Water Rinse Cleaning

[Berg]

Hey all,

I know the prospect of rinsing out your briar with some hot water is a bit divisive, but please bare with me.

This afternoon I decided to do a hot water rinse on a relatively new pipe (about 5 bowls new) and seeing what this cleaning method was all about. I thought I cleaned my pipes up pretty well after smoking, but this impressed me somewhat, as to the gunk coming out.

The question I have however: When I got to wiping out the bowl with a paper cloth, it pretty much took out all the cake that had developed. I’m guessing this is supposed to happen and somewhat the point, but I was always under the impression that the cake buildup was to protect the briar bowl?

What’s the thoughts on this?

 

[BarrelProof]

IBTL.

 

[captainsousie]

@jpmcwjr Your expertise seems to be needed on this one.

 

[olkofri]

 

[LikeDadDid]

Coat the inside of the bowl with epoxy

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

I can think of no recommendation to flood anything made from wood with hot water. Even cleaning wood floors, the recommendation is to mist and dry thoroughly. And, using Murphy's Wood Soap requires drying throughly once used.

I am sticking with the paper towel and pipe cleaners.

 

[coming to_falling too]

I have water flushed a couple times, but never on a new pipe. The thin hard layer of cake that was already in the bowl remained

 

[craig61a]

First of all, there is no reason to flush out a new pipe that's had 5 bowls though it with water.

Cake builds over several dozen bowls. During break in it's best just to set the pipe aside after knocking out the ash, and let it cool. After it has cooled down dust out the ash with a folded over pipe cleaner.

Once there has been sufficient time for the cake to build and solidify, then flood it as much as you like.

Cured briar does not absorb an appreciable amount of water, and dries almost instantly.

I flush out pipes every so often with water. It does seem to keep them fresher and cleaner over time. I usually just run a pipe cleaner through the air way and dust out the chamber with pipe cleaner after a smoke, and that is sufficient. I don't change the oil in my car each time I drive it either...

 

[Berg]

First of all, there is no reason to flush out a new pipe that's had 5 bowls though it with water.

Cake builds over several dozen bowls. During break in it's best just to set the pipe aside after knocking out the ash, and let it cool. After it has cooled down dust out the ash with a folded over pipe cleaner.

Once there has been sufficient time for the cake to build and solidify, then flood it as much as you like.

Cured briar does not absorb an appreciable amount of water, and dries almost instantly.

I flush out pipes every so often with water. It does seem to keep them fresher and cleaner over time. I usually just run a pipe cleaner through the air way and dust out the chamber with pipe cleaner after a smoke, and that is sufficient. I don't change the oil in my car each time I drive it either...

Thanks Craig, that was the exact type of feedback I was looking for ?

 

[karam]

I do it after 10+ bowls, but not counting, about twice per month, combined with scraping all cake from the bowl with my pipe knife. Some people here flush after every bowl, some never, some in between. All good.

Maybe you'll be told that unless you have a PhD in pipe restoration, attempting to ream a pipe will cause WW3, and spawn a black hole at your location, destroying past, present and future. In truth it is very hard to actually harm the briar part of the pipe unless you smoke unreasonably hot all the time, for a long time.

 

[craig61a]

About the only PhD in pipe restoration I've seen is GeorgeD, although he refers to himself as just a pipe repair guy. He approaches it like a brain surgeon.

As for reaming, I will only ream heavily caked estate pipes. On my own pipes, if the buildup of cake gets to a point that is excessive, I sand the chamber. The goal being to remove some of the thickness and smooth the inside of the chamber, so it's cylindrical again. This would be something I would do every several years or more; a lot of my pipes only get smoked several times a year, since I have a lot to choose from.

I've seen plenty of chambers ruined by excessive reaming. Out of round, wavy walls, lowered chamber floor, etc. There is a level of skill involved in reaming a pipe chamber.

I leave some cake on the chamber walls. Briar is pretty resilient. Some hardwoods tend to char, no matter what. On hardwood pipes that I have made for myself, I coat the chamber with sour cream and activated charcoal. Keeps the wood from charring.

 

[STP]

Thoughts? Here are plenty, enjoy? :Water Flush Cleaning Technique :: Pipe Repair and Maintenance - https://www.pipesmagazine.com/forums/threads/water-flush-cleaning-technique.78610/

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Try this at Home - Pipedia

 

[jpmcwjr]

Thank you, mon capitaine.

Another take is you don't need to paper towel it after the flush, at least I stopped doing that some years ago. I know, lazy! If the pipe has been smoked to a dry state, water will evaporate quickly, unless your humidity is very high.

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

“Unless”…..??

How Briar Curing Works: History, Methods, and Benefits | Smokingpipes.com

Learn more about the history, methods, and benefits traditional briar curing and how the process ensures optimum smoking qualities

www.smokingpipes.com

 

[telescopes]

A simple flush now and then prevents some ghosting and works to keep the pipe smoking more fresh.

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

A simple flush now and then prevents some ghosting and works to keep the pipe smoking more fresh.

Perhaps, but surely a less drastic process? ?

 

[cosmicfolklore]

My pipes that I have picked up since starting water rinsing, I just don’t build up much cake in. I don’t get any damage to the briar at all, and the taste of the tobacco and aroma of warm briar is more pleasant. But, eventually cake forms anyway, even with reaming out the bowl vigorously with a paper towel.
On my pipes that had a little cake when I started rinsing, I still have to ream every few years. And, these days, I take the cake back to almost bare wood. Fuck cake. I hate it. It makes no sense to me. I’d rather smoke more tobacco that have the goop from previous bowls permeate my flavors.

But, if you like smoking cake, do what you like. But, cake will form. I don’t see any other way around this nasty aspect of the hobby. If there were a way to completely stop cake from forming, I would do it. But…. cake happens. ::;sigh:::

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Perhaps, but surely a less drastic process? ?

I will never understand this outlook on wood. We picked up a full set of wood turned dishes from a local artisan and run then through the dish washer, scrub them in the sink, and even drink from wooden cups sometimes.
I have no idea how long I’ve been rinsing my pipes, a few years, whenever John “woke” us, ha ha, but my pipes all smoke better, look fantastic, and just bring me more pleasure from using the process. But, you can do whatever you want with your pipes. I just know without a shadow, smidge, or fleck of doubt that there is absolutely nothing wrong with water rinsing a pipe, and your attempts to instill your irrational fears on me are useless and inane.

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

I will never understand this outlook on wood. We picked up a full set of wood turned dishes from a local artisan and run then through the dish washer, scrub them in the sink, and even drink from wooden cups sometimes.
I have no idea how long I’ve been rinsing my pipes, a few years, whenever John “woke” us, ha ha, but my pipes all smoke better, look fantastic, and just bring me more pleasure from using the process. But, you can do whatever you want with your pipes. I just know without a shadow, smidge, or fleck of doubt that there is absolutely nothing wrong with water rinsing a pipe, and your attempts to instill your irrational fears on me are useless and inane.

Easy to understand and I can’t figure why people think as you do, but I am a tolerant sort. If it makes you happy, feel free to rinse out your guitar after playing….lol!???