The Great Meerschaum Cake Experiment

[TheWhale13]

Chasing Embers brought up an interesting view about cake in meerschaum.

So let's try an experiment: Is cake beneficial for a meerschaum?

This is a most controversial topic, since it goes against the grain of every piece of advice given about meerschaums in a long time.

So I will post my updates here, and Embers is very welcome to do that too, as is anyone else of course who is willing to participate in this great experiment.

For your information, I'm also using the "tobacco plug" method, where some strands of tobacco is left sitting in the very bottom of the chamber, for as long as this experiment continues.

 

[TheWhale13]

This is how my AKB meerschaum is colored now at the start of the experiment. I've ran through about 100 or so bowls through it, give or take. It has just a bit of color at the shank, and starting to spread over the bowl. I'll try my best to remember how many bowls I will smoke. At my second bowl of the experiment right now.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Not sure what your experiment entails. Define beneficial.

 

[TheWhale13]

Not sure what your experiment entails. Define beneficial.

The original post discussed the possibility of cake being beneficial for coloring. This might also prove or disprove if cake is harmful for a meerschaum. But this is mostly a fun project.

 

[brooklynpiper]

Link to the original thread for anyone interested.

 

[CoffeeAndBourbon]

Science!

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Unless you have half the bowl caked with the other not, not sure how you can measure anything. Even then, Meers don't color evenly. Regardless, have fun.

 

[didimauw]

Unless you have half the bowl caked with the other not, not sure how you can measure anything. Even then, Meers don't color evenly. Regardless, have fun.

This is what I was thinking. we need brand new identical pipes!

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

This is what I was thinking. we need brand new identical pipes!

Even then, no two Meers are the same much less identical.

 

[didimauw]

Even then, no two Meers are the same much less identical.

And even if they were, one might not color at all, and one might turn black after time. Aren't you the one with the meer that refuses to color?

 

[Chasing Embers]

Didn't take long for the fun sucking to start.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Meers don't color evenly.

That's the dogma but every related thread recently has shown the pattern of shank, heel, then bowl.

 

[TheWhale13]

There might still be something to learn by going against conventional wisdom. Maybe it is conventional wisdom because of learned mistakes, or just bullshit. Either way, you can learn something.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

but every related thread recently has shown the pattern of shank, heel, then bowl.

This is why I am pretty sure gravity and condensation have more to do with coloring than just pure absorption. If it was just absorption of oils and tars, we'd see more even coloring, plus it would color the outside of the chamber first, since that is where the most oils would be emitted first. But, by this bottom up coloring, it looks as if condensation and gravity may have more to do with coloring than smoke or just tars and oils alone.

 

[TheWhale13]

This is why I am pretty sure gravity and condensation have more to do with coloring than just pure absorption. If it was just absorption of oils and tars, we'd see more even coloring, plus it would color the outside of the chamber first, since that is where the most oils would be emitted first. But, by this bottom up coloring, it looks as if condensation and gravity may have more to do with coloring than smoke or just tars and oils alone.

You could argue that both ways of thinking are in some ways correct. The condensation (steam, pipe juice, gurgle etc.) contain oils and tars, which then by gravity flows to the bottom of the bowl and shank. I don't think that just the smoke colors much of anything.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

You could argue that both ways of thinking are in some ways correct. The condensation (steam, pipe juice, gurgle etc.) contain oils and tars, which then by gravity flows to the bottom of the bowl and shank. I don't think that just the smoke colors much of anything.

If the meerschaum stone could be colored by just tars and oils, then why is it that the top of the bowl doesn't seem to color at all or at least last? The top of the bowl is where the first cake is usually formed on briar. However, the color seems to only go where there would be condensation, and it doesn't distribute as if absorbed as in the way paper or dry clay would distribute through absorption using some sort of capillary action.

 

[TheWhale13]

If the meerschaum stone could be colored by just tars and oils, then why is it that the top of the bowl doesn't seem to color at all or at least last? The top of the bowl is where the first cake is usually formed on briar. However, the color seems to only go where there would be condensation, and it doesn't distribute as if absorbed as in the way paper or dry clay would distribute through absorption using some sort of capillary action.

I'm just hung up on the wording. I think that coloration is created by the tars and oils, but it is the condensation that carries it. The smoke itself can't color much, but the tars and stuff get condensed together with water, and that is allowed to seep into the meerschaum, and gravity locates that to the bottom of the pipe. There is just no way for the water to collect at the top of the bowl to color it. Am I explaining myself clearly or am I just rambling?

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I'm just hung up on the wording. I think that coloration is created by the tars and oils, but it is the condensation that carries it.

Then we are in agreeance. Because just water wouldn't cause the colors, and the condensation from the biproduct of combustion always has oils and tars in it.

 

[brooklynpiper]

I think Cosmic is right about condensation and gravity playing a big part.

From the threads I’ve seen, a lot of the aromatic smokers seem to see results faster than nonaromatic smokers more often than not.

I am going to ditch smoking my meer all together, buy a small bottle of an aromatic casing and pour it directly into the bowl

 

[didimauw]

But if a meer has a nice thin layer of cake, and you fill the bowl with water and let it sit for a while??...