Requesting Pipe Tobacco Assistance!

[Kentos]

Nice!! Pipe smoking seems simple enough, but for me it was and still is a learning process.

 

[TheoDEus]

Nice!! Pipe smoking seems simple enough, but for me it was and still is a learning process.

After my first smoking experience with a pipe last night, I can completely understand you!

I believe my tobacco was too wet (Squadron Leader, loose), so it burned quite hot and the pipe started gurgling quite often, something not fixed by running a pipe cleaner through while smoking. The taste was quite acrid and I couldn't really distinguish any other flavours apart from very hot tobacco. Thankfully there was very little tongue bite. The till assistant at the CCC told me that the tobacco would be ready to smoke, but it was quite difficult to pack (gravity filling didn't really work as the tobacco clumped together quite a lot) and I just thought it was slightly on the wetter side, not having much experience with pipe weed.

Apart from the too wet tobacco, I think my packing technique was completely off. I tried the 3 pack method, but the draw was extremely loose. Could this have anything to do with the draught hole being very large? I tried tamping the tobacco down quite forcefully and that helped quite a lot and I didn't have to relight as often, but even then, the tobacco kept expanding quite a lot and becoming loose when relighting it, even with tamping.

 

[Ponycarman]

It will get better in time. Its takes a but if time to perfect the packing, tamping, and to find the right cadence. I'm still learning something with each bowl.

I don't really use a method of packing. I just cram it haha. Not too tight. I tend to pack on the slightly looser side but so the tobacco is somewhat springy still. Tamp lightly, I normally use the weight of the tamper. If the draw is too loose for you its much easier to tighten the draw than loosen it. You will get the technique in time. Finding what works for you is part of the fun

 

[Claudel Xerxes]

After my first smoking experience with a pipe last night, I can completely understand you!

I believe my tobacco was too wet (Squadron Leader, loose), so it burned quite hot and the pipe started gurgling quite often, something not fixed by running a pipe cleaner through while smoking. The taste was quite acrid and I couldn't really distinguish any other flavours apart from very hot tobacco. Thankfully there was very little tongue bite. The till assistant at the CCC told me that the tobacco would be ready to smoke, but it was quite difficult to pack (gravity filling didn't really work as the tobacco clumped together quite a lot) and I just thought it was slightly on the wetter side, not having much experience with pipe weed.

Apart from the too wet tobacco, I think my packing technique was completely off. I tried the 3 pack method, but the draw was extremely loose. Could this have anything to do with the draught hole being very large? I tried tamping the tobacco down quite forcefully and that helped quite a lot and I didn't have to relight as often, but even then, the tobacco kept expanding quite a lot and becoming loose when relighting it, even with tamping.

The taste and the heat were probably from packing it too wet and smoking to hard and fast.

All of this stuff is fairly hard to explain just by writing it. Personal preference, the cut, wetness, and age of the tobacco, the pipe being used, the method of packing, the weather, etc. can all have an influence on a smoke.

Try checking out some videos of people packing their pipes. There are a number of videos, from individual vloggers, to manufactures and vendors making their own videos. It's been a couple of years since I've checked any of them out, but I remember that I didn't find an end-all, be-all video. I used little bits of advice here and there until I found a style and preference that was right for me.

Another option, is the next time that you're back to a tobacco shop, ask one of the employees if they can show you how they pack their pipes and what they look for when doing so.

 

[TheoDEus]

The taste and the heat were probably from packing it too wet and smoking to hard and fast.

All of this stuff is fairly hard to explain just by writing it. Personal preference, the cut, wetness, and age of the tobacco, the pipe being used, the method of packing, the weather, etc. can all have an influence on a smoke.

Try checking out some videos of people packing their pipes. There are a number of videos, from individual vloggers, to manufactures and vendors making their own videos. It's been a couple of years since I've checked any of them out, but I remember that I didn't find an end-all, be-all video. I used little bits of advice here and there until I found a style and preference that was right for me.

Another option, is the next time that you're back to a tobacco shop, ask one of the employees if they can show you how they pack their pipes and what they look for when doing so.

Thanks for the advice, I had been doing a lot of research and watching videos before my first smoke. It's just very different when doing it myself I hear quite often that the draw should be like sucking liquid out of a straw, but that seems very hard to achieve, even when pressing the tobacco down quite firmly. Could that be because the tobacco is too wet or should I just be more aggressive?

 

[Price]

Thanks for the advice, I had been doing a lot of research and watching videos before my first smoke. It's just very different when doing it myself I hear quite often that the draw should be like sucking liquid out of a straw, but that seems very hard to achieve, even when pressing the tobacco down quite firmly. Could that be because the tobacco is too wet or should I just be more aggressive?

Definitely do not do this. That will only exacerbate the problem. Try to focus on slowing down your cadence and drawing very lightly. Draw a mental picture of "sipping" - that helped me when I was starting out. It takes some getting used to, especially since you're used to cigars. You want to draw much much lighter on a pipe than you do with a cigar.

Wet tobacco may have been the cause of your gurgling - I like to dry it out until it just barely retains any springiness.

The "liquid through a straw" analogy is good - that's about ideal - but don't get wrapped around the axle trying to achieve it. Smoke slowly and smoothly, sooner or later you'll get a feel for just the right packing density.

 

[Ponycarman]

Definitely do not do this. That will only exacerbate the problem. Try to focus on slowing down your cadence and drawing very lightly. Draw a mental picture of "sipping" - that helped me when I was starting out. It takes some getting used to, especially since you're used to cigars. You want to draw much much lighter on a pipe than you do with a cigar.

Wet tobacco may have been the cause of your gurgling - I like to dry it out until it just barely retains any springiness.

The "liquid through a straw" analogy is good - that's about ideal - but don't get wrapped around the axle trying to achieve it. Smoke slowly and smoothly, sooner or later you'll get a feel for just the right packing density.

Wish I learned this sooner haha

I had issues figuring everything out until I stopped trying to follow a video or instructions. They are good for information but when I tried to match them it never really went well. When I started just winging it and paying attention to what happened with the smoke when I experimented, it all clicked and got way easier. Its getting to be second nature now. If my packing isn't quite right adjusting mid bowl is no big deal. For me it has all been getting that feel for it.

 

[TheoDEus]

I will keep all this in mind when I smoke my next bowl. I think some experimentation is in order from now on.

 

[ChefJohnBoy-ardee]

It is a Nirvana like moment when you have the first smoke where you didn't have to think about it while smoking... You might not even know it happened until well after you put your pipe down then it hits you and you try to replicate it again and it may or may not happen again for a bit but over time it comes easier.

 

[Kentos]

Experience will be your best teacher, however my tidbit of advice would be to not seek to mimic the “drawing liquid though a straw” feeling. Instead pack it lightly where you cannot tell if the draw has changed vs an empty pipe. Light the pipe thoroughly, tamp, and light again. Then draw on the pipe slowly- maybe take one second to draw the smoke into your mouth. If the pipe gets hot you are drawing too quickly or often. So not puff on it to try to keep it lit. If it goes out just light it again. YMMV

Good luck! Stubbornness is a key virtue of pipe smokers I think!

 

[TheoDEus]

Experience will be your best teacher, however my tidbit of advice would be to not seek to mimic the “drawing liquid though a straw” feeling. Instead pack it lightly where you cannot tell if the draw has changed vs an empty pipe. Light the pipe thoroughly, tamp, and light again. Then draw on the pipe slowly- maybe take one second to draw the smoke into your mouth. If the pipe gets hot you are drawing too quickly or often. So not puff on it to try to keep it lit. If it goes out just light it again. YMMV

Good luck! Stubbornness is a key virtue of pipe smokers I think!

Thank you for the advice. I'm going to try this tonight. I'll keep everyone posted as to how it goes

 

[Salty O'Rourke]

James Fox Tobacco has a series of short videos on pipe and cigar smoking - I ran across this one recently. It features a way of loading the pipe that I wasn't familiar with; I tried it and it works well, tobacco is not over-packed even if I jam my thumb on it a few times. Plus the chap doing the videos excudes class and cool in a way that makes you wish you could sit down for a pint or two with him. Or a dram or two.

Oh, and Lakeland tobaccos, even the non-aromatics, require some drying imo before attempting to smoke them.

 

[McNasty]

At the moment, some Dunhill offerings were tempting me, namely Nightcap, Elizabethan Mixture and very much so London Mixture, but I've heard some bad things in regards to the quality of the latter after the Orlik acquisition.

I started pipes about 10 years and all you ever heard was the tobacco ain't as good as it was or pipes aren't what the use be, bah, bah.. I have no idea about Dunhill prior to the current production was like but the current is damn good.

Being new and trying to break in a pipe and trying new tobacco is a double whammy. Get yourself some Carter Hall and break the pipe in then move on to tobacco

 

[TheoDEus]

James Fox Tobacco has a series of short videos on pipe and cigar smoking - I ran across this one recently. It features a way of loading the pipe that I wasn't familiar with; I tried it and it works well, tobacco is not over-packed even if I jam my thumb on it a few times. Plus the chap doing the videos excudes class and cool in a way that makes you wish you could sit down for a pint or two with him. Or a dram or two.

Oh, and Lakeland tobaccos, even the non-aromatics, require some drying imo before attempting to smoke them.

I've just come back from a very serene experience. I tried the method in the James Fox video and it was great - draw was not as loose as my previous attempt, it felt very natural. Left some Squadron Leader to dry for about 45 minutes beforehands and it was much, much better. I only had to relight a few times at the beginning and 3 or 4 times towards the end of the bowl.

The experience was extremely relaxing, I followed previous advice and just slowly, slowly sipped the smoke into my mouth. I almost let my cheeks naturally expand and draw the smoke without any effort on my part. The smoke was cool and the flavour was very mild, at least compared to the cigars I usually smoke. I could not discern any particular flavours I'm used to, but the taste was very enjoyable, if a tad too mild for my tastes.

The smoke got slightly hotter right at the bottom of the bowl, but there was no tongue bite, just a bit of a harsher taste, it did not bother me much. The taste paired nicely with a cold glass of Pepsi, a very good match in my humble opinion. The only issue I had was that the wind kept extinguishing my matches, I think I went through 10-15 matches which extinguished after less than a second, even with my body and hands guarding them from the wind...

@McNasty My pipe, fortunately, needs no breaking in. When I was restoring it, I left a thin later of carbon from just below the rim of the bowl, downwards. I would love to taste some of the famed Carter Hall, but unfortunately I haven't come across a place I can get it from, in the UK.

 

[Kentos]

A lot of flavor can be tasted if you retrohale the smoke. Pipe smoke is much milder than cigar smoke and is quite delightful when blown out the nose.

 

[OkieStubble]

A lot of flavor can be tasted if you retrohale the smoke. Pipe smoke is much milder than cigar smoke and is quite delightful when blown out the nose.

I must never be doing it correctly then, cuz it always burns my nose and makes my eyes water with cigar or pipe.

 

[Kentos]

I must never be doing it correctly then, cuz it always burns my nose and makes my eyes water with cigar or pipe.

Ah, well everyone’s different, but the only smoke that tingle for me are Perique blends. It’s more of a gentle exhale of a partial puff, vs the forcing of a mouthful of smoke.

 

[TheoDEus]

A lot of flavor can be tasted if you retrohale the smoke. Pipe smoke is much milder than cigar smoke and is quite delightful when blown out the nose.

I do agree, I retrohaled quite more often than I tend to do with cigars. The taste I found quite similar in the nose, at least with Squadron Leader. I am very curious to see how aromatics change when retrohaled.

 

[Salty O'Rourke]

I do agree, I retrohaled quite more often than I tend to do with cigars. The taste I found quite similar in the nose, at least with Squadron Leader. I am very curious to see how aromatics change when retrohaled.

You'll need a different pipe for aromatics - the flavorings will taint any non-aromatic tobacco you smoke in a pipe that's been used for aromatics. You should have several pipes anyway, resting your pipes is important.

 

[Salty O'Rourke]

I would love to taste some of the famed Carter Hall, but unfortunately I haven't come across a place I can get it from, in the UK.

I found this vendor - price is high by US standards but apparently pretty reasonable for UK customers. If you know someone in the RAF who has shopping privileges at one of the combined RAF/USAF base exchanges, you may be able to source it that way.