Questions - Staying Lit; Packing: Relighting; Ashy Taste

[Maedhros]

Title Edited for caps. See Rule 9.

Hi there guys,

This morning I smoked some Squadron Leader out of a cob and it was fantastic.

It was rather windy outside and I found myself needing to relight the tobacco 3 or 4 times (I had dried the tobacco out for 10 mins or so pre-smoke).

My smoke lasted about 25 minutes, although the cob was relatively small.

Here is everything I do, and I am open to advice on my process/methods.

Tldr: I have italicised my concerns and problem areas.

Drying the tobacco
I open the container and feel the tobacco by pressing it together. If it sticks, I put some of the tobacco onto kitchen roll and leave dry for 10-15 minutes prior to packing.

Packing
I have no real method in packing my pipe except for:

- Filling it to just below the rim lightly and tapping so the tobacco falls in.

- Tidying it up, by which point its normally filling around half of the bowl and is relatively loose.

- Taking some more tobacco and topping it up to just below the rim again this time adding very little resistance.

- Repeating the last step with a little more resistance until the draw is equivalent to a McDonalds shake through a straw.

- Tidying up loose tobacco

First light
I hold the pipe in my mouth, light the tobacco with my lighter in a circular fashion until mostly black with some bits of white ash, whilst taking a puff or two and then I tamp this down with little resistance to flatten it.

I find here I am always unsure of wether I have perhaps burnt the tobacco unintentionally or not. Also sometimes the tobacco will rise even further even after tamped down when I go in for the true light.

True Light
I literally just take a flame and circle it around the flattened ashy top until smoke starts coming out while I puff. I puff 3 or 4 times and the pipe appears to be lit, I then tamp down nearly immediately.

Sometimes struggle here, not sure if I need to be puffing more or tamping less or both. More frequent puffing to get it lit initially or deeper draws?

Cadence
I try to be very conscious of my cadence, and while not clenching I try to puff every 3-4 seconds.

While clenching I seem to fall into a natural cadence that works well.

Sometimes I feel like I'm tamping too often or sometimes not enough during a smoke and that's why I require relights.

 

[Maedhros]

Questions

- Is my drying method adequate?

- Should I worry about burning tobacco during the false light?

- Should I worry about burning tobacco on the charred top when performing the true light?

- How soon after the true light do you normally tamp first?

- Do you need to puff harder or deeper during the initial light or is it as you would during the smoke?

- When relighting is a false light required again? Is there anything you need to do with the charred top?


Appreciate this was a long thread, and sorry in advance!

 

[BingBong]

Nope, you're doing everything right. If the ember starts to die, half cover the bowl with a finger and take a couple of draws to reinvigorate it.

 

[orlandofurioso]

Questions

- Is my drying method adequate?

- Should I worry about burning tobacco during the false light?

- Should I worry about burning tobacco on the charred top when performing the true light?

- How soon after the true light do you normally tamp first?

- Do you need to puff harder or deeper during the initial light or is it as you would during the smoke?

- When relighting is a false light required again? Is there anything you need to do with the charred top?


Appreciate this was a long thread, and sorry in advance!

That is a lot of questions !

 

[Pipke]

Sounds like you are doing everything OK. You had an enjoyable 25-minute smoke out of a cob. Success! Keep doing what you are doing. You are a thinker. You will figure it out.

 

[abecox]

It sounds like you've got a good idea on what to do, my only advice is dont worry about the amount of relights, that seems to be common for even experienced smokers. Other one is that your smoking cadence seems quick, if I were puffing every 4 seconds or so I feel like the pipe would get ridiculously hot, I try to do a puff or two every 30 seconds or so. But also maybe that's why I have to do so many relights. You'll figure it out it seems like youve got a good idea for the fundamentals.

 

[dingdong]

Don't forget to get something to drink..as you smoke, things is going to heat up--the pipe, tobacco/bowl..and the smoke temperatures - a drink will help to cool down mouth cavity and wash any sour/bites

 

[Auxsender]

Keep doing it over and over again and, like anything else, after time and experience, all your questions and more will be answered.

Best of luck and keep on puffin.

 

[kcghost]

The only quarrel I have with you is the packing method. All you are trying to do in packing is ensuring that you have free flowing air between the bowl and your mouth. The goal in each step of packing is to put the proper amount of tobacco in the pipe and be sure you have the proper draw by inhaling on the unlit pipe to be sure that it is at the proper pressure as a normal cigar or little less. Tight as a McDonald's shake seems to be rather over the top.

 

[telescopes]

The only quarrel I have with you is the packing method. All you are trying to do in packing is ensuring that you have free flowing air between the bowl and your mouth. The goal in each step of packing is to put the proper amount of tobacco in the pipe and be sure you have the proper draw by inhaling on the unlit pipe to be sure that it is at the proper pressure as a normal cigar or little less. Tight as a McDonald's shake seems to be rather over the top.

I agree. My first thought was packing issues. my recommendation would be to use the Fran Method to immediately see how a correct pack impacts the smoke. From there, modify as you wish. While this method seems overly complex it does demonstrate what a proper pack is immediately capable of doing.

 

[Sigmund]

Sounds good to me. The best advice I got (here on the fourm) regarding speed of smoke is to take smaller whisps of smoke. You dont need to billow out smoke like its a cigar. I tend to be hyper so I do take frequent puffs. I used the quantity of smoke to regulate this. It also keeps it from getting too hot.

I have also learned to just put it down and take a little rest. It requires a relight but its just a quick hit with the fame. I think you get more flavor when you take rests becuase your taste buds can move towards baseline. Constant puffing kind of blows them out and you miss a lot of the flavor. Im still working on it and learning.

 

[didimauw]

You have many good questions. Seems like everything is going well!

The only answer I got here, is that we have members named both "Bingbong" AND "Dingdong"

Fantastic

 

[proteus]

Questions

- Is my drying method adequate?

Depends on the tobacco. And your personal smoking cadence. I would try different lengths of time to see what works for you.

- Should I worry about burning tobacco during the false light?

Try to keep the flame from just barely touching the tobacco until there is ash to protect the tobacco.

- Should I worry about burning tobacco on the charred top when performing the true light?

- How soon after the true light do you normally tamp first?

Tamping only when you have enough ash. Like a cigar. Tamping let's the ash cake form and keep it lit.

- Do you need to puff harder or deeper during the initial light or is it as you would during the smoke?

Puff the same always.

- When relighting is a false light required again? Is there anything you need to do with the charred top?

Just relight. The very first light is to make a very thin ash cake. Once you've smoke a bit you've got the ash cake and it's tamped.

Appreciate this was a long thread, and sorry in advance!

The biggest thing is to try different methods. Tobacco varies and one method may not work with all tobaccoes and all pipes. You need to experiment and learn different ways. That's what makes this all so much fun. Don't overthink too much. No need to over engineer.

 

[gervais]

You have many good questions. Seems like everything is going well!

The only answer I got here, is that we have members named both "Bingbong" AND "Dingdong"

Fantastic

Bingbong and Dingdong. Absolutely WILL become pipesmagazine legends.

 

[The Libertine]

Sounds about right, just keep your breaths normal.

(Side note: is it breathes or breaths?)

 

[crowbait]

Questions

- Is my drying method adequate?

Yes

- Should I worry about burning tobacco during the false light?

- Should I worry about burning tobacco on the charred top when performing the true light?

With a soft flame you shouldnt have a worry unless you are aggressively puffing and using a flame for an extended period of time.

- How soon after the true light do you normally tamp first?

All depends on the cadence, the bowl pack and toabbco. Tamp to keep the ember in contact with the tobacco below as necessary and to keep a consitent draw.

- Do you need to puff harder or deeper during the initial light or is it as you would during the smoke?

Nope. Regular gentle puffs. Sometimes a little longer draw will help with moisture heavy tobaccos.

- When relighting is a false light required again? Is there anything you need to do with the charred top?

When it goes out, just give it a gentle tamp to settle the top and relight.

Appreciate this was a long thread, and sorry in advance!

Honestly, I think you are overthinking it. You have a handle on the main points but you may be getting to the the point of paralysis by analysis. There is a lot of science in pipe making, but on the smoking front, I truly believe that its about trial and error and gained experience. Every tobacoo will smoke different. Each pipe has its own nuance. The same tobbaco can smoke differently in different pipes.

Just keep smoking and enjoy the process.

 

[Maedhros]

Thanks guys you've cleared up many of my questions! And most of you are probably right in that I am experiencing paralysis by analysis.

I'm just going to stick to smoking once/twice daily and just remaining a little attentive to it whilst I learn.

 

[Maedhros]

What I've learned so far is that I really enjoy English blends as the flavor seems to be right there, I like the limited Virginia's I have tried but nothing stands out, I have certainly experienced a "magic moment" with a virginia that appeared unmatched to anything else I had smoked previously; but it was short lived and the smoke needed a more careful attention. Moving forward, do you think I would wise to try a burley blend? It seems almost like a middle ground between the two. Or would a Va/Per add more interest to an ohterwuse nuanced straight Virginia?As a side note, most of the aromatics I've tried in the past haven't been very good or worthwhile. My favourites so far: Squadron Leader, Amphora original, EMP, Nightcap, Autumn Evening, Frogmorton, Special Virginia

 

[crowbait]

Sounds about right, just keep your breaths normal.

(Side note: is it breathes or breaths?)

Breathe [breeth] is a verb for the process, breath [breth] is the noun.

 

[bullet08]

Without going too much into it, fire need air. Without air, fire goes out. Now think about why you ember goes out. It's not because you don't blow into your stem.