The fine white ash myth

[thomasmartin]

It is said that you have to smoke your bowl down to a fine white ash. I rarely if ever managed to do this though. I smoke until it begins to taste nasty (burnt, ashy) or until begin to suck ash and there's always some black tobacco remnants left. Sometimes I even team it earlier, when I'm down smoking or having something else to do. Will this in any way harm my pipes. Because I will not create cake right to the bottom or because there will be too much moisture left in the bowl? What's your take on this?

 

[jpmcwjr]

Lots of things are said that are untrue.
If you don't smoke to the bottom, you won't have cake there, and you won't need it.

 

[danhester]

I've thought/wondered the same thing. I've rarely finished a bowl so thoroughly that there is nothing but s fine, white ash left. Usually, the bowl loses its appeal for me before that point.

 

[andystewart]

In my experience there's very few "have to's" in pipe smoking, beyond the essential mechanics of stuff, light, puff - and even those are subject to endless discussion and preferences. To my mind, you smoke the bowl down as far as suits you at that particular moment or your habit. For example, I usually smoke a bowl throughout the day, lighting and then covering as opportunities come and go. But if I can, I like to sit and work through a bowl. In both cases I will reach somewhere near the bottom of the bowl, but how quickly and how far depend on circumstance and how that bowl is working out for me.
I've smoked to a fine white ash very occasionally over a very long time, but it's rare. It depends on so many factors - tobacco, pack, pipe, cadence, tamping, temperature, type of light used - that I really wouldn't think about it. It's certainly not a requirement. Also, given the number of bowls most people put through a pipe over the time they have it, I wouldn't worry about cake and damage. Providing you're not indulging in extreme piping and you give him some TLC as you go, your briar budddy will adapt to your particular - and possibly peculiar - style.
Andy

 

[ophiuchus]

Ooooooooh ... It's fine white ASH you're talking about. :twisted:
I've smoked it down to a fine grey-white ash a few times ... always by accident, when I'm not paying attention to what I'm smoking. It's always been a mistake. Usually when the surface area of the remaining dottle is scorched is when I feel I've gotten the most out of a bowl. After that, you're just sucking ash and oily steam. Few things make me take a pipe tobacco review less seriously than when I read that groan-worthy "burns down to a fine white ash" nonsense.
I also avoid building cake; I maintain little more than a tissue-thin carbon layer in the chamber. Many disagree, many don't. There's usually more than one right answer to all this. :wink:

 

[JimInks]

Much of the time I am able to burn tobacco to a fine ash. I'm a dry smoker and I hate to waste tobacco, so I'll do relights to burn it all up. With quite a number of blends, it's impossible to do, but more often than not, I manage it because I pay attention to doing it. It's often not an easy thing to do, though. Some products just won't let it happen. But I don't know how much it matters, really. What matters is what your comfort level is. I think Andy Stewart pretty much nailed my opinion.

 

[mawnansmiff]

I have experienced the seemingly mythical white ash thing on several ocassions, though oddly only when smoking a Falcon pipe!
Regards,
Jay.

 

[newbroom]

White ash is indicative of?

A complete burn?

Additive free tobacco?

Technique?

A well engineered pipe?

All of the above?

 

[jerwynn]

I get kicked in the ash by some terbakkers.

 

[tmb152]

Over the decades, I've left many a bowl unfinished for whatever reason, sat it down in no particular position, went to bed overnight, and did not clean until the next morning. Hasn't hurt any of my pipes yet. Run some pipe cleaner through the stem, clean out the bowl, blow a bit to make sure no hidden juice or particles, then set it out and let it dry.

 

[iamn8]

It's NOT a myth at all!! Just watch women's beach volleyball at the olympics this summer and you'll see it for yourself!!

 

[iamn8]

^ Oh!!! fine white ASH!! My bad.

 

[prairiedruid]

It's NOT a myth at all!! Just watch women's beach volleyball at the olympics this summer and you'll see it for yourself!!

Fire and rescue were called to a local neighborhood yesterday due to white smoke pouring out of a house. It was discovered that the occupant was smoking while watching Olympic volleyball.

 

[pipestud]

White ash is indicative of?

A complete burn?

Additive free tobacco?

Technique?

A well engineered pipe?

All of the above? - newbroom

White ash is indicative of a blend of Virginia with... Virginia. Generally speaking, Burley, Perique, Latakia, Orientals, etc, all produce ash from light to dark gray in color. Well, except Rattray's Brown Clunee, which burns down to a red, clay like color.
Over the years I have discovered that some blends start tasting nasty after 2/3rds of the bowl have been consumed and life is too short to smoke down to the bottom of the bowl just because you can. Other tobacco is wonderful top to bottom but most of the time the heat factor at the bottom causes me to cry uncle.

 

[danhester]

Over the years I have discovered that some blends start tasting nasty after 2/3rds of the bowl have been consumed and life is too short to smoke down to the bottom of the bowl just because you can. Other tobacco is wonderful top to bottom but most of the time the heat factor at the bottom causes me to cry uncle.

This has kind of been my experience. I would say that I probably smoke most bowls to ~ 90% completion. By that point, it seems the Latakia blends I enjoy lose a lot of their flavor for me, though there are some exceptions. In certain cases, VA-based blends will build in sweetness until the very end. Generally, when I get to that last bit of the bowl, my pleasure would be increased by firing up a fresh bowl, so that's what I do. I also think that the amount of relights and work needed to smoke those final bits creates heat and other factors which negatively affect the flavors.

 

[pipesmokingtom]

Here's a thread from last year I started about some of the myths that abound:
Myths, Misconceptions and other Fooey

 

[jpmcwjr]

White ash is indicative of?

A complete burn?

Additive free tobacco?

Technique?

A well engineered pipe?

All of the above?

I think all of the above, plus not starting out with moist tobacco. Appropriate tamping would also be a factor and intent would come into play.... Along with what Jim and Andy wrote..... Are we now complete??

 

[crashthegrey]

I really enjoy smoking the bowl down to a fine ash. Because it is a ritual for me. Because I drag that pipe out for as long as I can sometimes. Because my scotch glass isn't empty yet. As stated above, not all tobaccos or pipes will do this, and it really doesn't matter. If it tastes bad when you get that low, then dump it out. Enjoy your pipes however you please.

 

[ltstone]

]white ash[/url]


hosting image
Just smoked a bowl of Billy Budd in my Medico Esquire and this is what was left.

 

[hakchuma]

It's NOT a myth at all!! Just watch women's beach volleyball at the olympics this summer and you'll see it for yourself!!

When I was younger I caught my father watching a woman's volley ball game. I sat down in the living room chair. After a spell of silence my father finally broke the silence and said "I kind of like volley ball". I replied "ya..." And the silence continued...