The Last Third of the Bowl

[yanoJL]

... I do believe that smoking too fast, and therefore too hot/wet DRASTICALLY changes not only the flavor but also makes the smoke hotter, muted and sometimes sour....
...I suggest experimenting with tobacco dryness to try and achieve that perfect "goldilocks" zone and really focus on slowing down and taking gentler pulls. The advice that was given to me is "only hit it enough to keep it lit".

Thank you. I've seen improvement since my original post. And yes, hot/wet has been a big part of it.

It's been rainy/humid here lately so drying adequately has been more of a challenge. But paying attention to the moisture level of the tobacco prior to first light has helped.

Also, I've been using a pipe cleaner mid-smoke. I didn't realize how wet things were in the stem until I started doing this.

And, I've been using thinner walled pipes. I feel like I have a better read on temps that way and I'm aware of "too hot" sooner.

 

[lukifer]

Dumping ash in a larger pipe is particularly important for that last third; you have to develop a feel for it, because too much ash makes it taste rough, but not ash at all makes so you have to relight more than you need to, which presents its own problems.

I have noticed this as well and I theorize it is due to the insulating effect of the ash. Too much and the ember gets/stays hot and not enough allows it to go out easier.
I am one of those impatient fools that attempts to expedite the accrual of a cake in new pipes by way of keeping all the ash in the pipe and then shaking it after everything has been burnt and the chamber walls are still moist. In larger pipes I have found it helps to give the pipe a few good taps on either side to loosen up the ash after tamping down. It mitigates the insulating effect somewhat but simply dumping the ash always produces as more pleasant smoke. If you dump too much you can always partially cover the bowl with your hand/fingers until it gets going good again.

 

[Worknman]

I have noticed this as well and I theorize it is due to the insulating effect of the ash. Too much and the ember gets/stays hot and not enough allows it to go out easier.

Wouldn't it be more likely to stay lit if it didn't have ash since it has more access to oxygen.

 

[lukifer]

Wouldn't it be more likely to stay lit if it didn't have ash since it has more access to oxygen.

If you accrue enough ash to choke out the ember that would definitely cause it to go out but I don't own a bowl big enough to get that much ash. It seems to me that to a point ash retains the ember's heat and helps focus airflow similar to the way putting your hand/fingers/tamper over the rim of the bowl while taking a puff causes the ember to rapidly heat up. Which led me to conclude that a little ash is always good and helps it stay lit. However, I think it is absolutely possible that restricted airflow due to excess ash could shorten the life of an ember but whether that shortening is exceeded by the increase it receives by the insulating effect of a moderate ash layer is open to debate from much more experienced pipe smokers than I.

I would dare say that, in my opinion(garnered through my admittedly limited experience), as long as you aren't dealing with an overly deep bowl in excess of several inches, or a deep narrow pipe like a stack, you won't have to worry about ash causing your pipe to go out. But I have found that not dumping some of the loose ash at least once or twice in a moderate sized bowl will cause the tobacco to burn too hot and negatively effect the flavor and enjoyment of the bowl if I am not careful in the vehemence and frequency of my puffs. In any case, when I deem my new pipes "properly caked" and stop retaining all the ash till the end, it tastes and smokes much better. Also worth noting, even while performing my voodoo break-in ritual, the only times I have trouble with relights is due to overpacking or packing overly moist tobacco. But that may be due more to me being an inherently fast smoker that actively works on cooling his jets and letting it sit a bit longer between puffs. I had a Patience a long time ago but I was in a hurry and got sick of waiting on it so I threw it away, for the life of me I can't remember where. Pipe smoking has forced me to try and make a new one.

With all that said, your experiences/methods may differ drastically from mine and I am quite sure that the OP would appreciate and benefit from an account of both yours and mine.

 

[yanoJL]

... With all that said, your experiences/methods may differ drastically from mine and I am quite sure that the OP would appreciate and benefit from an account of both yours and mine.

I absolutely do. And so it does not go unsaid, "thank you"