Using “Filler Tobacco”

[americaman]

It is typically hard for me to smoke to the bottom of a bowl due to moisture buildup. And yes, I dry. When I get to the bottom, the small amount of tobacco left is usually beyond use.

Do any of you fill the bottom of your bowl with cheaper tobacco when smoking a fine blend, or do you believe this would affect flavor? I don’t want to waste any more of my expensive blends.

 

[jdb67]

I do. I usually have something too that I tried and did not like and I often put that in the bottom. I do try to keep the basic genre the same or just use something fairly neutral, but the reality is that little bit in the bottom does not get burned and gets tossed out. I think doing what you do makes very good sense for those of us that almost always have some dottle left over and I have not found it makes any difference to the flavor of the main tobacco I am smoking.

 

[BROBS]

so you're drying your tobacco but not enough IMO.

 

[PipesRock]

Yep. Not often, but Chatham Manor goes in first sometimes as expected dottle. Doesn't seem to affect flavors much at all but I'm no connoisseur (I spell checked that 3 times but prob still wrong). It relieves my perceived waste stress up front.

 

[logs]

I'd say you're either drying it wrong, packing it wrong, or using the wrong pipe. Without knowing what you're smoking and what size pipe you're using it's hard to say. In any event, I wouldn't start loading the bottom with a different blend.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

If you're leaving so much tobacco on the bottom it justifies a filler tobacco, I think you should address your smoking technique. Dry the tobacco more, pack differently, use a pipe cleaner to soak up excess moisture or all 3. Perhaps you should consider smaller pipe bowls. I primarily smoke flake and would wager 90% plus smoke to a fine ash. Only with really deep bowls do I see much dottle.

 

[renfield]

Another point, if you put cheaper leaf on the bottom then all of the flavors of the better leaf on top have to filter through the cheaper leaf. False economy unless you’re leaving half a bowl unsmoked.

It’s not unusual to leave a little dottle but if it’s more than about 10% of what you loaded you probably need to examine your process. Dryer tobacco, looser pack, lighter tamping etc.