Revisiting Air Pocket Packing

[hairvise]

Lately, I have been using the air pocket packing technique while smoking Virginia and vaper blends. When I first started smoking, I tried this technique and found it very frustrating. I couldn’t keep the tobacco lit and I moved away from this approach.

However, now that I understand how critical drying Virginia and vaper blends can be, I have found that air pocket packing has become much more effective for me. I just grab a packet of tobacco, shove it in the ball fairly forcefully and twist it in until it’s in. To finish, I pack the top down with the pad of my thumb a couple times. I make sure the draw is OK and then when I light, I do make sure I really get the tobacco going.

In no way am I claiming that this is a better technique nor does the tobacco necessarily taste better, but I do find it more even burning for me.

I’m wondering if other folks use this technique from time to time and what their experiences are.

 

[anotherbob]

every once in a blue moon and the occasional green moon I'll smoke a flake like this.

 

[hairvise]

every once in a blue moon and the occasional green moon I'll smoke a flake like this.

In a way, the stuff and fold technique can emulate this unless one really crams the flakes into the bottom of a bowl. I just have a harder time judging the dryness of a flake as easily as loose tobacco, so I typically rub out flakes. I’d like to get to the point where I can successfully stuff and fold and not have to constantly relight.

 

[anotherbob]

In a way, the stuff and fold technique can emulate this unless one really crams the flakes into the bottom of a bowl. I just have a harder time judging the dryness of a flake as easily as loose tobacco, so I typically rub out flakes. I’d like to get to the point where I can successfully stuff and fold and not have to constantly relight.

really flakes are the easiest for me cause it's all in how they bend.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

How about just folding and stuffing? Works well for me 4 to 6 times per day.

 

[hairvise]

How about just folding and stuffing? Works well for me 4 to 6 times per day.

Definitely! I’ve been smoking loose tobacco lately and using the air pocket technique from time to time.

Do you have a good indicator of when a flake is at the right dryness? I read somewhere that @chasingembers leaves his flakes out overnight—I think I’m going to try that when I open a tin of flake.

 

[Bigdadz]

I will typically dry some flake overnight and pack using the air pocket method. Another way I do it is to roll it in a ball when it’s still humid and stuff it in the upper portion of the bowl and leave it for a day.

The dryer and more closely packed the tobacco is in conjunction with a good air pocket the better the combustion.

 

[hairvise]

I will typically dry some flake overnight and pack using the air pocket method. Another way I do it is to roll it in a ball when it’s still humid and stuff it in the upper portion of the bowl and leave it for a day.

The dryer and more closely packed the tobacco is in conjunction with a good air pocket the better the combustion.

Excellent suggestions, thank you!

 

[Chasing Embers]

I read somewhere that @chasingembers leaves his flakes out overnight

Yep.?

 

[olkofri]

I read somewhere that @chasingembers leaves his flakes out overnight—I think I’m going to try that when I open a tin of flake.

I did that with a slice of Orlik Golden Sliced. It was just too dry, almost crumbling in the morn. Didn't like that. Seemed to smoke OK, but I still had to relight constantly. So much for the bone dry = no relights. ?

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Definitely! I’ve been smoking loose tobacco lately and using the air pocket technique from time to time.

Do you have a good indicator of when a flake is at the right dryness? I read somewhere that @chasingembers leaves his flakes out overnight—I think I’m going to try that when I open a tin of flake.

When I fold the flakes, they break. If they still have enough moisture to be pliable enough to bend instead of break, they're too wet. I would add, if I bend them and they don't break, and I don't have the patience to dry them out, I just make certain to pack them looser to allow for expansion when they get hot. I also know to smoke even slower and probably will run a pipe cleaner through a time or two while smoking to soak up excess moisture.

 

[hairvise]

When I fold the flakes, they break. If they still have enough moisture to be pliable enough to bend instead of break, they're too wet. I would add, if I bend them and they don't break, and I don't have the patience to dry them out, I just make certain to pack them looser to allow for expansion when they get hot. I also know to smoke even slower and probably will run a pipe cleaner through a time or two while smoking to soak up excess moisture.

Brilliant advice! Thanks so much. I will give this a go!

 

[Jeremiah Johnson]

I just learned the air-pocket technique last week (do I get a gold star?), and I've been using it quite a bit since. I hadn't actually heard of it until last week (Muttnchop Pipermust cover it somewhere, but I haven't seen it! I forget where I read about it). The reason I first employed it is that I have a Bones pipe (the Prince/Author shape) where the intake in the bowl is situated more in the bottom of the bowl rather than on the side, and it was often getting plugged up, especially with expanding flake. But I actually didn't know it would work with flake (intact flake) - I've been using it with loose tobacco.

I really like the method! I seem to end up with less dottle when the bowl is finished. It's pretty easy to do, I thought, especially with cobs. My cobs get a pretty thick carbon coat very quickly - I kind of abuse my cobs! The air-pocket pack happens almost by default when packing them, because the inside of the bowl provides a lot of friction. Anyway, the tobacco seems to burn a bit cooler due to the improved air-flow. With flake in my Bones I think I was just packing a bit too full, and not accounting for expansion.

Anyway, I'm now kind of excited to try it out with flake tobacco! One of the reasons I've really been enjoying smoking a pipe is that there always seems to be a new technique to learn and work on, or an old technique I can have another go at and improve on.

 

[Lawyer66]

This is actually the first I have read of this method. I might just try it myself.

 

[hairvise]

This is actually the first I have read of this method. I might just try it myself.

Here’s a primer for you:

The Air Pocket Packing Method | Smokingpipes.com

Learn how to pack your tobacco pipe using the Air Pocket packing method, popularized by Fred Hanna.

www.smokingpipes.com

I hope that helps!

 

[jpmcwjr]

....However, now that I understand how critical drying Virginia and vaper blends can be, I have found that air pocket packing has become much more effective for me....

Any method of loading a pipe will work better when the tobacco is dried to the right level of moisture!

I don't use any "method"- the air pocket means less tobacco in the chamber for one. Some of the others are plain pains in the ass, if not ridiculous.

However, to each his own!

 

[anotherbob]

if you use the three stage packing. The dottle on the bottom is practically an air pocket. It used to shock me to see how little tobacco was actually on the bottom of the pipe. Just an observation I had which is mildly relevant to the air pocket method. Also those screens mainly used for weed pipes can make a decent air pocket or those porous stone things that I forget what they're called pilt pads or something like that.