Relighting a Half-smoked Bowl.

[captpat]

Not a waste of time, I encounter this situation frequently when I'm working on a project in the garage or yard. Dump the ashes and use a pipe cleaner if necessary. I seldom get an ashy taste on relights, even after a few hours.

 

[JOHN72]

I don't see it as a waste of time, I see it as an advantage of experimenting over and over again, the results of repeating various techniques or ways. If it gives you a good smoke, go ahead and if it just smells like a pissed off skunk's ass, throw it in the garden. You can free ballast, I mean throw some ash, and test if it gives you a positive result. Trial and error.

 

[kschatey]

Occasionally while smoking, something will demand my attention and both hands for 5-10 minutes, requiring me to set down my pipe. I've yet to figure out how to relight without getting an awful, ashy taste. Dumping the contents, usually one-third or more of the tobacco is un-charred, so it's not like it's burned down to nothing. Should I just plan on dumping, refilling and lighting, or is there a salvage technique?

I've relight paused bowls many times after minute, hours, or even overnight. Some blends are better than others this way. There's really nothing to loose because if you try it and don't like it, just dump and start over.

 

[sandollars]

Not at all. I do it all the time as many on here do.

 

[Beers 'N Briars]

Lots of good advice above. I very much agree with running a pipe cleaner through for moisture. I don’t usually have an issue with relights and have had a bowl wait overnight and still taste great. Only thing I’d add is to make sure to give it a few puffs over a few minutes to let the tobacco warm back up. I’ve had a relight not taste great for the first few puffs then settle back into how it should taste. But if your blend tastes bad and won’t spring back, then dump and reload. The whole point is enjoyment!

 

[jpmcwjr]

Maybe one in a hundred tastes bad. And that's because the tobacco in the heel was too damp. (I dry all my tobacco to some degree.)

 

[mso489]

Most of my pipe smoking is done like this, intermittently. Sometimes the pipe gets left overnight. I notice no diminishment in taste. If there is a lot of loose ash on top, you might dump it, but a little tamping, very gently, is usually a good idea. Sometimes the extra drying time actually improves the flavor from the top of the bowl. If the taste goes bad anywhere in the bowl, I usually dump it, but that is really rare.

 

[kcghost]

It isn't hard at all to do this so give it a whirl. If you like it great and if you don't just dump it. As for myself I do it every day.

 

[krizzose]

Most of the time for me it’s a good thing. I kinda like coming back to a cold bowl that’s already charred and lights up instantly

 

[pantsBoots]

Is it a waste of time to relight a half-smoked bowl that you've had to set aside and then come back to?

Title edited for caps and brevity. Original above. -jpm

Occasionally while smoking, something will demand my attention and both hands for 5-10 minutes, requiring me to set down my pipe. I've yet to figure out how to relight without getting an awful, ashy taste. Dumping the contents, usually one-third or more of the tobacco is un-charred, so it's not like it's burned down to nothing. Should I just plan on dumping, refilling and lighting, or is there a salvage technique?

I do it all the time, and most of the time it's at least as good as the first half of the bowl.

 

[RevBriar]

Is it a waste of time to relight a half-smoked bowl that you've had to set aside and then come back to?

Title edited for caps and brevity. Original above. -jpm

Occasionally while smoking, something will demand my attention and both hands for 5-10 minutes, requiring me to set down my pipe. I've yet to figure out how to relight without getting an awful, ashy taste. Dumping the contents, usually one-third or more of the tobacco is un-charred, so it's not like it's burned down to nothing. Should I just plan on dumping, refilling and lighting, or is there a salvage technique?

5-10 minutes seems like a pretty short amount of time for a bowl to go sour. I'll let a pipe sit that long after it goes out during a normal smoking session if I'm talking or reading, etc.

I have found that, with most decent tobaccos, smoking a partial bowl then coming back to it a couple hours later still gives me a good experience. I just dump the ash on top, do a new char lite, run a pipe cleaner through it.

Keep experimenting. Happy smoking!

 

[daytonsean]

This happens quite a bit for me with VA flakes as they’re always a lot slower. Always great to light again the next morning, just remove the ashes.

 

[sgh]

The only time I don't relight an unfinished bowl is if I screwed up on the smoke & the tobacco gets too wet to dry out in a reasonable time.

 

[Peter Turbo]

i literally did this just now, finishing my bowl of LTF from last night. tastes better then yesterday actually, maybe because its my first bowl and my pallet is refreshed.

 

[jpmcwjr]

A refreshed palate is "a good thing".

 

[cigrmaster]

If it is just a matter of 2-3 hours the re light should be fine. If you are leaving it out over night, I toss the bowl. For my tastes an over nighter tastes like crap and I toss it as I am tossing 40 cents of tobacco.

 

[waznyf]

This is a very common practice for me, though not necessarily by choice.
I have got 4 kids so at times all I can get in are a few puffs at a time lol
While I don't very much enjoy a bowl that has been left out over night, I will generally finish it the next day unless of course it is too bitter.
Just hit it with the flame and go from there! If your taste buds enjoy it than go ahead and if not, dump it out!

 

[AppalachianPipe92]

Sometimes I don't smoke a bowl from start to finish. I'll smoke it for 10 or 15 minutes and set it down, then continue it 15 or so minutes later. I'll do this until the pipe is finished. I've found that it really depends on the blend, but for the most part it's fine. I usually dump the ash off before relighting. I also run a pipe cleaner through a couple times before a relight.

 

[Davy Jones]

Is it a waste of time to relight a half-smoked bowl that you've had to set aside and then come back to?

Title edited for caps and brevity. Original above. -jpm

Occasionally while smoking, something will demand my attention and both hands for 5-10 minutes, requiring me to set down my pipe. I've yet to figure out how to relight without getting an awful, ashy taste. Dumping the contents, usually one-third or more of the tobacco is un-charred, so it's not like it's burned down to nothing. Should I just plan on dumping, refilling and lighting, or is there a salvage technique?

This happens to me frequently during the day, depending on the things I need to do. Even putting more than or less than half a bowl aside until the next day also happens on a regular basis. I don't see an issue nor think it's a waste. I simply leave the accumulated ashes overnight when this happens but ensure to remove them and pass a pipe cleaner when I'm ready to pick up the pipe again.
The taste will be a bit old-fashioned for sure the next day but it doesn't bother me either. Sometimes, I find the taste ends up being improved.

 

[seanv]

Last week I finished a few day old smoke of sir Walter in a cob. It was smokeable even after the few days left out.