Tell me What I may be Doing Wrong

[Gavrin]

Honestly I am embarrassed to post this but I want to learn more than I care about being embarrassed so here goes:

1st Photo is the approx amount of tobacco I started with in a MM cob. I used gravity fill and tamped

2nd Photo is what was left at the bottom when I decided to look and dumped what was left out

3rd Photo is the pipe after I emptied it

I had to re-lite after every few puffs. I had to puff more than a sip on the first couple puffs then would get maybe 2-4 sips then each time it went out and I lit up again would get less sips before it went out. I stirred it up along the way, tamped etc. I never saw any ash clearly to dump out but I also am not sure what I am looking for. I am thinking cigar Ash which is very obvious but maybe pipe ash is not? If you look at the pile I dumped out I assume the "ash" is the dark bits that look like some sort of ground spices?

Also I never had anything "smoldering, for lack of better term" to let sit so to help to burn out the shank of the new cob. (My understanding is you let that happen towards the end of the bowl in a new cob). It never stayed lit long enough to do that.. so is this the normal learning process or am I missing something?

 

[sablebrush52]

Did you dry your tobacco before packing your pipe?

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Dry the tobacco and pack looser.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Honestly I am embarrassed to post this but I want to learn more than I care about being embarrassed so here goes:

Nothing wrong with that. Imagine learning how to smoke one prior to the internet and knowing no one that smoked a pipe. Now there's help.?

I had to re-lite after every few puffs. I had to puff more than a sip on the first couple puffs then would get maybe 2-4 sips then each time it went out and I lit up again would get less sips before it went out.

Sounds like the tobacco was too damp or packed too tightly or maybe a combination of both.

Also I never had anything "smoldering, for lack of better term" to let sit so to help to burn out the shank of the new cob.

Don't worry about that. I've had cobs more than ten years old where that thing was pristine other than being blackened.

so is this the normal learning process or am I missing something?

You're fine.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I did this video for similar questions from a member a few years ago.

 

[craig61a]

1+ on the above responses. If you take the tobacco and press it between your index finger and thumb and it sticks together, then it's probably too moist. Set it out in a shallow bowl or small plate and let it dry out a bit. Keep pinching a mass of tobacco every so often. When the mass falls into individual pieces after you let it go then it's usually ready. Don't mash it down into the bowl to heavily. if it is too loose once you start smoking it, you can always tamp it down a bit. There shouldn't be a whole lot of resistance when you draw the loaded pipe either. Takes a little practice, but you'll get it in no time. Even an idiot can smoke a pipe...

 

[Gavrin]

Thank you all! I agree, I let it dry but not for long enough. Also I probably tamped to much. The video was great for showing me how to arrive at the balanced resistance. Craig your explanation of the "drying" is very clear for me to understand. Thank you all I am not as hopeless as I thought!

 

[Gavrin]

Oh! One more question: So that is the ash in the 2nd photo, correct? I never really saw it until it got to the bottom I guess because it all just fell through? It never really "sat" on the top.

 

[craig61a]

Glad to help...

 

[Chasing Embers]

So that is the ash in the 2nd photo, correct?

It is if it came out of a pipe. Sometimes you'll have dottle (unburned leftovers) sometimes not.

 

[craig61a]

Oh! One more question: So that is the ash in the 2nd photo, correct? I never really saw it until it got to the bottom I guess because it all just fell through? It never really "sat" on the top.

Usually if the tobacco is too wet, then it's not going to burn completely, and you get what you see if picture 2.

After you get the hang of drying and how long it takes for a particular blend in your area to dry out sufficiently, it should burn for several minutes if you set the pipe down. You might have to stoke it a bit, or lightly tamp to get it going again. It's pretty dry in Idaho all year round, so it shouldn't take too long to dry.

 

[Gavrin]

It is if it came out of a pipe. Sometimes you'll have dottle (unburned leftovers) sometimes not.

yea that was what was at the bottom of the bowl. So that is dottle.. well what is ash then? I know what cigarette and cigar look like, is pipe ash similar? I mean even a fire from logs has ash that is grey.

 

[Gavrin]

Usually if the tobacco is too wet, then it's not going to burn completely, and you get what you see if picture 2.

After you get the hang of drying and how long it takes for a particular blend in your area to dry out sufficiently, it should burn for several minutes if you set the pipe down. You might have to stoke it a bit, or lightly tamp to get it going again. It's pretty dry in Idaho all year round, so it shouldn't take too long to dry.

ahh so if my tobacco was still to wet.. then I would not really have ash, right?

 

[craig61a]

If the strands of tobacco burn completely you'll have light grey and dark dust.

 

[Chasing Embers]

well what is ash then?

 

[Gavrin]

Perfect that is what I needed to see. I had bits and pieces of ash but definitely dottle. For a person like me, I see in pictures. I have known folks that smoke pipes but never hung around them to see end results so have little clue. Again all thanks for the feedback.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Something else I should probably mention would be to completely spread the tobacco you intend to pack on a paper towel. If you see any clumps, break them up as they are more difficult to burn.

 

[craig61a]

ahh so if my tobacco was still to wet.. then I would not really have ash, right?

Well if it is too wet, the ash is going to absorb the moisture given off by the tobacco that's being burned, and appear dark.

 

[Gavrin]

ok and when I compare Chasing embers ash to what I had, his is both lighter in color and much finer overall in texture. Pictures definitely help me.

 

[craig61a]

This is more or less what you want…