Too Hot & Goes Out

[badbriar]

Remember that flakes are usually more difficult for many to properly prepare and often result in the ember going out.

 

[hoipolloiglasgow]

Sometimes, it's just the way the tobacco quality is. I know a few blends that burn hot no matter what, both harsh on the palette and harsh on your pipes. They are not blends that I smoke, even though some of them may taste decent. This is regardless of dry time and cadence. I don't consider these blends of tobacco to be quality. Quality, smooth tobacco has a lot to do with how it is sweated and processed. Also, it has a lot to do with how it is cased. Some blends are just down right harsh and hot burning to me. You won't find this is in Gawith, C&D, Pease, Germain, and Peterson/Dunhill blends unless it is user error.

 

[Sacred_summit]

I just meant that something that you are doing outside of what you mention must be the problem.


As I read through suggestions sometimes, I have to wonder how people even smoke their pipes at all. If you are fearing that particles of tobacco aren't getting lit because of spacing, then that is definitely not packed well. In general, I do pack a little on the loose side , because it is easier to tamp to adjust than to loosen it up once it has started. But, I have to wonder about these excessive tampers. Once I have my pipe going, I generally don't use a tamper again.
The thing that I do that most likely causes my pipe to go out is removing it from my clench. This was why I found clenching to be so much better for me than holding a pipe. Clenching creates a bond between you and the tool. You synch your breath to the fire, and one modifies the other. It is truly a synchronization. Even my worst pipe will not go out for as long as it is in clench.
Of course, I do not have any drooling disabilities, nor do I ever directly puff on my pipe once it is lit and in clench. And, my jaws are not so week that I can't carry a mere 3 oz pipe in my jaw all day. Do a search for breath smoking. It really was a

I just meant that something that you are doing outside of what you mention must be the problem.


As I read through suggestions sometimes, I have to wonder how people even smoke their pipes at all. If you are fearing that particles of tobacco aren't getting lit because of spacing, then that is definitely not packed well. In general, I do pack a little on the loose side , because it is easier to tamp to adjust than to loosen it up once it has started. But, I have to wonder about these excessive tampers. Once I have my pipe going, I generally don't use a tamper again.
The thing that I do that most likely causes my pipe to go out is removing it from my clench. This was why I found clenching to be so much better for me than holding a pipe. Clenching creates a bond between you and the tool. You synch your breath to the fire, and one modifies the other. It is truly a synchronization. Even my worst pipe will not go out for as long as it is in clench.
Of course, I do not have any drooling disabilities, nor do I ever directly puff on my pipe once it is lit and in clench. And, my jaws are not so week that I can't carry a mere 3 oz pipe in my jaw all day. Do a search for breath smoking. It really was a game changer for me and my pipes.

Hey, I really like this!


I've found that packing a pipe loosely (if you're thinking, man; I packed this way to lose) is best when breath smoking.


Contrary to a lot of sources I've read, packing a pipe looser than you'd think can allow for an effortless, enjoyable smoke.


A caveat: a super loose bowl is only good if you're focused on your pipe. If you're walking the dog, reading, or doing other things that distract your attention from the pipe, you'll start to puff too fast/hard and blow through your bowl in no time when it's packed really loose.

That's my experience.

It also depends on the draw of the pipe.


My spigots are loose! I have to intentionally pack them a smidgen tighter. Where as my deluxe systems have a tighter draw and require a looser pack.

Hope my newbie experience helps!

 

[dingdong]

Where there is a fuel (dried tobacco) and heat (fire, cadence) and the cauldron is dying -
a)small draw (lack of air coming in and out, particularly important for breathing method)
b)packing too tight
c) large dottles/unburned tobacco - this is cut dependent - shag surely burned fast, whilst big hard cuts is hard to stay lit
c) bowl geometry - deep, small diameter bowl will be harder to lit and stay smouldering

If all else fails, try different tobacco, or blend with easier-burned (i.e shag or ribbon cut) tobacco

 

[RookieGuy80]

I had the same problem for quite while. I was packing too tight, resulting in me puffing like it was a cigarette trying to keep the bowl lit. What I did was try switching tobaccos, pipes, packing, and cadence all at once, changing everything with every smoke. Obviously that didn't work.

My suggestion to anyone with less than enjoyable smokes is to fiddle around with one variable at a time. Keep as much else consistent as possible. If you're smoking SWR, keep smoking that. If it's in a cob, don't change that. Keep the smoking the same and try loading less in the pipe OR try tamping less or more OR try drying it out more OR try smoking faster or slower by drawing more or less often or harder.

By adjusting only one variable at a time, you're more likely to "correctly" diagnose what you're doing "wrong". In my example with a cob full of SWR, maybe you start loading less in to try first. Maybe the pipe isn't going out nearly as often but it still smokes hot. Great! Keep that looser pack and try to work on your cadence until it smokes a little cooler. And so on. But keep as much as possible consistent so you don't inadvertently "fix" something that isn't "broken".

And at the end of the day, it's supposed to be an enjoyable leisure activity. If you're smoking what I might consider hot and fast but you like it, you're doing it right.

 

[BingBong]

Something useful to do when a pipe is on the verge of going out is to half cover the bowl with your finger, move your finger around as you puff, thus accelerating the draught. I understand any reluctance with a hot bowl, but you can stay in the game and still take pauses to let the bowl cool.

 

[Sacred_summit]

I have observed that my deluxe 307 pipe experiences significant hot spot issues, which is unexpected given its substantial size. It appears that the tobacco does not combust evenly, resulting in one side of the bowl becoming excessively hot. The priming and lighting processes seem more challenging due to the large bowl size. Further study and practice of the char light technique are necessary.

In contrast, my smaller and lighter Peterson pipes perform exceptionally well. However, my deluxe 307, 312, and spigot 307 pipes frequently become excessively hot, necessitating cooling down periods. It is crucial to note that this issue arises solely from the uneven burning of tobacco, not from cadence or packing issues. The primary challenge lies in achieving proper char lighting and re-lighting.