The ash on top

[thomasmartin]

I read in some books, that the ash on top of your bowl should be kept during smoking since it would "protect" the glowing tobacco. I found it rather suffocates it and makes the pipe harder to remain lit. I tend to dispose of the top ash layer from time to time. What's your take on this?

 

[aldecaker]

More than likely, both are equally true, depending on your personal packing, tamping, and smoking style. I de-ash with some tobaccos, and not with others, so cut and consistency probably play in as well.

 

[pipesmokingtom]

I usually tip at about halfway. Really for no other reason that I start to taste ash... May or may not be actually true, but I feel that way. Tip, stir, tamp, relight.

 

[puffy]

I don't know that it makes much difference.I do both for no special reason.

 

[ray47]

If the bowl keeps going out then I'll dump some of the ash. Otherwise, no dumping for me.

 

[hawky454]

When I get down to about the last third of the bowl I use the poker on the pipe tool to loosen the ash and dump some of it out.

 

[tschiraldi]

I almost never dump.

 

[sailortodd]

My recent habit has been to keep the ash on top. I will continually gently tamp down as I go, compressing the ash even. I smoke outside on a ship, which means it's almost always windy, so the ash protects my thumb when I cover the bowl to keep the wind away.

 

[tmb152]

I'm of the school that if it lights and burns, leave things alone. Once you play with the ash, you will likely introduce soot into the tobacco you are smoking and it harms the taste. If I'm having trouble keeping it lit, then tip, take some ash off, find the good tobacco, maybe loosen a bit to allow it to aerate and dry better (since it has absorbed all the juices from above, and relight. Often times you will find a core of white ash down the middle that once removed, reveals good, unburned tobaccos along the pipe wall.

 

[mso489]

I agree, it varies with the blend and the packing. I usually don't have to dump, but now and then, the ash on top seems to stifle the relights. If I turn the pipe bowl upside down over the ashtray and the ash falls out, then I tamp the remaining unburned tobacco, it improves the rest of the smoke. It works for me.

 

[jvnshr]

I agree with aldecaker and mso. It varies with the packing, blend, tamping, etc. I try to keep the ash as much as I can in the bowl, however once it prevents the tobacco from burning well I loosen the ash with the poker of the pipe tool (as hawky does) and then dump it. It is usually somewhere between the halfway and the last third of the bowl.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Growing up with lots of pipe smoking around me, I've never seen anyone dump a bowl before it's completely finished. I smoke a few tall chimneys and never have an issue with the ash. Dump it if you want, but I've never had an issue that needed the ash removed. And, I rarely have to relight.

I don't think it matters, but I'd rather not fidget with my pipe while I smoke.

 

[jpmcwjr]

I've never had an issue with the ash making it hard to keep it lit. Under some circumstances, a layer can make relights more difficult but that's about it.

 

[briarcudgel]

Never thought about t until reading this thread, but I always only tamp. Might try to dump ash to see if it makes any difference.

 

[jamestye]

Often when I smoke to half or a bit more, I find that the ash build up tends to ' suffocate ' the burning then I would tip the ash after using the tamping tools to lightly touch the surface ash.

I notice that every time I do this, I will have a sunken hole in the middle of the bowl while a lot of unburnt tobacco stuck to the edge of the bowl, still trying to figure out why is it so. Could someone enlighten me on this as I am getting frustrated.

Btw I'm very new to pipe smoking.

Cheers

 

[andrew]

I would think if the ash is being suffocated then the bowl is probably packed too tight or you're tamping too hard and too much. I usually only tamp before I relight as the ash is preventing the relight from happening, which is usually at about 2/3's of the bowl.

 

[cigrmaster]

Anytime my pipe goes out, I stir the ash gently and then dump it. Trying to relight through a pile of ash sucks as does the flavors you will get. Once I dump, I use my tamper to scrap around the edge of the bowl, then re pack and light. I get nothing but good tobacco flavors using this method.

 

[mcitinner1]

Anytime my pipe goes out, I stir the ash gently and then dump it. Trying to relight through a pile of ash sucks as does the flavors you will get. Once I dump, I use my tamper to scrap around the edge of the bowl, then re pack and light. I get nothing but good tobacco flavors using this method.

Same thing here.

 

[mawnansmiff]

"I almost never dump."
Tschiraldi, best you go and see your doctor then :rofl:
Regards,
Jay.

 

[crashthegrey]

I never, ever dump my ash. It's a personal preference, though.I have nevery felt that my bowl tasted ashy, but maybe it is just my tobacco.