Problems with re lighting

[konsciousdreams]

I'm a new pipe smoker and I have problems finishing the bottom of the bowl. The problem that I have is not that I don't want to finish the entire bowl, my problem is that when I need to re light and there is few tobacco in my bowl I just can't light it.
Most of the times I need to throw away the tobacco that stays at the bottom of the bowl, and I hate it.
Can I have your advice please?
I have another question. I'm half way to finish the bowl. Is it a common thing to do to get rid of the white ashes, or its better to do that after finishing the entire bowl? To re light is it better to throw away the white ashes first?
Thanks guys!

 

[andrew369]

Hey welcome to the hobby I am a pretty new smoker too and have had the same problem getting the tobacco at the bottom of the bowl well lit, especially outside when the flame is never as strong due to the wind. As for dropping the ash half way through it is something I have started doing recently and found it helps keep the tobacco lit significantly, would definitely say you try it just make sure its a gentle tip so you don't lose any actual tobacco.

 

[05venturer]

Try packing the bottom 1/3 of your bowl a little "looser" that helped me. I also dump the ash partway though if I have to relight.

 

[flyerdog]

I have that problem with some pipes and not with others. I think it has something to do with how stem enters the bowl. In some pipes the stem is above the bottom most tobacco.

 

[skapunk1]

Yes, try packing your bottom third looser, keep a pipe cleaner handy to keep the shank clear, and you'll be able to tamp the ashes a bit more snug. I just finished a bowl of cubed Christmas cheer in a. Pete Shamrock 09 and finished it to the ash, took over an hour, lol

 

[lostandfound]

As far as I'm concerned, the bottom 1/4 - 1/3 of a bowl tastes like ash, and is only a shadow of whatever tobacco you just finished smoking. A successful smoke for me is: if I tap the bowl on my hand, or whatever, and a little ball of mostly charred tobacco pops out, and no remaining tobacco is left clinging to the walls.
I'll smoke that crap, but I won't relight it if it happens to go out.

 

[latbomber]

I find that using the pipe tool properly can really help get that last bit at the bottom. I'll use the poker to briefly get airholes down to the last layer when I'm near the end. Having properly dried tobacco helps too.

 

[scrapyardape]

I don't really care how many re-lights I do anymore. Sometimes I can smoke a whole bowl, sometimes I need to relight six times or more. It just does not matter that much to me.

 

[judcole]

It doesn't matter if you have to relight or not. I never dump ash when I am smoking. And I agree with the adive above, pack a little looser towards the bottom.

 

[jah76]

Welcome! I've found that certain types of tobaccos take the flame differently. It seems the more latakia in a blend the more stubborn it gets. Same for shredded or folded flakes (due to their density I guess).
The packing and tamping advice given above is great. Personally I've never used anything but a tamp and a relight to manage a bowl, but it took over a year for me to get my packing to a place where it works really well for me.
Some blends I air pocket, some I do the three step, some I just stuff in like an old timer. I'm finally getting to the point where I can smoke all but the last few bits of tobacco in the bowl.
It really is all part of the journey.

 

[sfsteves]

jah76 said:

"... the more latakia in a blend

the more stubborn it gets."

I've solved that problem by leaving the Latakia out ...

 

[shutterbugg]

As far as I'm concerned, the bottom 1/4 - 1/3 of a bowl tastes like ash, and is only a shadow of whatever tobacco you just finished smoking. A successful smoke for me is: if I tap the bowl on my hand, or whatever, and a little ball of mostly charred tobacco pops out, and no remaining tobacco is left clinging to the walls.
I'll smoke that crap, but I won't relight it if it happens to go out.

+1! The implication being you aren't a real pipe smoker unless you smoke it all the way down is to me a load of bull. If it tastes like crap I don't care if it stays lit, I'm going to dump it. Tobacco isn't that expensive and life is too short.

 

[numbersix]

Welcome konsciousdreams. What you're experiencing is quite common in the beginning. IMHO, it comes down to how you're packing the bowl. If a bowl isn't properly packed, it will go out a lot, esp as you near the bottom of the bowl.
I usually use the three-step method (e.g. gravity feed tobacco in the bowl to the rim, pack it down lightly, repeat again but pack firmer the second time and then repeat a third time, this time packing firmly).
If you get that part down you will have much better luck smoking all the way to the bottom. Finally, tamping is important. Personally I don't dump the ash, but I do tamp every so often to keep the tobacco firm and compact.

 

[billypm]

I'll echo numbersix, especially the bit about tamping. Gentle tamping every now and again lets the flame get to the tobacco properly. If you're already doing that-- never mind. :D

 

[rmbittner]

As others have pointed out, it may well be a packing issue.
But if you literally can't light the tobacco, then I think you may have a poorly drilled pipe that doesn't position the draft hole close enough to the bottom of the bowl. You can check this out by running a clean white pipe cleaner through the stem and into the empty bowl. Shine a light inside and see how high up the bowl the draft hole is. If it's too high, you'll never be able to finish a bowl.
OTOH, it's also possible that your tobacco has been collecting moisture throughout the smoke and is now simply too wet to light. (When you dump out the remnants, are they dry, unburnt strands of tobacco or are they dark and wet?) If that's the case, you'll likely hear gurgling as you puff. When that happens, run a pipe cleaner through -- while you're smoking -- to soak up some of the moisture. Some tobaccos naturally burn a bit "wetter" than others, but heavily cased aromatics are probably the worst culprits. So you may want to experiment with different blends and see if that makes a difference.
Moisture can also build up quickly if you're puffing too fast, something most of us have had to learn to correct over time.
Having said all that: Yes, I have to agree with those who have pointed out that you don't get an award for completely finishing every bowl. If it's starting to taste bad, by all means stop. Even so: if you're consistently dumping out unburnt tobacco -- and especially if you're doing it regardless of the blend you're smoking or the pipe you're smoking -- it could be a symptom of a poorly made pipe, an overly wet tobacco, or issues with your packing technique and/or smoking speed. I wouldn't just ignore those symptoms if you're wanting to improve in the art of pipe smoking.
Finally, I'll just add that I've never dumped ash in the middle of a bowl. The top layer of ash actually helps to cool the burn -- the same principle behind trying to maintain a half-inch or so of ash on a fine cigar -- and I also believe it creates a protective layer that encourages combustion beneath.
Bob

 

[bryanf]

With all but Lakelands and Aromatics, I find the bottom of the bowl to be the best tasting. Vaper's especially, but also straight virginia's. I've been smoking more of these types of blends lately.
I almost never dump ash, and just about always smoke to the bottom. I don't like the way a bowl tastes after sitting, and I don't like DGT.
As mentioned, when I have tried dumping ash (as some recommend), I often end up with is an overheating bowl. I believe it is because removing the ash allows a rapid influx of oxygen.
Everything else has been said. Pack properly, and tamp every so often. I tamp to keep the draw the way I like it. Like I said, I just use my finger. Sometimes I'll cover the bowl with my finger and draw my pipe to get the embers fired up.

 

[gothicmace]

I second bryanf's comments.. the bottom of the bowl is intense at times. Follow the suggestions above.... give it time... I am still learning my pipes with different tobacco.... 3 step.. loose pack... old cogger stuff and go... thats half the fun. But just but.. sometimes depending on the pipe.. the moisture will build up so that it won't burn.... I love my M&M Country Gentleman cob.... I usually start smoking the stem... LOL :: as those cobs work that well. Briars are great I have a bunch of them from all over the world... but to me.. nothing beats a cob.. so try one if you havent.

Happy Bowl movements to everybody

Mike