Now I'm on some Billy Budd in a Vauen. Perfect nightcap.

Gord, I often zip a dry pipe cleaner through to the bowl whilst smoking and marvel at the products of combustion.Last Night's Smoke - and it was a disturbing smoke. The prelude is that I gave away another MM regular size cob, and replaced it, forthwith. I was able to select the pipe from about a dozen, and I picked the smallest bowl of all that were at Sheffield's at the PG Mall. I wanted a picnic pipe that would give me about a 40-45 minute smoke, and it delivered more, even on break in. (Yeah, another one) It was just Smoker's Pride Cherry Cavendish. Very decent smoke, even for a break in procedure . . . . .
BUT . . . . .
I related it to a previous post @happy_lunter, in which he said (paraphrase) that he noticed that the flavour of Steamworks was much better if the tobacco was dry as a bone.
I agreed, but had mentally reserved the possibility that other tobaccos may not respond to dessication.
However . . . . .
While smoking the pipe, I Ran into an interesting phenomenon that I'd never seen before, but the following picture reveals something I found disturbing, and now confirms my conversion to the glaring possibility that tobaccos should be dry before smoking. Look at the following picture:
That's heavy duty condensation that I had never seen before, because I'd only smoked tobacco in opaque stems, never in a transparent one.
I'd imagine that this condensation is a result of wet tobacco, (actually, I know it is) and will indeed ruin the flavour of so many tobaccos that are too wet. And I'm now aware that this condesation will rear it's ugly head in opaque stems, as well.
I think it also is the main cause of gurgling, and too many relights and other frustrations. Condensation is also caused by turbulence inside the stem. Slow smoking also will help with that. But, wet tobacco definitely causes wet smoke.
I put in a pipe cleaner, and removed the condensation, but it quickly returned and so did ash and debris as I got to the bottom of the bowl. That crap contributed to an acrid taste that was rather noticeable, and told me a lot of other things.
I present this to all of you for your consideration and comments, and will leave my post without opinions except that I'll be drying out my tobacco much more in future.
Have at it, please.Seems learning is a never ending process, eh? Let me know what you think of all this. Thanks.


Clairvoyant.Jinx!
Ha!Clairvoyant.![]()

The one circled between the dogs is obviously white and black, not black and white.Well, once you asked that question, *everything* started looking like a "hiding black & white cat!" LOL
My guesses ... Ha ha
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A luxurious line of tobaccos.Briarworks Country Lawyer in a Savinelli 114KS.
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