I recently picked up an estate pipe described as 'little smoked', judging by the cake build up that's perfectly true. I've just started breaking the pipe in with 1/4 bowl of a burley blend and can pick up a hint of tonquin, no other landlake taste or smell. Can tonquin be smoked out or does it need the alcohol treatment? Ideally I'd like the taste gone as I'd like to use the pipe for Vapers.
Tonquin Ghost
- Thread starter drennan
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I smoked a lot of SG 1792 in one of my Ser Jacapo but after several bowls of my usual latakia blends it's been no problem. Now on the other hand, blends with deer tongue should have a dedicated pipe.
The Deer Tongue thing is truth. I had an old Dunhill estate that refused to give up its "ghost". No matter what I tried, it would taint the smoke. Hopefully that pipe found some love.
McConnell and Sobranie used coumarin (also a derivative of the tonka bean as is tonquin) but in considerable moderation and with more subtlety compared to most companies that use tonquin who can (as in 1792 Flake) lay it on pretty thick and it does ghost.
As Junkyard says, the tonquin ghost diminishes with smoking but I'm less patient and I'll give a pipe 3-4 bowls to clear the taste. Pipes that are reamed poorly (or previously so), where the integrity of the briar was breached (including scrapes (look like pressure marks), abrasions, nicks, heat checks and burns), can embed flavors. Same is true of shank and stem and for that reason I never use metal bristles anywhere in the pipe that has contacted smoke. Make sure that you clean the shank and stem but especially the mortise cavity and ream with a rounded edged blade.
I use a technique that I ONLY recommend to experienced smokers with heavily ghosted pipes;
If I smell heavy aromatics, tonquin or deer tongue in an estate pipe I ream, retort and smoke a little hot for the first bowl (controlled heat), less smoking and more bowl management. I retort the just smoked pipe (again) and feather any remaining cake and let the pipe rest for at least 3 days (more is better). You can use rum, whiskey or a mix of honey and potable alcohol to coat inside of the bowl as well after doing the above.
As noted, deer tongue can be a bear and you may note some offending aroma upon lighting but if it's not affecting the smoke then you're ok.
Hope that this helps.
As Junkyard says, the tonquin ghost diminishes with smoking but I'm less patient and I'll give a pipe 3-4 bowls to clear the taste. Pipes that are reamed poorly (or previously so), where the integrity of the briar was breached (including scrapes (look like pressure marks), abrasions, nicks, heat checks and burns), can embed flavors. Same is true of shank and stem and for that reason I never use metal bristles anywhere in the pipe that has contacted smoke. Make sure that you clean the shank and stem but especially the mortise cavity and ream with a rounded edged blade.
I use a technique that I ONLY recommend to experienced smokers with heavily ghosted pipes;
If I smell heavy aromatics, tonquin or deer tongue in an estate pipe I ream, retort and smoke a little hot for the first bowl (controlled heat), less smoking and more bowl management. I retort the just smoked pipe (again) and feather any remaining cake and let the pipe rest for at least 3 days (more is better). You can use rum, whiskey or a mix of honey and potable alcohol to coat inside of the bowl as well after doing the above.
As noted, deer tongue can be a bear and you may note some offending aroma upon lighting but if it's not affecting the smoke then you're ok.
Hope that this helps.
Try getting rid of the ghost of Condor! Anyone who has had pipes from me usually wants to burn me in effigy!
Hi Nate,
I use everclear in the retort with heavily impressed aromas (like we're talking about). The second retort might be tried with a liquor (would coat the stem and shank).
Wild Turkey sounds like a fine choice to coat the bowl (I'll have to get my daughter's boyfriend to buy some that I can try
), but most bourbon, rum or the honey mix (per personal preference) should work when treating the bowl.
I use everclear in the retort with heavily impressed aromas (like we're talking about). The second retort might be tried with a liquor (would coat the stem and shank).
Wild Turkey sounds like a fine choice to coat the bowl (I'll have to get my daughter's boyfriend to buy some that I can try
), but most bourbon, rum or the honey mix (per personal preference) should work when treating the bowl.
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