Tastes Like Ash

[bnichols23]

pipe smoking is very much a trial and error experience.

Yup. Mostly error, for at least the first few months. -laugh-

 

[anotherbob]

Yup. Mostly error, for at least the first few months. -laugh-

sometimes I wonder if there has to be something wrong with a person to deeply enjoy that first few months of mild torture of learning how to pipe, or if that just applies to me.

 

[Mis Pipas]

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.

don't give up. It happens to everybody at the beginning
and
disconnect from the world to smoke. don't let anything distract you

 

[thefishguy]

To make sure you’re not packing too tight, try a pipe full of medium cut tobacco that was just sprinkled in. Then tamp it down just until you feel the slightest resistance. Then repeat once more. Use this as a guide to how much tobacco and how tight of a pack you like. When I first started I thought I needed to cram as much in as would fit. This had my smokes only burning down the center and not producing much flavor. Oh, and I switched to English blends.

 

[Drew72]

To make sure you’re not packing too tight, try a pipe full of medium cut tobacco that was just sprinkled in. Then tamp it down just until you feel the slightest resistance. Then repeat once more. Use this as a guide to how much tobacco and how tight of a pack you like. When I first started I thought I needed to cram as much in as would fit. This had my smokes only burning down the center and not producing much flavor. Oh, and I switched to English blends.

i just take draws on the pipe intermittently as I pack the pipe. If the resistance is not to my liking, I alter how tightly I am packing.

 

[minimaltom]

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.

sorry but I disagree with this, the only thing that helped me get a good smoke that didnt taste like shit was making sure I lit the tobacco enough by getting a big red cherry across the whole of the top of the tobacco and to achieve this you cant be afraid with the lighter.

 

[Lykkeberg]

Since I wrote this post, I went out and bought an english blend which I seem to be liking a lot more than aromatics at the moment. Also shortly after writing this post, I must've "broken in" the pipe, cause the taste of ash disappeared and could suddenly taste the sweet notes of the tobacco.

Now I don't know if this is because of me switching tobacco or what, but nonetheless I am enjoying it quite nicely.

 

[anotherbob]

Since I wrote this post, I went out and bought an english blend which I seem to be liking a lot more than aromatics at the moment. Also shortly after writing this post, I must've "broken in" the pipe, cause the taste of ash disappeared and could suddenly taste the sweet notes of the tobacco.

Now I don't know if this is because of me switching tobacco or what, but nonetheless I am enjoying it quite nicely.

Like I always say pipes almost seem to run on magic. So many times it just seems like magically the bowl stops biting ones tongue or stays lit or can be packed proper while arguing with a friend. And I have no idea why some blends grab my fancy and why others do not.

 

[chopper]

Since I wrote this post, I went out and bought an english blend which I seem to be liking a lot more than aromatics at the moment. Also shortly after writing this post, I must've "broken in" the pipe, cause the taste of ash disappeared and could suddenly taste the sweet notes of the tobacco.

Now I don't know if this is because of me switching tobacco or what, but nonetheless I am enjoying it quite nicely.

English blends are a robust flavour so that would help. Your pipe has broken in. And you're probably getting better at packing and technique.

In time you'll find that it all becomes 2nd nature.
All of us have issues at first re; packing. Now I pack a bowl, regardless of cut, without much thought.

Glad you're starting to enjoy the briar.
After 35 years of smoking cigs, I'm so glad that I switched to a pipe around 10 years ago.

Just a note on lighting up. When I get a good initial burn going, often it's too hot. So I put the pipe aside for 5 minutes. Then tamp and you'll find that a soft flame will get the bowl started easily for a cooler, and therefore tastier, smoke.

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

It's no different from starting out on Whiskey. At first you taste nothing but alcohol, after a while you become accustomed to the dominant flavor and can look past it.
Or heavily spiced food is another example, you need to be consistent with it for a few weeks.

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

sorry but I disagree with this, the only thing that helped me get a good smoke that didnt taste like shit was making sure I lit the tobacco enough by getting a big red cherry across the whole of the top of the tobacco and to achieve this you cant be afraid with the lighter.

I prefer Jet Torch lighters, people just need to be aware it can easily damage the Briar. It's not like scorched rims are a new thing either, as long as the pipe isn't worth more than $50 it shouldn't be a big concern.

 

[badbriar]

This...
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.

 

[badbriar]

Another thing that will lead even a great tobacco to taste ash-like is if it is smoldering and not hot enough to very lightly combust the tobacco. I don't mean a roaring hot coal, but just enough to keep the weed going. Need to have a decent amount of smoke going to get a decent taste. Again, not a house on fire, but just enough to sip lightly and still keep the pipe lit. Sipping will also save your tongue from frying and usually gives the best taste of what the blend has to offer. Hang in there, you're closer than you think to really enjoying a great pipe.
Now - get that English and run from those horrid aromatics!!!

 

[whsergent]

Does the pipe have a bowl coating? Some bowl coatings can taste truly horrible. Smoking from bare briar is not ideal either.

A few more smokes and you should have a little cake coating the bowl and things will likely taste better. Also, as if you hadnt heard it before, go slow

 

[Lykkeberg]

Yeah, I definately still have to learn to smoke it slower, but at the moment I am glad that I've found a nice way of packing it where it stays lit.

 

[DarkButterfly]

When I was breaking in my briar pipe, the first few bowls which were less than half full tasted slightly woody until I got a good cake started

 

[Bob Kuehner]

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.

Hmm... I think my dad told me that if it tastes like ash, you took too big of a bite.

 

[shanez]

where it stays lit.

I wouldn't worry about it staying lit all that much. If it takes 20 re-lights it takes 20 re-lights. There's nothing wrong with that. I do it quite often. Half the time my pipe goes out because I'm busy talking, busy pouring myself another glass of wine, or I just generally get distracted. Heck, I even get an intense burst of flavor on re-lights sometimes.

Pack a little looser than you think and use a tamper to pack it while smoking. Don't try to get it permanently lit on the first light. Many tobaccos expand and won't stay lit on the first try because of the expansion. Let it go out, tamp it down, and light again. Repeat if necessary. Your tongue will thank you.

Once you develop a process that works for you and you can smoke slowly and cooly give aromatics a try again. You'd be surprised at the flavors they produce when they aren't smoked like a hot freight train.

 

[Dallas Wynn]

All great advice, I will add to lightly tamp.....don't tamp the ash down to a briquette or else you will get a briquette taste.

 

[Dallas Wynn]

BTW: You're off to a better start than I was. My first pipe was a Peterson 03 smooth bent apple Dracula series. I had quit cigarettes and took the pipe but, I smoked WAY to fast and hot. On my 4th bowl in it, in under a few hours, it started billowing white smoke. The taste was horrid and nearly burst into flame. I had to throw it in the yard it was so hot. Moral of the story, the learning experience is part of the pipe hobby.