Soggy Bottom Pipe (HELP!!)

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newsmoke

Lurker
Oct 5, 2013
17
0
I have a problem I need you guys' help with. No matter what I do (varying packing method, puffing cadence variations, “sipping", etc) I never can seem to smoke a bowl all the way down to “fine white ash" like I've read others talking about. I always...ALWAYS end up with like a little “plug" of tobacco at the bottom of my bowl along with a very wet bowl. Can you guys PLEASE help me with this?! I feel not only am I wasting perfectly good tobacco, but also missing out on the full experience/enjoyment of pipe smoking.

 

shayde

Can't Leave
Oct 4, 2013
387
10
Have you tried drying your tobacco?

Another thing is you could be drooling, does it gurgle at all whilst smoking?

 

pruss

Lifer
Feb 6, 2013
3,558
370
Mytown
It sounds like you're still "working things out" which is okay, and takes everyone a different amount of time to get stuff "figured". It also sounds like you're working on the right things (packing method, cadence/speed). I do think Shayde is onto something with suggesting that you check the moisture level of your tobacco and try drying it out some. Another tip is to, on occasion, run a cleaner down the stem and shank to pull up moisture.
Good luck!
-- Pat

 

05venturer

Lifer
Nov 25, 2012
1,622
2
Amery,WI
I was having this problem for a while also and I started packing the bowl much lighter towards the bottom and basically a little lighter all the way through and it cured it for me.( I guess I don't need to pack 1/2 an ounce in one bowl LOL.) Try packing lighter and see how it goes.

 

mike73

Starting to Get Obsessed
Aug 20, 2013
168
2
It could be the pipe as well. What type of pipe are you using? Poorly engineered pipes can do this. I have had plenty of experience with this happening with basket pipes or just cheap pipes in general. My go to answer, if this is the case, is to grab a few cobs and save up for a good pipe offered from a reputable manufacturer.

 

jgriff

Can't Leave
Feb 20, 2013
425
3
What exactly are you smoking? There are number of OTC aromatics that are goopy no matter what you do.

 
Not poorly engineered pipes, just a different style of pipe. My guess is that you have a bent. Some pipe designs have the draft hole higher than the very bottom of the chamber. Some do this on purpose, especially in the Danish line of pipemakers, to leave a well for the moisture. You will never smoke the last tidbit of dottle on these pipes. I have four Nordings and all of them have this design.
Some may argue that its a flaw, but I am certain that after looking at different Danish bent pipes and discussing this at length at my B&M Briary, that it is just a different design. Being higher than the chamber bottom, the pipes don't gurgle, but the trade off is that you don't smoke the last little bit. But, that's ok with me. I rarely ever smoke a pipe to the very bottom anyway. My mouth tongue tells me when to quit, not the pipe.

 

mike73

Starting to Get Obsessed
Aug 20, 2013
168
2
Interesting, never thought of that. What I was referring to was my experience with cheap basket pipes in classic shapes. I have a Dublin that the draft hole was drilled way to high and it gurgles and leaves just a nasty wet mess at the bottom of the bowl.

 

newsmoke

Lurker
Oct 5, 2013
17
0
A few of my pipes gurgle.... mostly the ones with stingers (I have 3 so equipped). As far as tobacco....I've been smoking Captain Black regular (love it), cherry and gold as well as some custom blends from my local B&M. Also have tried Half and Half as well.

 

newsmoke

Lurker
Oct 5, 2013
17
0
Sorry, Mike73...didn't mean to skip your question about the pipes. I have a Nording, a Paronelli, a Kaywoodie, a Stanhope, a Supermaster and several Dr. Grabows and Missouri Meerschaums. I feel like I have a decent selection as far as bent and straight stems. Thanks for all the responses and advice guys!

 

jgriff

Can't Leave
Feb 20, 2013
425
3
Captain Black will leave a goopy mess. It's not you. You won't be able to dry it easily no matter what you do. There are alot of humicants in there. I think Captain Black may outlast Twinkies. If you enjoy smoking it, then just accept the lost portion at the end. You may want to try the Mac Baren 7 Seas line which replicate the Captain Black series without all the humicants.
If you really don't want to mess with the goop, then you may want to try a non-aromatic sometime but that may just be my inner tobacco snob coming out.

 

newsmoke

Lurker
Oct 5, 2013
17
0
Shayde and pruss...as far as drying out the tobacco....any suggestions on methods, time, temperature, etc? Thanks again...Chris

 

petes03

Lifer
Jun 23, 2013
6,212
10,653
The Hills of Tennessee
Moisture content in your tobacco, cadence, drool, type of tobacco, packing method, the amount of time you've let your pipe rest between smokes, and the pipe you're smoking are all factors in the quality of your smoke.

 

pylorns

Lifer
Aug 20, 2013
2,114
352
Austin, Texas
www.thepipetool.com
@newsmoke If I dry out Captain Black, I still will get some wet goop - I do find if I use the swirl pack method where the tobacco is not pushed all the way to the bottom Its a bit more enjoyable.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePTCsBb7xAQ
ANNND... you need to watch this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAy142Sjvfk

 

martiniman

Part of the Furniture Now
Apr 6, 2012
885
2
Just spread the tobacco out and let it air dry. I do mine on copy paper since that is what i have at my desk. As far as the time it really depends on how moist it is when you start. I've gone 20-30 minutes but i just opens a new Drew Estate that was so wet i left it out overnight and it probably could have gone longer.
Cheers.

 

Strike Anywhere

Can't Leave
Nov 9, 2011
368
83
I wouldn't sweat it too much. When I started, I would get worked up about smoking to a fine white ash. It rarely happens for me, and it doesn't bother me. There was a period of time when I was really trying to make myself smoke a bowl all the way down because "that's what you're supposed to do" -- but after talking to many pipe makers and tobacco blenders at pipe shows, I've learned that's just another "rule" people out in cyberspace perpetuate when they have nothing better to do.
Do you smoke a cigar all the way down? I don't. That last bit of tobacco gets nasty. I stop smoking a bowl when the taste turns on me. Sometimes that means I smoke it all the way down, but most of the time, that means I leave a good 1/3 to 1/4 of a bowl unburned. Sometimes it's wet and soggy -- sometimes it's not. If I'm going to fret over that 10cents worth of unburned tobacco, I probably should not be smoking a pipe. ;)

 

cigrmaster

Lifer
May 26, 2012
20,249
57,280
66
Sarasota Florida
With blends that contain up to 35% weight of PG and casings( Captain Black), you will always get a soggy bottom no matter how much you dry your tobacco. The only way to avoid it is to look for blends that are more natural. There are tons of aromatics that will not leave a goopy mess and that taste better than what you are smoking.
Bowswell Aromatics

Sutliff

4noggins

http://www.vtpipes.com/tobacco.html
All of these guys make quality aromatics. If you try any of these and still get a goopy mess then it could be your pipes and technique. Also remember that your pipes need rest. Since you are smoking aro's, you might want to let the pipe rest for two days after smoking one bowl in it.

 

piperl12

Part of the Furniture Now
Apr 7, 2012
970
4
Agree with Harris 100% if you start with quality tobacco everything falls into place fairly quickly. Many people just starting out blame technique and pipes for a long time before they realize it was the tobacco all along. A good natural tobacco, and a quality estate pipe will make your learning curve much shorter than OTC blends and basket pipes.

 
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