What Makes a Pipe Smoke Wet?

[JOHN72]

Apart from other factors that have already been discussed here, do you live in an area where there is a lot of humidity?

 

[PipeIT]

Be sure you are not causing the problem by smoking you pipe too fast. That creates moisture and causes the pipe to smoke hot and can lead to moisture build up.

Great point!

+1

 

[jpmcwjr]

The operator of the pipe.

Has your question been answered? Better now?

 

[sablebrush52]

Some of my pipes need a cleaner to soak up the bubbling moist mid-bowl, while others stay dry for two bowls back to back. Maybe coincedentally, the dry ones tend to be more expensive, so what is it? the curing? Or some specific characteristics of the briar?

A variety of factors can cause gurgling, structural issues, like the aforementioned turbulence, moisture level of the blend, shape of the pipe, operator error etc.
What you didn’t mention is do the “problem” pipes gurgle when you smoke the same blend in them, in the same way that you smoke in the dry smoking pipes. Do the gurglers always gurgle no matter what blends you smoke in them? Without any controls it’s hard to know what the causes are.
My suspicion is that the tobacco is too wet, but without any cross checking it’s not possible to get at the root cause of the problem.
Any pipe can gurgle if the tobacco is wet.

 

[woodsroad]

Did anyone mention yet that a cold pipe will condense the water vapor in the smoke?

 

[Chasing Embers]

I always figured that Falcons would smoke wet because of the metal. No dry ring in this one and no gurgle.

 

[condorlover1]

Tickling it in the right place?

 

[pinem]

At times, all of my pipes smoke wet, given humidity, temp, prep, and most importantly, when I freight train breathe smoke. I've don't care anymore, I just get a pipe cleaner out.

That all said, briar quality and cake can have an effect. I can smoke wet tobacco in my meer and it stays dry. I have a Cavicchi that smoked dry when I got it, but now with cake, it will gurgle on me if I push it.

Airway construction does matter a lot too. I have both a Petersen and a Tom Spanu that always gurgle regardless. I still smoke them, and keep a pipe cleaner handy. I figure the time I take to remove a gurgle is time to let the tobacco cool and regain flavor.