Smoking Half a Bowl and Finishing it Later

[dunnyboy]

Further finding: the 2PM pipeful went south about ten minutes into the relight!?

 

[FLDRD]

Sometimes out of necessity.
Come back to it a few hours to even (rarely) a few days later.
Results vary, but often I've found no issues different than if smoked straight through, or if it would have been set down for just a few minutes pause.
Both Virginia & English.

 

[kcghost]

Yes, I do this quite frequently. I have no problems with it.

 

[dctune]

For me, it depends on if I get distracted with work stuff, or if my kids interrupt a bowl in one of their many, many creative ways of doing so. But I much prefer to smoke a bowl all at once. I actually find the first half of the bowl to be much more satisfying than the bottom half. And often, when I find I’ve left half a bowl for later, when I get back to it, I’ll usually just dump it and start fresh.

 

[Singularis]

I’ve had mixed results but usually smoke the bowl in halves unintentionally: I didn’t get a chance to finish a bowl one day and come back the next day feeling like I don’t want to let good tobacco go to waste. I would say about 50% of the time it’s as good or maybe even better (or at least different in a good way). The other 50% there may be a sourness that you also noted. The other important thing I notice is that the nicotine feels far more concentrated — probably from residual juice — and knocks me sideways. Because of that, I certainly don’t feel this method is anywhere near foolproof. But I’ve definitely had some really good smokes from a half bowl I smoked earlier in the day or even the day before.

 

[autococker07]

My dad used to smoke until the pipe died, then pick it up later.... but then again he smoked Carter hall mixed with mixture 79 ?

 

[chopper]

I can only smoke this way as I am quite sensitive to nicotine (and don't want to build a tolerance anyway). And for me it's more like a third of a bowl at a time. Yes, leaving it for a few hours can improve the taste for sure. Especially since most blends can come a bit too moist, and a bit of breathing will unlock some flavor (in my experience).

For what it's worth here's my experience with Lady N;
After 35 years of smoking strong cigarettes and a nice big fat cigar regularly, I was terribly addicted smoking 30-40 cigs a day [Tailor made cigarettes have 300+ added chemicals, some of which I'm convinced are even more addictive than the nicotine]

Around 12 years ago I switched to a pipe. Variety of blends here in Oz is pathetic. Before I found the internet and U.S. on-line tobacconists, the two blends that I smoked initially had mild to medium nicotine, which no doubt helped in my transition to pipes.

When I started ordering tobacco from the U.S. I only ordered blends with mild nicotine [JimInk reviews give an accurate idea of nicotine levels at TobaccoReviews which were a big help when choosing blends I'd not previously tried]

Although I smoke several bowls a day, I no longer crave a smoke and can go several hours without when otherwise occupied.
There's many blends that I'd love to try that have more than mild levels of Vit N, I avoid them simply because I don't want to run the risk of becoming addicted again since I got that monkey off my back.

I don't feel like I'm missing out because there's plenty of mild blends from which to choose that I really enjoy.
Even though I inhale every few puffs, I can smoke a large bowl from start to finish and not notice any effect from nicotine.

 

[Anchovies]

Interesting difference in opinion here.

I must say, since starting this thread I've tried it a few more times, I definitely just don't get it at all.

Not only is the taste not improved, I find it's so bad it's barely smokable. From now on I feel I will just dump it and start again.

More often though, I do (and will continue to) just pack 1/2 or even 1/3 bowls. When I pack a bowl, I like to smoke it to the finish as I have it in my head - rightly or wrongly - that it's good for the pipe. Especially a relatively new one.

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

I don’t ever smoke my pipe with the intent of smoking half a bowl. There are times when things arise that cause me to set the pipe down and return to it later. When this happens , the second half of the bowl has been hit and miss. Some tobaccos smoke well to the end and are enjoyable. Others seem to be off taste and I’m disappointed. In a few cases the taste is so undesirable I’ll just simply quit smoking it knock out the tobacco and clean the pipe.
I pick the size of pipe I’m going to smoke based off of how much time I have dedicated to smoking.

I second this, I'm the same way

 

[MacMarty89]

The first 2/3 of a bowl are the best in terms of favour, I think. After that my palate is usually saturated. I almost always have a continuous smoking session. It never tastes good after I left the bowl to sit or a night passes.

I just enjoy a completely fresh pipe the next day. You don't eat half a steak and warm the thing up the next day either, so why do it with a pipe?!

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I do this all the time. DGT. Sometimes I do it on purpose, and sometimes it just can't be helped.

 

[novomart]

I do this quite a lot.

 

[novomart]

I do this quite a lot.

 

[runscott]

I smoke however much of a bowl I feel like smoking. If it starts tasting like garbage, I dump it. If it still is okay, then I try it again later...or not. Pipe tobacco is cheap - I'm going to enjoy it or dump it.

 

[jpmcwjr]

The first 2/3 of a bowl are the best in terms of favour, I think. After that my palate is usually saturated. I almost always have a continuous smoking session. It never tastes good after I left the bowl to sit or a night passes.

I just enjoy a completely fresh pipe the next day. You don't eat half a steak and warm the thing up the next day either, so why do it with a pipe?!

No, I love it cold. Or sliced and sautéed over toast.

But the message I'd like to leave is that for those who have poor results from resuming a pipe, it's most likely damp tobacco. It may appear dry on top as you light, but moisture will accumulate as hot air and smoke pass through the cooler bottom half, condensing and souring the smoke, esp if left to molder.

 

[FLDRD]

You don't eat half a steak and warm the thing up the next day either, so why do it with a pipe?!

Actually I do this ALL THE TIME.

Why overstuff yourself when it tastes great the next day too?

Steak and eggs anyone?

 

[runscott]

The first 2/3 of a bowl are the best in terms of favour, I think. After that my palate is usually saturated. I almost always have a continuous smoking session. It never tastes good after I left the bowl to sit or a night passes.

I just enjoy a completely fresh pipe the next day. You don't eat half a steak and warm the thing up the next day either, so why do it with a pipe?!

My pipes aren't steaks.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

We used to have a member and moderator, Lawrence, who was also lived near me that used to save his dottles and smoke them latter. Apparently Sherlock Holmes was famous for doing this, but also many other pipesmokers of old. It's not just a matter of being thrifty, but the dottle is stoved tobacco, so it is sweeter and more flavorful... according to these guys.
Me? Well, I am not a fan of getting all smelly by handling smelly ashtray smelling dottle, and I have hundreds of pounds of tobaccos at my beck and call. But, my hats are off to those connoisseurs of such.

 

[runscott]

We used to have a member and moderator, Lawrence, who was also lived near me that used to save his dottles and smoke them latter. Apparently Sherlock Holmes was famous for doing this, but also many other pipesmokers of old. It's not just a matter of being thrifty, but the dottle is stoved tobacco, so it is sweeter and more flavorful... according to these guys.
Me? Well, I am not a fan of getting all smelly by handling smelly ashtray smelling dottle, and I have hundreds of pounds of tobaccos at my beck and call. But, my hats are off to those connoisseurs of such.

I think 'dottle' smokability depends on the tobacco, and how you personally smoke. I have heard some friends describe how 'wet' they smoke, and it baffles me. I have smoked some VAPers that I smoked very slowly (so not as wet at the bottom), then returned to the next day and thought they were different, and maybe even a little better. But that's rare.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I think 'dottle' smokability depends on the tobacco, and how you personally smoke. I have heard some friends describe how 'wet' they smoke, and it baffles me. I have smoked some VAPers that I smoked very slowly (so not as wet at the bottom), then returned to the next day and thought they were different, and maybe even a little better. But that's rare.

Wets smokers, ha... I'm not sure which is worse, setting next to a wet smoker gurgling away like a dying sea turtle, or setting next to one of the big billowy clouds of smoke guys.