Tastes Like Ash

[Lykkeberg]

EDIT: Fixed Capitalization in Title - Bob

Hello.
I am new to pipe smoking and have smoked my pipe about 3 times so far, and all 3 times the most dominant taste is just ash.
I was wondering if I am doing something wrong? Packing too loosely or too tight?

I read that some people say that one needs to break in the pipe and the taste will get better, whilst other say that drying out the tobacco is key.

For clarification: My pipe is a briar and the tobacco I am smoking is an aromatic called Amphora nr.8.

But I was wondering what experience you guys have with this?

Thanks.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Bone dry tobacco packed lightly and smoked very slowly.

 

[olkofri]

It takes a while for the tongue to get used to the new substance and start picking up flavours. Stick with it.

Yes, very soon someone will come and say aromatics are terrible and you should smoke English blends to save yourself from tongue bite and disappointment. What-e-ver. The only thing I'll remark is that you shouldn't expect to taste what you smell in the room note, or the tin note for that matter (not at this stage).

You'll know if you're making packing mistakes if you burn your tongue or the pipe can't stay lit, or both. Aside from that, I find that packing hasn't as much effect on flavour as smoking cadence. Smoke very, very slowly.

Dry the tobacco a bit (but don't let it go bone dry if it's an aro, or you'll definitely taste nothing but ash), and sip slowly. Stick with it: eventually you'll be able to taste an aromatic's tin note. Been there, accomplished that.

 

[olkofri]

Oh, another thing: when lighting, don't torch the tobacco by putting it in contact with the flame. Hold the flame about half or 1/4 of a inch above the leaf, letting the superheated air ignite the tobacco. If you torch the tobacco you'll definitely be tasting ash.

 

[sandollars]

Aromatics are terrible and you should smoke English blends.....

 

[Chasing Embers]

@Lykkeberg

Have you tried retrohaling?

 

[olkofri]

Aromatics are terrible and you should smoke English blends.....

See what I mean?

 

[Chasing Embers]

English are terrible and you should smoke Aromatics blends.....

Typos corrected.?

 

[sandollars]

Seriously though, I bet you need to slow down. Make each drag last 5-10 seconds at first. You will get a completely different experience.

As olkofri said: You don't want to "Smoke" the tobacco, you want to "Taste" the tobacco. Make that bowl last 45 minutes to an hour.

Just try it then report back.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Seriously though, I bet you need to slow down.

This can cure many pipe smoking woes.?

 

[olkofri]

Take it easy: right now you need to work on proper technique, i.e. not burning your tongue and keeping the pipe lit (relights are fine, but you don't wanna be lighting after every puff). One day you'll take a sippuff and shall have your a-ha! moment when your tongue will report the taste of vanilla, nuts, rum, or whatever's in that blend.

 

[bullet08]

at what point do you taste ash? from the start? after awhile? do you use tamper?

reason for asking this is, i notice ash after smoking the bowl for awhile. if i don't use tamper to push down the ash and lower the amber, i don't taste ash. also if i clean out the ash, problem goes away. something i noticed lately.

 

[krizzose]

All of these technique corrections are meant to you avoid smoking too fast/hot. Even a perfectly dried tobacco packed expertly will taste like an ashtray if smoked like freight train

 

[lawdawg]

Good advice in this thread. The only thing I would add is that it makes sense, IMO, to start with as forgiving a blend as possible. My recommendation for any beginner would be a couple Missouri Meerschaum corncob pipes and some Carter Hall. Pipe smoking can be a rather finicky process, so stick with it and give it time.

 

[Drew72]

I have had the same experience, also am new to smoking. At the end of the day, you are smoking tobacco. The taste you are getting is tobacco. With more time I also hope to get some of flavors others talk about. But I am Learning to enjoy the natural flavor. I do enjoy drawing on the pipe and am working on technique. If I don’t have too many relights, don’t get tongue bite, and don’t get an overheated pipe, I know I am doing all I can.

so, your experience is similar to mine, for what that’s worth.
Cheers
Drew

 

[Lykkeberg]

Oh, another thing: when lighting, don't torch the tobacco by putting it in contact with the flame. Hold the flame about half or 1/4 of a inch above the leaf, letting the superheated air ignite the tobacco. If you torch the tobacco you'll definitely be tasting ash.

This helped a lot actually, thanks for the tip

 

[mso489]

You are not all wrong. Half the ember in the bowl is, in fact, ash. The standard advice is to sip, not puff. Slow down your cadence, take a pause between sips. Stop and consider what you are tasting other than ash. Pipe smoking is probably an acquired taste for most people, but it could well be one you will enjoy, so take your time.

 

[anotherbob]

some blends still taste like ash to me

 

[Lykkeberg]

Think I am going to try and pick up an English blend and see if I can taste the difference in the smoke, that way I can find out if it's me packing it wrong, lighting it wrong or whatever the problem is.

 

[anotherbob]

Think I am going to try and pick up an English blend and see if I can taste the difference in the smoke, that way I can find out if it's me packing it wrong, lighting it wrong or whatever the problem is.

pipe smoking is very much a trial and error experience.