Relationship between packing & temperature

[atskywalker]

As I progressed in my pipe smoking habits I started to realize that the cooler the smoke the more flavour one detects and the less damage one may do to his oral equipment. Can some of the more experienced smokers dive in with insight about the relationship between packing and the temperature of the smoke?
What can one do while packing to increase the odds of the bowl burning cooler/slower for the greatest enjoyment of flavours?

 

[aerofanadam]

I'm new myself, but from what I've seen faster airflow means more heat. I packed a bowl wrong one night and had it burn straight down fast and hot and leave a ring of tobacco on the outside. Granted I was also inebriated and puffing way too fast. Lately I've been pinch filling, then finger tamping from the outside in. I only use my tamper to smooth out the initial charring light.

 

[kane]

As you probably know or will see, there are many different methods for packing tobacco into your pipe. Some of this is relevant to the style or type of tobacco, some personal preference, and a lot of trial and error to find what works best for you. There are many youtube vids out there, many resources, and it seems to be one those things that pipers constantly experiment and play with. One general consensus is to not over pack. It's often said to pack lighter than you think you need to. A major issue for heat is the way you smoke, e.g., slow with paced sips, rather than aggressive and frequent puffing. This seems to be an art that is learned over time. The gestalt of a pleasant cool flavorful smoke includes the pipe, the tobacco, the packing, and the smoking. Enjoy the journey.

 

[derfatdutchman]

Not only does packing come into play, but the moisture level of the tobacco.

 

[settersbrace]

Smoking cadence, say it with me, smoking cadence. This has more to do with your pipe getting hot than anything else you can physically do. Too loose a pack and you are in for multiple re-lights unless you adjust with your tamper. Too tight of a pack and it'll feel like your trying suck pudding through a coffee stirrer. Overly humidified tobacco will sizzle and and you'll experience gurgling in your pipe. Too dry? Unless it's crunchy as potato chips it's not too dry. Again, smoking cadence, you sip and breathe, sip and breathe. No puffing, no giant plumes of smoke like the you tube "experts" like to display. The smokiest moments in pipe smoking is when you initially light up, the rest is all about maintaining the ember.

 

[saltedplug]

I would think that tobacco burns at one temperature. What heats up the smoke is the rate of the burn, or how much and how fast tobacco is burning. Whe more oxygen is drawn through the tobacco it increases the burn rate, not its temperature. The heat transferred to the bowl can't dissipate quickly enough not to be noticeable, and the bowl gets hot. Having slowed your cadence you are already doing the best thing you can do to smoke cool. You have entered the halls of the pipe adept with just that one accomplishment. You can smoke and taste more and aren't nagged by a sore mouth.
I don't think packing per se can affect temperature as, again, you would think that tobacco reaches a standard temperature during the combustion. The deeper the draw the more oxygen travels over the burning tobacco, and of course this does increase the burn rate; the smoke will contain more heat, but it strikes me that my mouth is tolerant of heat up to a point; once I cross that point, there is pain, and if I continue to smoke there is increased injury, and at this point not the pipe but my mouth needs to be rested, 2-3 hours works but 6 is better.
So, to answer your question directly, the trick with packing is to reach that happy medium between over and under-packing. Packing too tightly will definitely cause you a lot of relights as the tightness impedes the flow of air through the bowl, and the coal struggles and then dies for lack of oxygen for the burn. Another axiom is that whatever packing method you use, the bottom of the chamber should be only loosely packed while the top is tighter. What you want is a pack that readily burns while you control the rate of combustion by a slow cadence.

 

[dulgunz]

+1, Also to easily explain: if you were ever a cigarette smoker and have "hot boxed" a cigarette this is why. Too much oxygen (heavy puffing) = hot smoke = unpleasant flavor.