Tamping And The Bottom Of The Bowl?

[tjsgarden]

Greetings,
I actually enjoy the attentive art of pipe tamping. I am careful not to overly compress the tobacco beneath the ashes and embers.

I have mixed thoughts when I get near the bottom of the bowl. When there is a mixture of dottle, ash and a small amount unburned tobacco, I usually use a pick to gently lift the tobacco from the bottom and gently resettle the surface layer. I get a few more minutes of good smoke with a couple relights. What are your thoughts about stirring the remains together to extend the smoke even more? I generally smoke non-aromatics but seeing the remaining tobacco with a grayish color and covered with ash makes me wonder if I should just stop and empty the bowl.

 

[STP]

If you “get a few more minutes of good smoke with a couple relights”, then that’s all that should matter. I guess it comes down to how much tobacco is left and gauge accordingly. If there are only fragments of tobacco at the bottom, then I do not find it enjoyable to stir it w/ash and relighting, and will just dump it.

 

[tschiraldi]

I just dump. The destruction of flavor when mixing with ash isn't worth the extra few puffs. If I want more, I'll just load another bowl.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

While I love having a nice tamper, especially for those rare moment when I am setting down and smoking without having to do something else, 99% of the time I am smoking while doing other things, and I hate to fiddle with my pipe much when busy.
I usually know when my pipe is done when I can taste ash. Yeh, I don't burn every last thread of tobacco, but I'm not in it to win any prizes, just enjoy the flavor. But, if someone wants to give me a prize...

 

[Grangerous]

My stopping point is so predictable that I seldom bother with the bottom quarter. I don’t fight it when it no longer wants to burn.

But as tobacco becomes scarce? or as costly as it is in some places.... I think ? many of us will save and smoke our dottle.

 

[seanv]

It varies smoke to smoke. Sometimes I mix it up and enjoy another 19 mins or so, other times I dump it.

 

[shaneireland]

I just dump. The destruction of flavor when mixing with ash isn't worth the extra few puffs. If I want more, I'll just load another bowl.

This.

Plus, it's really common to see chamber damage at the bottom the bowl, especially around the airway. Relighting dottle can be fairly risky if you're not super careful.

I only "smoke to the bottom" if it's effortless.

 

[smudgersmissingleg]

I try to burn all the tobacco as it's so expensive over here and I hate to waste it.

 

[stokesdale]

Greetings,
I actually enjoy the attentive art of pipe tamping. I am careful not to overly compress the tobacco beneath the ashes and embers.

I have mixed thoughts when I get near the bottom of the bowl. When there is a mixture of dottle, ash and a small amount unburned tobacco, I usually use a pick to gently lift the tobacco from the bottom and gently resettle the surface layer. I get a few more minutes of good smoke with a couple relights. What are your thoughts about stirring the remains together to extend the smoke even more? I generally smoke non-aromatics but seeing the remaining tobacco with a grayish color and covered with ash makes me wonder if I should just stop and empty the bowl.

I empty it; no flavor left once you get down that far.

 

[pantsBoots]

If the flavor takes a dive, I call it done, whether mere scraps or a quarter bowl left. Otherwise, I'll make a good-faith attempt at stirring and relighting, but the dottle is often moist beyond redemption if the flavor has changed for the worse.

 

[BROBS]

Usually at that point it’s so sour and tarry that the dottle has little relation to the real flavor of tobacco.

 

[telescopes]

Currently I’ve been smoking to the bottom of most of my pipes as I am trying to lay a better base of of carbon cake, something my busy life kept me frim doi correctly the first time. I’ve noticed improvement of taste and heat in each pipe I’ve done this too.

 

[bullet08]

I don't tamp or mess with bottom 1/4 of the bowl. When the light goes out, I usually dump 'em. But if the blend is amazingly good, I might clean out the ashes, even out the tobacco (I don't stir tobacco), and relight once. Once that goes out, I dump the rest.

 

[telescopes]

I don't tamp or mess with bottom 1/4 of the bowl. When the light goes out, I usually dump 'em. But if the blend is amazingly good, I might clean out the ashes, even out the tobacco (I don't stir tobacco), and relight once. Once that goes out, I dump the rest.

You're right, there does come a time when it's just time to go home.

 

[Old School 3319]

As much as it scares me i have to agree with cosmic. I only tamper maybe once in the whole bowl i just smoke til I am done and taste the ash

 

[mingc]

Those last bottom bits of tobacco, ash, and condensate taste bad. I also don't want to burn bottom wood, so I dump them.

 

[anantaandroscoggin]

Now I'm confused. I had gotten the impression that dottle is the remaining unburned (perhaps partly charred, perhaps soggy) tobacco left behind when the smoker lets the pipe go out at the end of a pipeful. Now, I'm wondering if dottle is instead the charred but not yet burned up layer between the ash and the unburned tobacco below.

As the bits of tobacco need to be in close proximity in order to pass the fire from one bit to the next as one smokes the bowl down, I can't see that stirring up the ashes and remaining tobacco together before re-lighting could be helpful to keeping the fire going at all. All the ash that ends up between the bits of tobacco acts as a sort-of heat insulation between the burning one and the unburned bit.

 

[kcghost]

Not worth the time to mess with. I just throw it out.

 

[jpmcwjr]

I don't stir or poke the tobacco, except with a tamper, then lightly.

If it's soggy, out it goes; then I dry that tobacco more before the next smoke.

 

[F4RM3R]

I don't stir it up at all. Just keep tamping and stop when the flavour changes for the worse. Usually about 1/8 of the bowl is left and it's pretty moist. No point in burning my tongue over a couple puffs.