Tongue Bite Blues

[Chicken Cod]

Real enjoyment is whatever blend gives you pleasure.

I happen to prefer smoking Virginias and their variants, Va/Pers, Va/Ors, Va/Burs, etc, etc. But that just me. Plenty of others smoke English blends, Codger blends, aromatics, or a wide spectrum. Enjoyment is personal, not a committee decision.

I can smoke pretty much any kind of blend, but many pipe smokers find that certain types of tobaccos can really sting. For some it's Virginias. For others it's Burley. Some who enjoy Virginias cannot smoke red Virginia, or bright Virginia. People's reactions vary.

Sometimes it's a matter of technique. Sometimes it's a matter of body chemistry.

As Ashdigger noted above, Virginias are best smoked very dry. This can reduce the level of sting, or eliminate it altogether. I dry down my Virginias, Va/Pers, etc so that they're dry to the touch while still pliant. That helps release the most intense flavors.

Virginias are best smoked slowly, sipped and not puffed. Pushed too fast Virginias will get very hot and the flavors will be reduced. You're looking to keep the tobacco barely simmering. It's the vapor that carries the flavors. It takes some practice to get the combination of moisture, packing and cadence, so be patient. If your pipe goes out, no biggie, just relight.

Try drying your tobacco more than you think you should, pack looser than you think you should, and sip more slowly than you think you should. That may reduce tongue bite. Experiment with a blend to figure out how to get the most from it. Eventually it will come together.

But if, when all is tried, you still find that Virginias cauterize your mouth, it may be a matter of body chemistry.

That was a nuanced and thorough breakdown. Thank you. And thanks to everyone who piped in with advice. This is a mighty friendly place.

 

[hairvise]

Real enjoyment is whatever blend gives you pleasure.

I happen to prefer smoking Virginias and their variants, Va/Pers, Va/Ors, Va/Burs, etc, etc. But that just me. Plenty of others smoke English blends, Codger blends, aromatics, or a wide spectrum. Enjoyment is personal, not a committee decision.

I can smoke pretty much any kind of blend, but many pipe smokers find that certain types of tobaccos can really sting. For some it's Virginias. For others it's Burley. Some who enjoy Virginias cannot smoke red Virginia, or bright Virginia. People's reactions vary.

Sometimes it's a matter of technique. Sometimes it's a matter of body chemistry.

As Ashdigger noted above, Virginias are best smoked very dry. This can reduce the level of sting, or eliminate it altogether. I dry down my Virginias, Va/Pers, etc so that they're dry to the touch while still pliant. That helps release the most intense flavors.

Virginias are best smoked slowly, sipped and not puffed. Pushed too fast Virginias will get very hot and the flavors will be reduced. You're looking to keep the tobacco barely simmering. It's the vapor that carries the flavors. It takes some practice to get the combination of moisture, packing and cadence, so be patient. If your pipe goes out, no biggie, just relight.

Try drying your tobacco more than you think you should, pack looser than you think you should, and sip more slowly than you think you should. That may reduce tongue bite. Experiment with a blend to figure out how to get the most from it. Eventually it will come together.

But if, when all is tried, you still find that Virginias cauterize your mouth, it may be a matter of body chemistry.

This basically could/should be made a sticky for all new smokers! Excellent advice. With Virginias and vapers that I'm concerned about, I sip in through the nose mostly (hard to puff too hard when drawing in through the nose). When I draw in through the mouth, I try and keep my mouth a bit ajar so that I'm not just pulling air in through the pipe, but I'm drawing cool air into my mouth at the same time.
Consider how you touch a pan on the stove to see if it's hot--light, quick taps that respond to the heat. That's the way I draw with a new tobacco until I see how it works with my normal technique and body chemistry.

 

[Chicken Cod]

This basically could/should be made a sticky for all new smokers! Excellent advice. With Virginias and vapers that I'm concerned about, I sip in through the nose mostly (hard to puff too hard when drawing in through the nose). When I draw in through the mouth, I try and keep my mouth a bit ajar so that I'm not just pulling air in through the pipe, but I'm drawing cool air into my mouth at the same time.
Consider how you touch a pan on the stove to see if it's hot--light, quick taps that respond to the heat. That's the way I draw with a new tobacco until I see how it works with my normal technique and body chemistry.

That's a helpful analogy. Thank you.

 

[Recon Paul]

Wasn't Tongue Bite Blues an Albert King song?

 

[gamzultovah]

Real enjoyment is whatever blend gives you pleasure.

I happen to prefer smoking Virginias and their variants, Va/Pers, Va/Ors, Va/Burs, etc, etc. But that just me. Plenty of others smoke English blends, Codger blends, aromatics, or a wide spectrum. Enjoyment is personal, not a committee decision.

I can smoke pretty much any kind of blend, but many pipe smokers find that certain types of tobaccos can really sting. For some it's Virginias. For others it's Burley. Some who enjoy Virginias cannot smoke red Virginia, or bright Virginia. People's reactions vary.

Sometimes it's a matter of technique. Sometimes it's a matter of body chemistry.

As Ashdigger noted above, Virginias are best smoked very dry. This can reduce the level of sting, or eliminate it altogether. I dry down my Virginias, Va/Pers, etc so that they're dry to the touch while still pliant. That helps release the most intense flavors.

Virginias are best smoked slowly, sipped and not puffed. Pushed too fast Virginias will get very hot and the flavors will be reduced. You're looking to keep the tobacco barely simmering. It's the vapor that carries the flavors. It takes some practice to get the combination of moisture, packing and cadence, so be patient. If your pipe goes out, no biggie, just relight.

Try drying your tobacco more than you think you should, pack looser than you think you should, and sip more slowly than you think you should. That may reduce tongue bite. Experiment with a blend to figure out how to get the most from it. Eventually it will come together.

But if, when all is tried, you still find that Virginias cauterize your mouth, it may be a matter of body chemistry.

This...

 

[Chicken Cod]

View attachment 51602

Wasn't Tongue Bite Blues an Albert King song?

Pretty sure it was a Howlin Wolf tune.

 

[Chicken Cod]

Pretty sure it was a Howlin Wolf tune.

 

[marconi]

We all have different ways of dealing with tongue bite and everyone is different.In my case I resolved the issue by using charcoal filters in both my 6mm and 9mm pipes.I can now painlessly smoke my favourite red virginia blends.