Dreaded wet dottle

Hey all!
I'm relitively new to pipe smoking... but I've been having a heck of a time 1) keeping my pipe lit for more than 10 minutes... (I'm sure we've all been there), and 2) I've been having getting this moist dottle towards the level of the draft hole that i just can't keep lit. Even if it's not very moist... So in essence, I don't think I'm building much cake on the bottom. This is really happening with most all of my briar pipes with the exception of my MM cobs.
I have been drying my tobaccos. Some pipes are filtered, others are not.

Also... How do some of you guys clench without making a tobacco slurpee? Gees. I feel like I'm drooling like crazy if i'm not careful.


Any Ideas?

The stuff on the bottom gets wet. That's when you call it a successful bowl and toss it. Don't worry about the cake, I have pipes that have never developed a build up in the heal, this is especially true if the draft hole is not exactly at the bottom of the pipe.

1) Make sure you're tamping. Do it softly; you don't want to compress the tobacco, just push the ember down to it. You can also try drying your tobacco more. Some are wetter than others.

2) Nothing wrong here. Dottle happens. If it's just a small amount at the end of the bowl, toss it out. You're more likely to damage the pipe trying to keep that last bit lit, and you won't get much more out of it. As for the moisture, that's normal too. It's true that cake won't form under the dottle, but with the dottle there, you don't need it. If you'd prefer cake, only smoke half-bowls for a while. But dottle itself doesn't indicate a problem, unless you're talking a 1/4 bowl or more.

As for drooling, that's just something you learn to deal with.

Honestly... I'd love to build cake there... perhaps just to bring the bottom of the bowl a little more flush with the draft hole. Might smoke better that way? I dont know. But I guess If I only smoke that low every time, then nothing can hurt it, right?

perhaps try a partial bowl to burn down there, before you can generate too much drool

Yes, it would smoke better, but if the draft hole is high you will never burn the tobacco below it, You can make some pipe mud from cigar ash to raise the heal, or use wood putty.

Eh. I can't say my pipes are poorly drilled, but not perfect. I guess we will see.
Micheal Halliday, I smoked 2 1/4 bowls and 3 1/2 bowls first thing... It just doesnt burn past the top of the draft hole.

Dukeofwails said:

... It just doesnt burn past the top of the draft hole.

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Tobacco below the draft hole won't burn. I do have pipes that will burn it all, but most of my pipes leave at least a little bit of damp dottle in the bottom.. I just think of that bit of tobacco as a natural, flavor-matched filter/mop.

It is frustrating, as I have a few that have a high draft hole, too. Pipe mud, as Comm. Quan said, is the easiest way to build up the bottom of the bowl. The problem I have is sucking ash off the top of the dottle when the baccy gets low. I just deal with it and figure eventually I'll make some mud for the bottom.

Im glad I don't get the drools too often. That is more of a pain than a high draft hole.

Kilroy6644 said:

As for drooling, that's just something you learn to deal with.

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yup im a drooler too. lots of pipe cleaners while smoking lolz

Boro62 said:

yup im a drooler too. lots of pipe cleaners while smoking lolz

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Boris destroys his conference call equipment with copious amount of drool as well...

Senshi said:

Boris destroys his conference call equipment with copious amount of drool as well...

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oh you know you like my drool!

Boro62 said:

oh you know you like my drool!

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About as much as Jason likes latakia

Man. I gotta get on Brown Leaf more. I'm missing out on some intense inside jokes.

Everybody already covered dottle normality, smoking 1/4 bowls to build bottom cake, and pipe mud...but nobody has mentioned this: 10 minutes is a good run.

Or is it?

10 minutes is a good one for me, and may be at the beginning of a bowl. Never towards the middle or end

If you are a drooler, keep the tip of your tongue on the end of the stem and swallow. This will work wonders.

Dually noted

captaincaveman said:

Everybody already covered dottle normality, smoking 1/4 bowls to build bottom cake, and pipe mud...but nobody has mentioned this: 10 minutes is a good run.

Or is it?

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Have you been measuring the time of your smokes?