Scorched Mouth Prevention

[indoeuro]

Today's lesson in "Old Dogs, New Tricks."
I switch between Virginias and Burleys several times a year, whenever the seasons change or I just get a hankering. I always scorch my mouth during the transition, though, which means that for a week I don't get to smoke as much as I would like.
But Hark! After 30 years of not applying my rational faculties to solving this bastard-ass inconvenience, I made a conscious decision to only smoke filtered pipes this time around.
<what actually happened is that I was racing to smoke through my open tins of Virginia and turned my mouth into the Mojave>
I happened to have a few Missouri Meerschaum filtered cobs handy, so started with those for last week's Cob Tuesday. Since then it's been Savinelli, Dr. Grabow, and Medico 6mm pipes, with a 9mm Vauen thrown in the mix for my evening aromatic.
Result: for the first time since I started being conscious about changing blends, I have experienced no mouth issues and no bite.
Your mileage may vary, but this method might save some pain and heartache. Good luck, and happy smoking!

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Dry the tobacco, smoke shower and if necessary, use a pipe cleaner to soak up moisture while smoking. Will yield similar results.

 

[chopper]

By mixing up the genres that I smoke through a day, I don't ever get bored.

Many here smoke different genres according to the seasons whereas I smoke the same blends regardless of the weather.
So I'm curious as to why some are sensitive to it and I notice no difference in my enjoyment regardless what I'm smoking due to seasonal changes in weather.

Maybe it's because for the first several years smoking a pipe I basically smoked two blends before I discovered the internet and U.S. tobacconists.

 

[hauntedmyst]

Ever since I started smearing vaseline inside my mouth, the scorching has dropped to zero. It's a miracle product

 

[Briar Lee]

Many, many years ago I used to have pipe bite my tongue and sometimes my pipe would gurgle, but not anymore.

The reason is daily repetition leads to a person involuntary learning how to master a skill.such as how to load and smoke a pipe.

One of my other hobbies is skeet shooting.

I can pick up your shotgun and that target might not get broken, about 3% of the time.

When my pipes burned my tongue I was lucky to break half those targets.

 

[indoeuro]

Dry the tobacco, smoke shower and if necessary, use a pipe cleaner to soak up moisture while smoking. Will yield similar results.

I appreciate the advice, but this is neither a moisture nor a cadence issue.

 

[indoeuro]

By mixing up the genres that I smoke through a day, I don't ever get bored.

Many here smoke different genres according to the seasons whereas I smoke the same blends regardless of the weather.
So I'm curious as to why some are sensitive to it and I notice no difference in my enjoyment regardless what I'm smoking due to seasonal changes in weather.

Maybe it's because for the first several years smoking a pipe I basically smoked two blends before I discovered the internet and U.S. tobacconists.

I'm convinced that it's pH interaction between the smoker and the tobacco. It takes me about three days to get the full flavor of the new tobacco when I'm switching between Virginias and Burleys. The ashy, sometimes bitter, airy steam that a lot of Virginia diehards associate with Burley goes away with repetition and is replaced by nuttiness and a deep, understated sweetness. Likewise, the hot bitiness that Burley guys get from Virginias, especially VaPers, is replaced within a few days by grassy fruit sugar.
I'm not a super-taster by any means, but this is a distinct phenomenon that I first noticed about 20 years ago.

 

[indoeuro]

Many, many years ago I used to have pipe bite my tongue and sometimes my pipe would gurgle, but not anymore.

The reason is daily repetition leads to a person involuntary learning how to master a skill.such as how to load and smoke a pipe.

One of my other hobbies is skeet shooting.

I can pick up your shotgun and that target might not get broken, about 3% of the time.

When my pipes burned my tongue I was lucky to break half those targets.

That's a trenchant observation in the first part. It's exactly what I teach new smokers. Becoming a pipeman is an organic process. Let it happen, and have fun doing it!

 

[indoeuro]

Ever since I started smearing vaseline inside my mouth, the scorching has dropped to zero. It's a miracle product

That... might be for another thing. Sounds fun, though.

 

[indoeuro]

I appreciate the advice, but this is neither a moisture nor a cadence issue.

I realize that the use of "racing" implies smoking fast, but I was imprecise. What I meant by that was that I devoted my pipes to that one tobacco - instead of the five or six in my rotation - in order to finish it quicker than I normally would. My smoking cadence is extremely slow. I also dry my tobacco to crunchiness before I even consider smoking. It helps that I live in one of the more arid parts of the country.

 

[Worknman]

Some people have said they had a revelation and figured out red virginias were causing most of their tongue bite. Of course that greatly reduces your options since its so commonly used.

 

[Grangerous]

PH and your own chemistry will make various leaf as easy to enjoy as a summer breeze or as hard as woodpecker’s lips.

Some blends will be hotter than two rats copulating in a wool sock— while others are as soft as my _ _ _ _ after seeing Rosie O’Donnell in a lace teddy.

Which is why… after much TAD, I say to take those easy-smokin-favorites that you’ve spent years trying to find and settle down. Get off of the TAD hamster wheel and get to know the blends that agree with your taste and chemistry. In other words, love the one you’re with.

It’s all about relaxation, hold the tongue bite. ??

 

[mparker762]

I've only had thermal tongue bite once, from a little Roley pocket pipe, and solved that problem by never smoking it again. any other time I've gotten bit it's been a chemical burn, I'm fine after smoking the pipe but the bite gradually appears over the next 6-10 hrs. smoking slower helps (iirc the burn temp affects the ph of the smoke), less humid tobacco helps, filters and condenser type designs (peterson system, reverse calabash etc) help, the right mouthwash helps (old biotin and current oral7), but the final solution was avoiding all red virginias, and most mac baren and macclelland blends. fortunately navy flake and bombay court seem to be ok.

 

[keith929]

I haven't suffered from tongue bite since I switched to smoking mostly Peterson P-lips.

 

[Grangerous]

I haven't suffered from tongue bite since I switched to smoking mostly Peterson P-lips.

I plan to try one of these. I don’t own one but I’ll often lower my bowl, angling the stem while smoking. I find it improves my ability to taste.

 

[mparker762]

I haven't suffered from tongue bite since I switched to smoking mostly Peterson P-lips.

I'm a loose clencher so my pipes always droop which makes p-lips send the smoke against my upper gum. but once I straighten out the exit with a needle file then p-lips are great, their oversize button makes them ideal for the way I clench

 

[Jimmy_Jack]

I guess I am lucky. I dont believe Ive ever had tongue bite.