Seems I’m having quite a few issues coming back from my hiatus! One thing I’ve noticed so far is that I am giving myself pretty bad tongue but on the char light and initial light of my pipe which sorta throws me off for the rest of the bowl. It seems like I can’t get my top layer of tobacco lit unless I go crazy on it. Any advice?
Tongue Bite on First/Char Light
- Thread starter fishmansf
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Don't worry about lighting the tobacco all the way across the top surface. I find that I get more flavor from just allowing the center of the cherry to burn, and this pushes the oils from the surrounding tobaccos out into the smoke for more flavors.
But of course some will be a lot lore OCD than me, and have this drive to light it all the way across. So, YMMV
But, you might try it to see if you notice more flavors being released. Smoke by itself doesn't have much flavor.
As far as the false lighting and true lighting technique... I think that this was much more important back when pipesmokers all just used matches.
But of course some will be a lot lore OCD than me, and have this drive to light it all the way across. So, YMMV
But, you might try it to see if you notice more flavors being released. Smoke by itself doesn't have much flavor.
As far as the false lighting and true lighting technique... I think that this was much more important back when pipesmokers all just used matches.
Which end of the pipe are you lighting?
Thanks for this. Another question I should add to this one is: do you try to get an even light all the way around the top tobacco? Seems to me that I try to get a light around the whole top layer but end up only getting a cherry/ash in the middle
I do not try to get the entire surface burning. Some do, but this may be why you are burning your tongue. Just get "some" smoke going, and focus on just smoking very slow, and avoid puffing harder when you get a good flavor, because this instinct will make the fire burn hotter and kill that flavor you were getting. Instead, just focus on sloooowwww....
That’s good advice. I definitely think part of the reason I’m giving myself bite is because I’m focusing too much on getting the whole surface burning.
I do try and char the entire surface on the initial light, going in a slow circle with the match, and have never had problems... but pipe smoking is all about finding what works best for you, so if something is off then try something different. Experiment, experiment, experiment!
The only time ever really scorched the roof of my mouth was my packing too tightly and drawing too hard on the flame.
I believe you are so eager to get it going that you’re experiencing a rough go.
I do try to evenly light the surface, but as Cosmic had said, it often results in only the center smoldering and that’s perfectly fine…maybe ideal.
I personally dislike a large volume of smoke. -I’m happy emitting tiny wisps of smoke. I achieve this by tamping until I’ve reduced the smoke volume but not so much that it’ll extinguish. -this takes trial and error but you’ll develop your own style.
Now, if I’m wrong, and you have been putting the large end in your mouth and lighting the stem, let me know. Does acrylic taste better than vulcanite? Or are they equally a bad smoke?
Usually when this happens to me, the tobacco is too wet, and/or it's a Gawith flake.
Try varying how you position the pipe and your tongue, so you're not blasting the same spot each time. I used to fry the tip of my tongue with Virginias and VaPers because I was so impatient to start tasting that sweetness.
Good suggestions. I do generally scorch the entire top at the beginning just to lightly char it all, inevitably the heat gets focused by the bowl's geometry into a cherry at the center. It's a very fast couple of light passes to do this, nothing sustained.
A couple of thoughts. It might not be the heat, but maybe a reaction to the tobacco itself. While I'm generally quite tolerant or immune to Virginia sting, I recently went through a period where many of my favorite blends suddenly affected my mouth like a flame thrower. Fortunately that has largely passed. What type of tobacco are you smoking, how are you packing, and are you drying it at all?
Your mouth has to get used to having smoke in it too. There is a little toughening up that happens with time.
Same thing with the droolers... That would stop if they smoked regularly.
Same thing with the droolers... That would stop if they smoked regularly.
I don't know if this helps but a char light doesn't have to be one go. Do a pass or two over the surface let it smolder till it goes out, tamp while trying to even out the top layer and repeat till the whole surface takes up evenly without the tobacco expanding. That's what's been working for me.
Acrylic really needs some age on it before it is enjoyable. It mellows it out.
Vulcanite used to be good, but they moved the production to Denmark and it hasn’t been the same since.
Try keeping the flame a little higher above the tobacco.
Flame above tobacco draw in and allow flame to just kiss tobacco briefly. Then stop draw and flame goes up away from tobacco. Repeat until you get about half usual smoke going. It won't be like a full on regular level of smoke. Puff a little then let it go out. Don't remove your flame from above. It should go out within a millisecond. Light again in the same way then it will make more smoke each time until it's just right. When you get the hang of the process it will appear as though you are not doing a charring light but are just lighting it and smoking it. You are coaxing a smouldering fire to build ash and a glowing plug.
Maybe if you arent in a rush a brief DGT techinique. Do a char light or two and let the pipe sit for 15minutes. When you come back it will likely light up easier and do as Proteus mentioed.
I usually give the tobacco a little tamp after lighting the char. Seems to keep it going better. I don't try to light all the way across the top, and am satisfied if the pipe is lit and the flame is stable.
This is where girlfriends can give more advice than most men. Don't suck it like it's a last drop of your favorite whiskey. Gentle draw for the tip of the light to hover just above the top of the tobacco. Go slow and try to cover as much as possible. Don't suck it like some of the best of your girlfriends.
I have developed the habit of hovering the flame 1/4” or so above tobacco as I draw, moving over the chamber until tobacco ignites “on its own”.
Unless necessary after tamping the expanded tobacco, I don’t do a “true light” to follow. If it’s necessary, the second light is multiple short draws (rather than one long forceful draw) to really get things going.
Keep on keeping on, you will find your way (or not). I’m sure that back in the day most all of this was figured out without the support group of thousands online.
That’s is not to say the good stuff online should be ignored, just to reiterate that the learning comes from doing and paying attention to what works and what doesn’t work for you.
Unless necessary after tamping the expanded tobacco, I don’t do a “true light” to follow. If it’s necessary, the second light is multiple short draws (rather than one long forceful draw) to really get things going.
Keep on keeping on, you will find your way (or not). I’m sure that back in the day most all of this was figured out without the support group of thousands online.
That’s is not to say the good stuff online should be ignored, just to reiterate that the learning comes from doing and paying attention to what works and what doesn’t work for you.