What to do, what to do?
- Thread starter chlogeo3
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I have used the salt and alcohol treatment to effect.. there is a string about such on here some where! Someone with more expertise will be able to give you the details..IT WORKS!
First scrub out the shank with Everclear. A shank brush or bristle cleaners are recommended here. If that fails then stuff the bowl either with plain salt ( not iodized )and carefully saturate the salt with Everclear. Let set until the salt is dried out. Dump the nasty dirty salt out and then give the pipe a few days to be sure it has dried completely before trying it to see if your treatment worked. If not then go to the charcoal treatment that Greg Pease uses.
If you have an aversion to alcohol, you an use vinegar. It takes longer to dry out.I'd use Kosher salt rather that regular salt because it easier to get out. Cotten balls can be used in place of the salt. If you do decide to use alcohol, use something that is 150 proof or higher.
The bitter taste may be coming from oxidation in the stem. If that is the case, a thorough cleeaning of the stem is in order.
The bitter taste may be coming from oxidation in the stem. If that is the case, a thorough cleeaning of the stem is in order.
All my estates get a complete and thorough cleaning before I fire them up. Even those that are "smoke ready".
IMO you should try some of the methods already mentioned. There is also ozone treatment,
which can be considered as a last resort if rescuing your estate pipe is worth the expense.
(You'll spend ~$13.00 for round trip shipping, and $5.00 for the 1st pipe plus $2.00 for each
additional pipe. Could be a good deal if you have several pipes to treat.)
which can be considered as a last resort if rescuing your estate pipe is worth the expense.
(You'll spend ~$13.00 for round trip shipping, and $5.00 for the 1st pipe plus $2.00 for each
additional pipe. Could be a good deal if you have several pipes to treat.)
While I personally do not advocate the castration of teddy bears, cotton balls and a good bourbon (I use Ezra Brooks) used as a sweetener works for me.
Tommy, great article. How often do you guys clean your pipes. Either using the salt treatment mentioned, or just by running through a pipe cleaner with some alcohol on it? I recently purchased a new pipe and have smoked it a lot since purchasing it. Noticed last night I got a bitter taste using the same tobacco Ive been smoking for some time. It was kind of odd.
Okay so how are you supposed to use pipe sweeteners? I thought about getting a bottle but they are so small I don't think they would even fill up two pipes with a salt treatment! Or are they just supposed to be rubbed on the inside of the bowl?
Bubba, those commercial pipe sweeteners are a waste of money. Get some Everclear (or other booze), soak a pipe cleaner, and scrub out the stem and shank. Soak some into a wadded-up paper towel and scour the inside of the bowl too. Or, follow the salt treatment link that Tommy provided.
Since I use 1 or 2 dry pipe cleaners after every smoke, I only need to do the full treatment thing every 4-6 months -- and, like pstlpkr, I use cotton balls instead of salt.
Since I use 1 or 2 dry pipe cleaners after every smoke, I only need to do the full treatment thing every 4-6 months -- and, like pstlpkr, I use cotton balls instead of salt.
Tommy, yesterday I spent over an hour opening up the stem on a Jobey that came in my last batch. Don't think the previous owner ever used a pipe cleaner.
I tend to keep the shanks pretty clean because every now and then, between major cleanings,
I use a few bristle-brush pipe cleaners soaked in gin.
I use a few bristle-brush pipe cleaners soaked in gin.
Well Cortez I use that same set up every 1-2 months on all of my pipes! Haha I guess I will leave the pipe sweeteners for another day and stick with my always faithful everclear!
Very informative. I perosnally try to keep my pipes clean so that I won't have to go this route very often.
I use whatever scotch I have on hand. I used to have some Everclear but used it up and probably haven't used it in about 2 years.
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