Smoking correctly?

[johnnyrebel]

I've been coming to the forums for awhile now, theirs a great wealth of information here and lots to read. Though i wanted to register and ask a question. I dont have much input on the board, as i just started to smoke just recently. I had a question about smoking, and weather i was doing it correctly. I've only smoked a few bowls, and have been a great deal satisfying. Though i have a couple questions. I have experience with smoking, but im trying to avoid inhaling. I dont know if im inhaling or not, if so..im not doing it intentionally. Anyways, i get a bit of a sensation in the back of my mouth, or the throat if you will. Its a bit of a sting. Is this the dreaded rug burn? Or is this due to me inhaling? Also, i get a kind of 'buzz' when i smoke. I was wondering if this is also related to inhaling, or does that naturally come with new smokers? Anyways, these are a bit embarrasing questions..and i've not met anyone in the are that smokes to ask for tips. So i thought i would write and see what you had to say. Thanks alot. Im sure i'll hear from you soon.

 

[chuckw]

To inhale is to draw smoke into your mouth then breath in, taking the smoke into your lungs. If you are indeed a new smoker and inhaled, you would cough a lot and feel sick to your stomach.

The sting you are feeling is more than likely tongue burn while the buzz is the natural reaction to nicotine. That buzz wil eventually go away until you graduate to stronger tobaccos. As for the sting, it may haunt you forever if you are smoking aromatics with a lot of humectants in them. Many over the counter tobacco producers use an ingrediant to keep their tobacco from drying out while is sets on a shelf and that is the main cause of the sting you feel.

 

[collin]

Don't worry about lack of input, and feel free to ask questions,....I got your PM and I'll get back with you soon.

What have you been smoking and for how long? If you've inhaled cigarettes for years, you will have a tendency to inhale a bit of pipe smoke as well.
I intentionally inhale a tiny bit of pipe smoke all the time, but only through my nose as I push it out of my mouth, but I'm a nicotine nut. When I was younger I smoked two packs of cigarettes a day for over 15 years. Quit that and dipped Copenhagen for 15 years....if I was doing anything other than eating or drinking I had a dip in,...and I gently inhaled cigars for years.

So I love the stuff, but I also know pipe smoke, (like no other), can make your room spin around like a merry-go-round if you get carried away.

 

[johnnyrebel]

Well, i have had experience with smoking though not with cigarettes and tobacco pipes. Though that involved inhaling, which too had a bit of a sting at times in the back of my throat. So i thought perhaps i was inhaling the smoke unintentionally. The sensation at the back of my throat did cause me to want to cough. Though i didn't feel as though i wanted to be sick. It was nice, and the buzz didn't hurt things either!
I was smoking Sail Regular out of a bent pipe. So maybe it was burning a bit hot. I was chugging on it a bit i think. What i was also concerned with inhaling is because of the nicotine buzz, i thought this might be because i was inhaling and not smoking the pipe properly. Not that theirs a proper way to smoke the pipe, but that i wasn't smoking how i had wanted. I dont really understand what the bite that people talk about, maybe you could explain into that a little bit.
Thanks for responding.

 

[unclearthur]

Just take it nice and slow. Pipes are for relaxation. No need to toke heavily unless the pipe is packed too tightly. In that case , next time go easier when loading up.

 

[johnnyrebel]

So do you think it could be that its just burning too hot? I've thought that that could be an issue. I think i pack it pretty well, if anything it might be too light. Which could be causeing it to burn hot, i've still got to figure out the just right amount to put into the bowl. I have some Fox and Hound i think im going to try out.
Also i knowtice i salivate alot when i smoke? hahaha, this happen to anyone else? Maybe thats my TAD kicking in!

 

[jimbo]

"Also i knowtice i salivate alot when i smoke? hahaha, this happen to anyone else?"
Not unusual. I noticed I was a "wet smoker" when I returned to pipes after a long hiatus. I'd use maybe a couple of pipe cleaners during the smoke to stop the gurgle.
I find that after a year or so, I salivate less when smoking a pipe and rarely have a gurgle develop. (A gurgle may also be a result of the pipe's physics and/or the moisture in the tobacco and not your being a "wet smoker".)

 

[pstlpkr]

I think that gurgle is generally caused by high moisture content in the tobacco. This has been discussed from time to time. It usually happens when you either draw to hard or smoke too fast, and don't allow the moisture to evaporate.
As for that "back of the throat" thing, I tend to get that sensation when I smoke burley blends or something with some cigar in it.
Welcome to the forum Johnny, we love these questions.
Keep'em comin'!

 

[johnnyrebel]

When i do smoke the tobacco does get more moist than when i had previously packed it. So its not that im salivating, but rather the moisture in the tobacco? Is that right? I think my problem is that i am smoking it too fast then.
As for the 'back of the throat thing' Its similar to inhaling the first hit of a cigarette. It has that type of bite at the back of the throat. It may be the tobacco, i dont know what blend that Sail Regular is. That could be part of it as well.

 

[admin]

My bet is that you are smoking a little too fast, and you might be packing the tobacco too tight. I think this is common with newbies before they get the hang of it.

 

[jimbo]

You are right, there is moisture in the tobacco... more than you think.
Last night I smoked some 1792 that almost crumbled to dust when I rubbed it out (or cracked it up, rather). It had been in an open tin for nearly a year. By the time it was smoked down to the bottom, it seemed "normal" as to moisture.
One trick you might use to avoid saliva going down the stem is to hold the button of the stem against the side of your tongue when you clench the pipe in your teeth. This blocks off the hole and you can swallow saliva without it going into the stem. (This is another reason I dislike P-lips because there's no way to do this. The hole in the top is like an open drain for the saliva in your mouth.) :x

 

[johnnyrebel]

Well I dont get the chance to smoke very often, but i had a good chance for a nice relaxing smoke out on the porch today. I have to say it was excellent. It was a great smoke. I had the bent pipe with some Fox and Hound. Though im not really a fan of it, and it did give me a bit of tougne bite. I definately know what you mean now when you say it. I dont know if it was too hot or whatever, i dont really care! It was pretty excellent. I took my time and packed it really well, and attempted to light it properly. Scorching it and such. Worked out very well and gave me a great smoke. The Fox and Hound wasn't too bad either, i'll still need a few bowls to really come to an opinion on it but I haven't really heard any reviews on it..so it was intresting to try it.
I only smoked about 3/4 of a bowl, about towards the end of my smoke i started to get a bit of nausia. I have intresting food allergies, so it could be a cause of that and reaction to tobacco. But i was wondering if its happened to anybody else here?
No Saliva or anything, their was a bit towards the end when i started to get a bit of nausia in the back of my throat though. It seemed like the tobacco might have been a bit moist as it was having a bit of trouble staying lit..but that may have been my packing too, its hard to say really. I took it nice and slow, and it kept lit pretty well.
As for the sting in the back of my throat, i think that was becuase of the way i was drawing the smoke into my mouth. I was drawing it more towards the back of my mouth as if i were about to inhale. So rather i proped my tongue against the bit and sort of drew it in like that. Anyways, thanks for the advice. Helps alot.

 

[krgulick]

Looks like you are getting the hang of it. I would suggest for reviews, you can go to tobaccoreviews.com for a lot of reviews of the many blends that are out there. You can find what a number of people are saying about the blends you have and the ones you may want to try. Don't hesitate to ask any other questions here. As you see, we are a friendly bunch who are willing to help out with any info we have.

 

[johnnyrebel]

Yeah, im starting to get it! I checked over at TobaccoReviews, they seem to be a bit all over the place. I guess its a different taste to everybody. What do you guys think about Fox and Hound?

 

[jwp159]

Hang in there and it will come. You can get pointers and advice but the art of pipe smoking is learned with practice over time. The great thing is it is a never ending learning and honing this art. It sounds like you are off to a good start, here is some advice an old pipeman gave me" smoke as slow as you can, then slow down, sip the smoke like sipping hot coffee". I hope his advice helps you as it did me. As to " Fox and The Hound" I like it, if you are referring to the Sutliff blend, nice medium english blend, good flavor. It does have a tendency to bite if you push it.

 

[ulsterpaddy]

i get that feeling on the back of my throat on my "false light" and im pretty sure its because i forget to blow out right away. by the time im on my second light im in full thick puff non inhaling beauty and haven't got any bite yet. im new to it as well.