Scooping out the ash then retamping?

[onizuka]

So I did something today that I thought improved my smoke but being a new smoker, I have no idea if it really did or if it is psychological. I gently scooped a bit of the ash after about 15 min of smoking and then gently tamped. It seemed to have cooled down a bit and reflavored my smoke. Does anybody else do this or am I committing a piping sin?

 

[pstlpkr]

Gasp! Do you mean you actually had the audacity to remove ash from your bowl .... during ... a smoke?

Shame.... shame.... :D

 

[cortezattic]

Your pipe smoker's card is hereby temporarily suspended.

(Permanently revoked if you actually enjoyed doing it!)

.

.

.

.

.

The site Moderator will have to confer with :worship: Kevin

to see if and when your privileges can be restored.

 

[onizuka]

LOL, I have no idea what inspired me to do so.

 

[igloo]

Release the hounds .

 

[cortezattic]

Paul Szabady recommends removing the ash at and after the midway point when smoking Va flakes.

I tried it and I like the results. It seems to restore the initial taste.

I rarely smoke deep-bowled pipes, but I imagine that with some tobaccos a thick layer

of ash could impede re-lights. Sometimes I remove the ash for kicks just to be naughty.

 

[hilojohnny]

I've never tried this....but I guess one is never too old to learn new tricks....

 

[fred]

Some of the chambers on these Meerschaums are pretty deep.

At times, a relight can be a real chore when I'm into the

bottom third of the bowl, so I'll invert the Pipe over an

ashtray. The free ash that falls out makes it easier to tamp

the Pipe again and relight. Some ash remains in the bowl, but

the excess that makes relighting a chore has served it's purpose,

and is best removed.