Been smoking burleys and Virginias almost exclusively for the last three or so years and have it down. I smoke slow, sipping the tobacco, and as of recently, have been able to smoke down to ash. However, I still am getting tongue bit despite no smoking too hot. I know I am not smoking too hot because I do not get an ashy, harsh taste but rather, a full, breast, fruity, hay like flavor throughout the whole bowl. It usually takes me about 45-60min to smoke through one bowl. Despite the full flavor and relatively cool smoke, I still walk away with tongue bite and quite bad at that. Does anyone have any advice on how to combat this?
Tongue Bite Despite Doing Everything Right
- Thread starter fishmansf
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You might still be smoking too fast/hot. What size is the chamber? It’s possible your smoke duration could/should be 90–120 minutes if medium to large.
It could also be a pH issue and some tobaccos may not work well with your body chemistry.
I wish I understood group sizes but I think I am smoking a medium to medium-small bowls.
I wonder that. I notice towards the bottom of the bowl that the air is very acidic and creates terrible chemical bite
+ 1
I had tobaccos that I'd enjoyed for years suddenly start to bite, then later return to being a pleasure to smoke. A 17 year old tin of GLP Montgomery that I opened was like smoking a flamethrower.
It sounds more like a pH issue than anything else, though an aging issue is always possible.
It the sensation specific to a particular blend or type of blend?
I usually get it worst with anything Virginia or Perique. Haunted Bookshop, while a burley blend, torches my tongue and I attribute that to the perique in it.
Don’t torture yourself, try a filtered pipe.
It could also be the current batch of tobacco your smoking. Sometimes blends vary quite a bit between batches ... I've had that happen.
This. Were I to guess, I'd wager there's more chemical bite cases than tongue bite from heart.Red Virginias in particular can be a culprit. Experiment with the blends you smoke to see if that make a difference.
I too am sensitive to perique and Virginias. My solution was to smoke pure burley blends
Here's another take:
1. Try to vary your packing technique and see if helps.
2. In my experience pipes that don't have draft holes that are centered and flush with the bottom of the chamber tend to have more tongue bite.
3. Again in my experience, pipes that have a smooth open draw will have less bite than those pipes that feel restricted or "tight". It's very common to find a pipe, especially lower to moderately priced factory made pipes, with pre-molded stems. Those stems are often tight and need opening.
4. One last item. Factory made pipes are sometimes made from wood that hasn't been processed at the sawmill properly, or aged very long at the factory before it's used. Even if well machined, the pipe may bite because the wood is not dry enough. Yes, it's dry enough to be be worked but until you have "cured" the briar by smoking you might get bite. That process of curing by smoking can take a very long time.
1. Try to vary your packing technique and see if helps.
2. In my experience pipes that don't have draft holes that are centered and flush with the bottom of the chamber tend to have more tongue bite.
3. Again in my experience, pipes that have a smooth open draw will have less bite than those pipes that feel restricted or "tight". It's very common to find a pipe, especially lower to moderately priced factory made pipes, with pre-molded stems. Those stems are often tight and need opening.
4. One last item. Factory made pipes are sometimes made from wood that hasn't been processed at the sawmill properly, or aged very long at the factory before it's used. Even if well machined, the pipe may bite because the wood is not dry enough. Yes, it's dry enough to be be worked but until you have "cured" the briar by smoking you might get bite. That process of curing by smoking can take a very long time.
I don't believe anybody's asking this so far... what kind of pipe(s) are you smoking from?
I’ve noticed problems with Virginias, too. I assume it’s ph because no matter how I pipe, my mouth gets sore. Sometimes I suffer through, most times I keep to my treasured blends. But another thing. I find most pressed flake tobacco irritates me, but this is due to moisture. So, I very carefully break apart the flake, place between two paper towels, and move it around on my hot wood stove. Then it doesn’t bother me as much. But I have a tough time packing flake and ribbon cuts. Just haven’t mastered it, yet.
Throw the pipe in the trash and get you a pack of Marlboro Lights.
No no... I kid. Keep at it.
No no... I kid. Keep at it.
I have two suggestions:
1. Keep trying different kinds of tobaccos from different blenders. Find the one that irritates you the least, and experiment with packing, drying, and cadence techniques until it doesn’t burn you.
2. Don’t excessively relight the bottom 1/4 of the bowl. If the bottom is too damp, dump the pipe and pack a new one.
As sable said, I’ve had blends I smoke daily suddenly irritate my mouth, only for them to be great again after a few months. I keep multiple blends around for this reason.
1. Keep trying different kinds of tobaccos from different blenders. Find the one that irritates you the least, and experiment with packing, drying, and cadence techniques until it doesn’t burn you.
2. Don’t excessively relight the bottom 1/4 of the bowl. If the bottom is too damp, dump the pipe and pack a new one.
As sable said, I’ve had blends I smoke daily suddenly irritate my mouth, only for them to be great again after a few months. I keep multiple blends around for this reason.
My advice... See my profile picture 
You're probably smoking too hot. Just because the tobacco tastes good still doesn't mean you can't be smoking it hot. They say if you can't take your pipe and hold it to a baby's cheek at anytime then it's too hot. It's like when you realize how slow smoking slow really is
It's usually about half the speed of what you thought slow smoking is. Also is the bite immediate or afterwords? Immediately is usually a reaction from the tobacco. Like I can't smoke captain black type aromatics because the P.G. immediately bites me. If I smoke a bowl too hot, it'll usually be afterwords I'll notice
It's usually about half the speed of what you thought slow smoking is. Also is the bite immediate or afterwords? Immediately is usually a reaction from the tobacco. Like I can't smoke captain black type aromatics because the P.G. immediately bites me. If I smoke a bowl too hot, it'll usually be afterwords I'll notice