem. I have even gone as far as to use a stop watch to ensure I am sipping at the same cadence and it is still happening. Losing my mind.

 

[easterntraveler]

I live in minnesota. I Smoke HH Old Dark Fire. Salani 660 silver and Dunhill Royal Yacht.

 

[brdavidson]

Hey Eastern, I'm new to this hobby as well and I've had some similar problems myself. I'm sure you'll get much better advice from some of the more experienced puffers here, but I'll give you my two cents. I had similar issues and it was all me. This is what I did. I bought some Carter Hall, not because everyone raves about it (I love it myself) but because its a very forgiving tobacco and cheap. My pipes are still not fully broken in except for a few of them and so I used the CH to really season pipes I was having trouble with. I also used it to experiment with packing tighter or looser. I find that you need to go a little tighter than you likely think you should. So take some CH and pack the "crap" out of it and see how that works for you. The other thing I focused on was the lighting process. I do 2 and sometimes 3 charring lights before going for the true light and when I do the true light I really lay the fire to the baccy. This seems to help me build a good ember. Then I tamp a little less than I think I should and I try to sip versus puff. Think of how you would sip scalding hot coffee and try that. I try to go for 10 seconds between puffs. Those tricks have helped me get better at this, although as I said I'm sure you'll get better advice from better men than I.

 

[brdavidson]

Oh ya, +1 on the corn cobs, they really helped me out when learning cadence.......once again very forgiving.

 

[05venturer]

eastern, check your private messages :?

 

[easterntraveler]

My pipes are kept in a dry cool place. I smoke each pipe 1 to 2 days apart. Taking this into consideration I let one of my pipes sit for a little over a week and had this problem when I smoked it today. Why I made the post today. I will let all my pipes rest for a week then try again. However this should not be the problem with my 2 meerschaums.

 

[pylorns]

How about trying a churchwarden pipe that has a long and bent stem? I get the same problem periodically but I usually attribute it to the type of tobacco I am smoking, and I run a cleaner down and seems to resolve the problem. I never have an issue with my churchwarden.

 

[numbersix]

ET - nobody likes a quitter (just teasing)
I sometimes have overly moist smokes too. It could be a variety of factors, but I would suspect two things: the pipe itself or too many re-lights.
For ex. I have a Dunhill, a Grabow and a Sav that routinely smoke drier than the rest of my pipes. I attribute this to better briar.
However, the real issue may be your packing and lighting. Remember that moisture occurs when hot and cold sources collide. As soon as the hot flame touches the cold tobacco, moisture is being created.
And if you don't get a good, deep fire going, you will wind up re-lighting often, thereby creating more moisture.
Try packing very tightly (while still being able to draw smoothly) and get that initial light going strong. Like a good fire in a fireplace, you've got to get a good, strong blaze going at the start, otherwise it will go out.
And if your bowl is packed well, it should stay lit as long as you continue to puff or sip regularly.
Also, FWIW, I often find the bottom of the bowl to be not as good as the beginning. So don't be too dismayed by that, especially if you smoke aros. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

 

[undecagon]

Smoking is not a science, it is an art.
Get rid of your stop watch! Just pack, light, and smoke. Use pipe cleaners during the smoke BEFORE it starts to get wet. No equation as to when, just use them while you smoke. Try to tamp at different times (more/less often, while or not while puffing). But over all, do not over think things. 1, I think with your stop watch method, you are smoking too fast, and 2, you just can't smoke that way and expect good results. Sometimes a pipe is happy to sit for a bit while you think between puffs. Sometimes it needs some tending w/ a tamper and a few more rapid puffs. Just base it on if the pipe is giving enough smoke, keep at it or slow down. If you are losing smoke volume, speed up some, tamp, use a cleaner, and then slow down again.
The best "rhythm" is "Ok, I want to take a sip now" and then do it. Like brdavidson mentioned - think hot coffee. You get the most out of the mug by just drinking when you feel like it, not by taking a 3ml sip every 6 seconds, refilling at every 3rd to keep a consistent temperature -- you just drink.
So...just smoke!
::

 

[hfearly]

Some pipes and/or tobaccos just smoke wet. Even with perfect packing and smoking technique. Period. Insert a pipe cleaner all the way in, leave it there for 10 seconds, take out and enjoy the rest of the smoke. No big deal.
Some tips:
A well-rested, and especially *well broken-in* pipe helps a lot. A well broken-in pipe has seen a minimum of 30-50 bowls and has a nice caking inside the bowl.
Even then, sometimes the construction of certain pipes (whenever there is turbulence in the airflow) encourages condensation and you'll get a wet smoke. A well crafted artisan pipe makes usually a big difference over some modern 40$ machined pipe.
A pipe made out of a well-aged and cured block of briar makes a big difference through the ability to better absorb of moisture on the one hand, and dissipate heat on the other hand.
I found packing too tight often encourages moisture.
I found that I like all tobaccos on the dry side of the spectrum, and I do air out *all* tobacco blends for at least 30 minutes before packing them into the bowl. It's ok that manufacturers moisten the tobacco for shipping and distribution, who wants to buy a tin of tobacco that crumbles to dust. But that level of moisture is rarely meant for the consumption of the product.
Smoking technique makes a difference: a steady, relaxed cadence, with a short but steady, not overly greedy draw keeps the pipe lit, gives you flavor and keeps moisture out.
P.S.:

Don't discourage. It takes practice. I remember back in the days when I started smoking pipes, you could have kept a pet goldfish in the bowl after the smoke ...

 

[easterntraveler]

Number six:
I have not checked out the lighting problem. Come to think of it I always feel lighting my pipe is far more difficult than it should be. No way I can light me pipe with less than 4 matches and seems like I am cooking it pretty good when I use a lighter. I must evaluate this.
Also for the pipe quality that some have suggested I have 2 Ser Jacopos, 1 il ceppo, 1 Mario Grandi and 2 Block meers both from turkey and one of them is a S.Yanik. I not thinking this is the issue.
Thank you for all the advice. I definitly appreciate it. Please continue with the ideas.

 

[flmason]

Eastern:
Check for a PM
Thanks

 

[bryanf]

Contrary to popular advice on the internet, I don't rest my pipes at all. We're talking I'll smoke the same pipe day in, day out for months without a single rest day, and they smoke dry and cool to the end every time. No bad smells, and taste great. I mostly smoke flake or ready rub, straight out my bag moist, and never dry it out. One pipe I have gets a little moist at the very end, and I just dump it, as it's not more than a couple puffs worth. I keep a very thick cake in my pipes, and I think it soaks up the moisture and heat.
Try building a fat cake and smoking MORE. Sounds like you're doing everything else right.
Don't give up!

 

[cigrmaster]

eastern, it sounds like you have some nice pipes so that should not be the issue as long as you are letting them rest. The tobacco blends you are smoking are all high quality stuff that I also smoke so if you are drying them then those are not the issue.
I am beginning to think it is probably due to packing and tempo of smoking. When I pack my flakes I make sure I have some good resistance so they do not burn hot, you might want to try packing firmer. Have you tried cube cutting the flakes, that gives me a nice consistent burn. Try clenching to get an even cadence. I know it can be frustrating but if you keep analyzing every aspect, I believe it will come to you.
bryanf, that is great that you can smoke your pipes all the time with no rest, but in all my years of being on the internet and speaking with thousands of people, you are the only one I have heard who has made this claim. What kinds of pipes do you smoke?

 

[captainsousie]

I've been where you are and still visit sometimes. Th #1 thing is still patience. Keep working and trying and it will come good for you.
One thing to think about is heel cake. I have heard all manner of things about it but, in my limited experience, if it isn't well built up some pipes will not smoke well. You might try half-bowls in some of your pipes for a while to see if you can get one with a good heel-cake. During this time I would discourage frequent alcohol cleanings to let some cake build.

 

[mso489]

I think the MM cobs are the "fix" here. The mystery is that people of all levels of pipe experience post on Forums,

and only a few have big problems with moisture. Some complain of gurgle, which is related but not completely

the same. Most moisture is generated by the burning tobacco. The rest is saliva that drains into the pipe, usually

not much, more common if people hold the pipe in their teeth through much of a pipe session. Clenching is probably

not a good idea until you have the moisture under control. More pipes (the cobs) will increase the drying out for your

other pipes, and this should help. 'A little hard to tell what's going on, but it doesn't sound insurmountable. Good luck.

(Even when I had only five or six pipes, and was smoking daily, I didn't have much of a moisture problem. My dad was

one of those described, who smoked one pipe all day, no rotation, and a pipe cleaner only occasionally, if that. He smoked

one pipe until it cracked or the stem broke, and then bought another. The less broken were saved as back-ups, so he'd

have a pipe over a day when he needed a new one.)

 

[Perique]

Eastern, do you typically clench the pipe?

 

[bryanf]

I was smoking a basket Italian briar for the last few years like this. 2 or 3 months ago, I bought a peterson 317 that I smoke so much that at the moment, I could not reach the bottom with a #2 pencil. I am going to scrape it out soon.
Both pipes are what would be considered very small bowl. Probably started at .625 or so inside diameter by 1.50 max depth. This could contribute to my dry smoke.
My father has a grabow that he smokes only once a week and therefore, not much cake. We once both loaded our pipes with some PA and traded bowls. It was night and day. My pipe tasted a mile better. His had no flavour in comparison.
I learned to smoke from old codgers who also smoked small bowled pipes. None of them probably have internet. My favorite smokes of ennerdale and condor, are so strong on the flavor, with zero sublety, that the pipe doesn't matter much. I'm not one to smoke complex tobacco, searching for nuances, and that might discredit me, and my smoking style.
I will admit that I would probably feel differently if I primarily smoked vapers or complex orientals.
But as it is, I honestly detect no difference with my regular smoke whether I rest or not, so I don't bother.

 

[snagstangl]

I think you may be sipping a bit much, try packing a bit tighter if keeping it lit is a problem. I am a slobberbox myself so pipe cleaners with a pipe. 1 or 2 a smoke, I can taste when it startes to get wet and I stick a cleaner in then for few seconds, I just do it when it tastes wet. Just something that happens to me, usually doesnt make the smoke intolerable, just have to take a break to do it.

 

[judcole]

You've gotten some good advice, and some I consider ill-advised. I'll emphasize

• Rest your pipes[/*]
• Use cleaners while you smoke[/*]
• Pipes take time to break in[/*]
• Patience, patience, patience[/*]