stinking cobs...

[ben88]

Why my cobs stink? Doesn't matter what I smoke in them, couple hour later they start smelling like burning paper...

Smoking too hot?

 

[jitterbugdude]

What kind of cob? If it is a MM cob it shouldn't stink. A cheap Chinese one on the otherhand will stink big time.

 

[shikano53]

How old are the cobs?

i've got 4 MM cobs that I've purchased in the last 2 months 4 more on the way.

I always run a pipe cleaner through them after they have cooled off and when I am done a smoke I always take the small pick on my czech tool and make sure there is no debris at the very bottom of my cob below the air hole.
I've noticed on all of my cobs that there is a small gap beneath the air hole and the bottom of the pipe. Don't know why, there just is. I always make a point to get the small bit of tobacco debris that lodges in there after a smoke, out. My reasoning is that if I don't, it might build up (not cake) and give off an odor.

But other than that my cobs are my best smokers. You will need a flashlight to see what I mean. I always use a small flashlight to check the bottom after each smoke.

Chris in Red Deer, Alberta

 

[huntertrw]

Here's one possible reason:

 

[ben88]

They are MM cobs. Seconds from grab bag. I clean them right after finishing the bowl. Clean them vigorously. Even scrubbing inside walls a bit.

 

[drfrankenstein56]

have you ever tried leaving them outside in a warm dry place to dry and air out for awhile? I agree with Shikano 53 that the heel is where your smell is coming from. might try to mud the bottom if its bad.
Aj

 

[ben88]

I wanna dry them outside, but it has been raining off and on for the last week and a half(((

 

[shikano53]

Ben,

Clean the heel out really well and then put them on a cookie sheet in the oven at about 75 C or so for about 30 - 45 minutes.

Make sure you take the stem out.

 

[newbroom]

Sounds like you're allergic to cobs...one in a million!

 

[disinformatique]

Treat them like briars, let them dry out and don't oversmoke them. Also, put then in front of a fan and let them dry. I always put a pipe cleaner in the stem after I finish my smoke for 15-20 mins and then every other week I will clean the cobs with pipe cleaner dipped in alcohol and clean the bowl with Qtip dipped in alcohol as well. I know they are just "cobs" but they do need time to rest as well.

 

[prairiedruid]

Moisture might be your problem. If you don't do a good job with a pipe cleaner after smoking moisture can definitely soak into the stem and bowl......it's a corn cob after all so easy for it to get musty if left warm and wet after a smoke. I now try to rest my cobs and only smoke each one every other day and have noticed that I have no more funky odor.

 

[captainprophesy]

I know they are just "cobs" but they do need time to rest as well.

Pfft... you'd cringe at the way I treat my cob's :D I have them literally thrown in all places just in case I need a pipe... I have some in the truck, the garage, the shop... hell I have two that I smoke day after day several times a day (I smoke allot while driving and working in my shop, I WILL not use one of my briar pipes as I have dropped them many many times and don't want to damage my good pipes) ... MM Cobs can take a beating for sure!

 

[disinformatique]

@Captain, if they don't stink then its totally fine. I was referring to the stink problem. It's just my habit to keep my pipes clean and well cared be it meer, briar or cob.

 

[settersbrace]

No oven unless you enjoy living alone. Even then I'd have to really think about it.

 

[Snow Hill]

Every once and a while, I take mine out to the porch, find some direct sunlight, and let 'em dry.

 

[mcitinner1]

Just put the darn things somewhere you can't smell'em! :roll:

 

[ben88]

Well, I dried some of my cobs in the oven at work and it did help a bit. I still have about 8 or 9 unsmoked cobs and I decided to modify them a bit. Today I received some pipe mud and next week I am gonna take my cobs apart, shorten the wooden stem, so it does not sticks out inside the bowl. I also will install hardwood plugs, making sure there is no space left between the bowl bottom and the stem and slap some mud inside the bowl

 

[andrew]

What kind of cob? If it is a MM cob it shouldn't stink. A cheap Chinese one on the otherhand will stink big time.

My MM cob from the seconds had an unpleasent taste for the first 5-10 bowls, after that I found I can smoke bowls in a cob back to back like I could never in a briar.