Relighting

[yanoJL]

What's going on here is testament to why veteran pipe smokers are often reluctant to recommend aromatic blends to new hobbyist. Wet/goopy blends can be a challenge to keep lit -> encouraging faster/harder puffing ‐> leading to tongue bite. Etc.

Aside from technique, I'd like to add a recommendation to try a ribbon-cut non aromatic. Carter Hall works well in this role. But if you find the Burley/Virginia too "cigarette-like", perhaps a ribbon-cut English blend like Nightcap might do the trick; plenty of flavor with manageable mechanics.

 

[OwlTellYa]

Thanks for all the great tips, especially the advice not to sweat it. I tried a different blend today and the experience was very different—many fewer relights. So, it’s about learning what works for that particular blend.

The new blend was Cult Blood Red Moon, which I let dry out for a while before smoking. It was a very pleasant bowl.

 

[Epip Oc'Cabot]

I agree with everyone here that suggests relighting is NOT a problem at all.

However, I do make a caveat with the above….. relighting multiple times is NO problem if you are enjoying the bowl of tobacco when it is lit.

SOMETIMES a person (especially common with a newbie who has what sounds like a somewhat “soggy” aromatic)…. the number of relights can be damn painful and annoying because to try to get the soggy stuff to STAY lit, they may end up creating steam instead of flavorful smoke and get tongue bite. I see this as a different situation than when a seasoned pipe smoker simply slows down his pipe smoking in a way that has it go out…. or when a fellow sets his pipe aside for a bit.

In the OP’s description…. it sounded to me that perhaps this excessive lighting was happening in a painful fashion which is why I suggested the drying technique.

 

[K.E. Powell]

What's going on here is testament to why veteran pipe smokers are often reluctant to recommend aromatic blends to new hobbyist. Wet/goopy blends can be a challenge to keep lit -> encouraging faster/harder puffing ‐> leading to tongue bite. Etc.

Aside from technique, I'd like to add a recommendation to try a ribbon-cut non aromatic. Carter Hall works well in this role. But if you find the Burley/Virginia too "cigarette-like", perhaps a ribbon-cut English blend like Nightcap might do the trick; plenty of flavor with manageable mechanics.

Seconded. This is excellent advice.

 

[bullet08]

Pack light is a good advice. But that's not really the reason behind why light's going out. So, pack light and stay ignorant for rest of your new journey to being a smoke ring blowing warlock? Say no more! The secret is the air. Let's repeat together. Fuel, spark and air! Three things need for.. Fire! Unless you already have a dragon. So, you have your fuel, tobacco. Your spark, lighter. But if you shove in that tobacco too tight, you don't have room for air to move around. On the other hand, if you leave a good size air pocket in the bottom, you can pack pretty tight and not have this issue. How do you leave a big size air pocket and pack tight? Good example is Frank method, but it can be done other ways. Gravity fill and others are allowing light packing to leave room for air to circulate. So, yes. Dry your tobacco, and pack light. But the main reason you have to pack light is due to you not leaving room for the air.

 

[mike wheelock]

been smoking a pipe for about 1 year but have learned much early on by the posts from the long time smokers on this forum. read and learn. what i have learned has made my smoking much more pleasant and enjoyable. my lessons learned...not in any particular order as follows. dry tobacco, pack according to the type of tobacco, char light entire surface of bowl, tamp lightly, remove ash if required, sip slowly, dont try to smoke entire bowl in one sitting...put it down if it is to hot or need to do something else it isnt going anywhere and come back later and finish, relight, relight, relight. get a good lighter that doesnt run out of fuel every other day....and above all dont over think...enjoy the moment. have learned that chasing the embers comes with practice. probably forgot something in there but what the hell.

 

[SamPiper]

I've read through a lot of the older threads here on relighting, but I am still having some trouble. I have been smoking a tobacco blend from a local cigar shop--I don't know exactly what it is but it smells of light vanilla so an aromatic. In the first week of smoking this blend I got terrible tongue bite. After reading, etc., I have learned what that's all about. I have slowed down and sip slower. But now I have a problem with having to relight very frequently. It seems that if I sip lightly, I have to relight many many times in a single bowl. If I pull more strongly to keep it lit, I get tongue bite. I haven't found that middle ground yet. Is this normal? Any tips?

By the way, I have tried drying out the tobacco by leaving it out in a bowl for an hour or so, although the tobacco doesn't seem to me very wet to begin with. I have also tried a different pipe with this tobacco (a corn cob) with the same issue.k It's not been very windy or humid outside on the deck where I've been smoking this. Etc.

I should also note I've been experimenting with packing my pipe. I do think I packed too tightly at first, but after watching some videos I am packing it looser now.

Some people are sensitive to tongue bite no matter what they smoke. If this is the case, I recommend trying a 9mm filtered pipe with a charcoal filter

 

[sparker69]

Rule number 1 never talk about Fight Club
Rule number 2 dry tobacco more than you think you should
Rule number 3 load the bowl with less tobacco than you think you should
Rule number 4 try not to over think things like relights and tamping
Rule number 5 there are no rules
Rule number 6 is from David Lee Roth, never sweat the small shit and it's all small shit.
Eventually it will all become second nature, everyone is different, some people figure it out in 5 bowls, some in 10, some in 20 some in 50, there is no rush no one is timing or critiquing you.

Love the David Lee Roth quote! This can never be said enough times!

 

[sparker69]

Let's repeat together. Fuel, spark and air!

Also the first rule of motorcycle mechanics!

 

[sparker69]

Thanks for all the great tips, especially the advice not to sweat it. I tried a different blend today and the experience was very different—many fewer relights. So, it’s about learning what works for that particular blend.

The new blend was Cult Blood Red Moon, which I let dry out for a while before smoking. It was a very pleasant bowl.

I think you bring up an interesting point as well - different blends smoke differently.
And yes - the don't sweat it advice is really helpful. I was just wondering about my own multiple relights - especially when chatting with friends - embarassing myself relighting after almost every sentence. Then someone mentioned Malcolm Guite on youtube and how he is continually relighting while chatting. Made me feel much better! And helped me get back to that quite time that I enjoy with my pipe.