Why Does my Pipe Die When I Tamp?

[churchlady]

I'm smoking a little no name bent briar at the moment. I filled it with Parson's Blend from Country Squire that I'd previously let air out a bit. I took my time charring it (3-4 of those little matches). Puffed a bit to get the ember going. Tamped it lightly (I thought!) and now it's out. Tried again getting my ember going so I could settle down and smoke. Tamped it with my thumb this time (I have asbestos hands from baking biscuits). Went out again.

What am I doing wrong? Draw seems clear/easy. I did a scoop, shook that down, and then packed a clump on top of that (sorry, I forgot the term!). I've played around with different packing methods, cob/briar, different tobaccos - when I tamp it often goes out. I think I'm tamping lightly and often, so I'm really not sure what's happening here.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Are you drawing when you tamp?

 

[churchlady]

No. Is that the secret?

 

[jpmcwjr]

Big help. Or several good drags just prior to the tamp. Also, the tamp is brief- just a second or two.

 

[OzPiper]

Try tamping around the edges of the chamber so you end up with a central “mound”
If you tamp down the centre, you could be pushing down ash onto the “cherry“ and extinguishing it

 

[Chasing Embers]

No. Is that the secret?

Sure is.

 

[churchlady]

Hey, I think it helped! Still need to work on smoking slower, and I think I might have overpacked this a bit. Still - less sopping wet dottle than there was a week ago.

 

[daveinlax]

Probably over tamping. Get the feel using your index finger.

 

[spearheadbill]

Just light it again and puff.

 

[Servant King]

I wish I could email this thread to myself five years ago. I'd have averted much wailing and gnashing of teeth...

 

[Sigmund]

Great advice!

When you are thinking of tamping think about feeding a fire since its what you are doing. You would never mash the center of a campfire. Same with the pipe. Im fairly new back to this after years and the advice here has been great. You probably want to dry your tobacco more and load your pipe lighter using a gravity method.

When we are new we tend to use wet tobacco that is over packed and then we smoke it too fast. The result is a burnt mouth and tongue. Excessive relights of wet overpacked tobacco ends up being painful If the dottle is really wet you probably need to dry your tobacco.

Try taking a pipefull and sit it in the sun (inside) for 15 minutes or so. Or just set some out a while before you smoke. You dont want your tobacco to stick together when you squeeze it. You want it to feel dry to the touch. Some folks like it brittle but you can experiment. At least make it where it the outside feels dry. Smoking wet tobacco is not pleasant. I dont remeber what you are smoking but most tobacco is too wet from the tin.

 

[aly]

It seems like you're putting in the effort, but maybe try tamping a bit more gently and ensuring your tobacco isn't too moist.

 

[proteus]

When you tamp use only the weight of the tamp and draw air while you tamp.

 

[Searock Fan]

Above is all good advice. Also, get it lit around the edges and the center will tend to take care of itself.

 

[Papamique]

After I char the tobacco, I tamp it down gently, then light it and don’t tamp it anymore. I don’t fill to the rim but leave 1/8”.

The ash tends to create a nice draft and when you tamp it down it smothers it so when I do tamp it I make sure to continue smoking until I get a nice ash built up again.

If all else fails, just relight the pipe.

 

[tbradsim1]

Tamping too hard, ease up!

 

[Old Smokey]

Use your finger to judge how hard you need to tamp. You dont need much pressure to level out the ash.

 

[JustAregularPiper]

I was recently told to just use the weight of the tamper to tamp and that solved the issue for me. I was putting too much pressure. I have learned that not much pressure is necessary.

 

[jpmcwjr]

I was recently told to just use the weight of the tamper to tamp and that solved the issue for me. I was putting too much pressure. I have learned that not much pressure is necessary.

Correct, sir! A light touch while drawing is all that's needed.
If my pipe has gone out, a tamp may or may not be indicated before the relight.

 

[jbfrady]

This feels almost cheesy to watch and much of it may be below your skill level already, but Per Georg Jensen has an intro to smoking video. Even if you know these things in theory, it may help to watch a few newbies toking away.