Wet Bowls

[kais1]

Hi Pipe smokers
i wanted to know if i should let my peterson bowl dry out after a smoke....or is it ok to smoke if it looks wet?
what do the more experienced smokers say?
i have 2 pipe thus far, other is a falcon, that also became very wet after smoking and would leave 1/4 of the bowl with damp tobacco....hence the new purchase of the peterson

 

[ray47]

I'd let the bowl dry out first before smoking it again. You can use a paper towel to swab out the bowl to make the drying process go faster. Also a good idea would be to get a couple of MM corn cob pipes to hold you over while the briar bowls are drying.

 

[jefff]

You probably won't damage it by smoking it wet but it will become sour tasting and unpleasant.
Buy 2 MM Cobs and let your pipes rest for a day.

 

[jpmcwjr]

If the chamber (bowl) is damp after a smoke, it indicates your tobacco is too moist when you pack it. But as mentioned a paper towel swabbing will help, and you should also run a pipe cleaner down the airway a couple of times.

 

[kais1]

i have just placed a order for 2 corn cob pipes for 11 quid on ebay.....
thanks for your replies guys

 

[tmb152]

You might also try packing the bowl less tightly to let more air into the draw.

 

[kais1]

i am packing the pipes very loosely....im still new to this.....i was smoking condor ready rubbed, and thats what made the bowls all wet.

 

[pipesmokingtom]

"Wetness" to a certain degree is normal as moisture is a byproduct of combustion. That's why briar root is so appropriate for pipes. It's made to absorb that moisture.
If it's just wet "looking" that's within the norm. Give it a quick rest and get back to it! No need to rest for a whole day, IMO.

 

[kais1]

can you speed up the process of drying out by placing the bowl near some heat....like on top of a electric heater for a while......is there any risk of damage if i do this?

 

[briarcudgel]

I don't know if heat would damage a briar or not, but I wouldn't want to take the chance. Having cob pipes as back ups works very well. In fact, you may like them better than a briar. Letting the bowls dry naturally has been the accepted practice for as long as briars have been around. I always use a pipe cleaner immediately after smoking a bowl to absorb as muc moisture I can in the stem, shank and bottom of the bowl.

 

[pipesmokingtom]

I'm thoroughly convinced resting pipes for a full day after use is concocted as an excuse to get our wives to let us buy more pipes. "I have to have at least two pipes for each day of the week - like... at minimum." I won't tell them if you won't.

 

[jpmcwjr]

I'd not place a briar on a heat source, but drying your tobacco properly will go a long way to mitigating dampness. The only visible moisture in my finished bowls is at the heel of the chamber only. My smokes start off between 60-75% RH at 70º.
Now, you can place your tobacco on a heat source, or even microwave it to remove moisture.

 

[pipesmokingtom]

The only visible moisture in my finished bowls is at the heel of the chamber only.

True for me as well. I wonder how wet we are actually talking about here.

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

Natural materials do not respond well to heat, the correct way to rapidly dry most things is just with air movement at room temperature, that goes for leather and wood.
Over the centuries people have managed with one pipe at a time just fine, to keep it from going sour just make sure to use some alcohol in the shank at least once a day, that will prevent any bacteria from growing.

 

[tmb152]

Pipe design also affects the "wetness" I think, not just the shape of the bowl, but some pipes I have place the hole right at a very small bottom, other bottoms are broad. Other pipes place the drawhole a bit up from the bottom so juices collecting are not drawn in, and another pipe I have made by Combusto actually has a removable metal plug at the bottom that absorbs the heat from the flame, seems to burn off the moisture, at the same time making it hard for moisture to pass by into the stem. And if it does, it is further blocked by a cleverly-designed stinger.

 

[newbroom]

You will generate moisture if you smoke too fast, even with 'dry' tobacco.

The moisture can affect the draw, and could result in a 'vicious cycle' of hot wet smokes, as you struggle to maintain the next 'light' and draw more heavily than is optimum and causing the material to burn too rapidly to allow for flavors to emerge.

Once you've 'toasted' your tongue, it's not so much the pipe you need to rest.

I think it's ok to smoke a pipe repeatedly with proper cleaning. I use cotton swabs in the heels of my pipes (inserted via the shank) regularly to get out inevitable moisture and goop, followed by a cleaner and forced air to purge any bits of tobacco or cotton remaining.