Why OTC blends to break in a pipe?

Ive read at many sites that OTC blends are good for breaking in a new pipe. Prince Albert and Carter Hall seem to get mentioned most. Ive no problem with that because both of those are always on hand and PA is a regular smoke for me. I am just curious as to what properties make these tobaccos good for the break in. No ghosting is perhaps part of it but its my understanding they build a cake faster than some tobaccos. Just one of those questions that has to be answered

I have heard that it's the burley in those blends that speeds up the cake process. Just sayin'.

Smoking burley alone can give tongue bite.

I personally think it is a preference of what each person feels is right. For instance I have heard of the following for break in techniques/rituals -

honey to coat the bowl to keep the ash sticking to the sides for even cake build (I do this)

burley only for the first several bowls

OTC blends becaus they are cheap and they won't ghost

scratching up the inside of the bowl slightly to get the cake to build and lock into the bowl

use cigar ash to create a paste to coat the bowl

Smoke a 1/4 bowl for 3-4 bowls, then 1/2 for 3-4 bowls, then full bowls to evenly cake

coat the bowl with grain alcohol and light it up to burn the alcohol off

No ritual, load it up and smoke it as you would if it were your pipe years down the road



as you can see there are endless options and what I've found is pick one that makes sense to you and make it your ritual and you won't screw anything up. If you feel that smoking aromatics only for 10-12 bowls to sweeten it up a bit, go for it! If you think that only buying precarboned pipes and doing nothing then go for it! If you feel like taking the slick bowl and taking a small piece of course sandpaper and giving it 3-4 passes to rough the bowl a bit, go for it!

Your success will not be compromised by your choices of breakin.

I'm in the "just smoke it normally" camp.

I like honey in my Irish breakfast teas. I like my cigar ash in my ashtray. I like half bowls when I have half the time. I like burley when I'm enjoying a nice cup of Joe.

I'm a simple man, with very simple needs... aka good pipe leaf.

Ive always just smoked what I wanted but do smoke a lot of OTC blends. I was just wonder what it was about the OTC blends that helped the process. Roughing up the chamber may have merit when one thinks about how quickly a cob builds a cake.

I have some guesses: Readily available, great for mindless utility smoking where you smoke like it's your job. CH and PA are plain; - no weird additives to mess up the cake, no ghosting.

Caveman don't play that. I smoke normally, for the most part. (Edit: Well, my pipes tend to be cheap so the stakes are low...I might play a bit of superstition if I had an expensive one.)

hmmm yes I forget who posted this to help me when I started with my pipe, but I took away the wisdom, that Cake "just happens" so I don't worry about it. I smoke what sounds good, and the cake will just happen. I have even read a book by Fred Hanna I think that suggests that he does not even like to have cake develop on his pipes. So I just no longer worry about it.


NOW that said, I feel the outside of my new pipe is hotter than normal when I have smoked it . NOt sure if this is because I am smoking too fast, the bowl walls are thinner, or the lack of cake. PROBABLY some combination of all 3.

As it has been said I would just smoke it normally, and avoid strong blends if you do not want that flavor leaving a "ghost" in the pipe. I smoke Latakia, Virginia and aromatic blends in different pipes for instance.

There is no best way to break in a pipe IMO. Above all, smoke slowly. You don't want to damage the inside of the bowl especially if there is raw briar.

captaincaveman said:

I have some guesses: Readily available, great for mindless utility smoking where you smoke like it's your job. CH and PA are plain; - no weird additives to mess up the cake, no ghosting.

Caveman don't play that. I smoke normally, for the most part. (Edit: Well, my pipes tend to be cheap so the stakes are low...I might play a bit of superstition if I had an expensive one.)

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No additives and no ghosts make sense. And as Sugarcane said perhaps the burley speeds up the cake. I don't know if superstition has anything to do with it as many people around the web has posted that OTC blends are good at building cake.

Non-aro OTCs like CH or PA smoke well and aren't prone to overheating, gunking up the pipe, or leaving a strong ghost in the original cake. Plus it gives those of us who like OTCs blends a chance to remind people to try them.

I do like my OTC's just as much as my rarities like the (should I even say it??) Stonehaven and Penzance.

It gives the snobby types an excuse to be seen with OTC blends.

Pack it, light it, smoke as usual from day one. Cake happens.

Smoke what you like and nothing more.

DC_MPA said:

I do like my OTC's just as much as my rarities like the (should I even say it??) Stonehaven and Penzance.

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Yes I do believe im hopeless. I enjoy PA and Carter Hall as much as a tinned Virginia flake. Ive tried quite a bit of the high end stuff and still manage to keep and smoke Prince Albert almost everyday. Perhaps im the text book definition of a codger? On the other hand I have developed a taste for the more expensive pipes....Thanks for that guys!!

Slickside said:

Pack it, light it, smoke as usual from day one. Cake happens.

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"Cake happens", that should be a t-shirt

Prince Albert and Bugler were all I every saw along with Sir Walter Raleigh. Until I joined B&B the only other Pipe tobacco I had dealt with was a House Cherry from a Shop in Little Rock when I was in College.

i always did the 1/4 bowl method and build up. I was told use extremely mild blends because you don't want the flavor in the bowl.