| Author | Message | ||
     Dan Davis Member Username: Big_d Post Number: 33 Registered: 04-2005 |
Hi Guys, I've been a pipe smoker for almost a year and i have a question that didn't dawn on me until a day or two ago: How do you know when you've reached the end of the bowl? I usually stop smoking when i can't relight any longer. As i churn up the ash and unsmoked tobacco, i notice that there is still quite a bit of unsmoked tobacco (maybe a quarter inch or so) and there is some popping and fizzing (i assume the flame of the match is boiling off the gurgle). Is this normal? Should i scrape off a bit of ash and relight? Will i risk scortching the bottom of the bowl? Any suggestions or considerations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! -Dan | ||
| jeff armstrong Member Username: Cigarnomo Post Number: 150 Registered: 03-2005 |
Dan, Some more info may be needed, such as: Do you smoke only one pipe or do you rotate from day to day? Wet heel could be a problem if you don't. What kind of tobacco are you smoking? Aromatics are generally damper than say English or Balkan or Virginias. The left over tobacco you are refering to is called "dottle" and some folks do stir and relight and others despise the taste of it. Some of my English blends taste ok when they near the end of bowl and will stand being stirred and relit, others become bitey and foul tasting. The popping and crackling you here is excess moisture steaming off as you relight. Keeping the heel dry is important to me so I tend to not relight, if the dottle is dry and crunchy, I stir and shake the ash before dumping and run a cleaner through to absorb any moisture in the stem. Hope this helps. JA | ||
| ADan Member Username: Adan Post Number: 158 Registered: 02-2004 |
Another sign that you're done: you light up, take a puff, and get a mouthful of ash. You do want to smoke down to the bottom so that you will build cake on the bottom of the bowl. Another thing to consider is if the air hole is at the bottom of the bowl. If the air hole not at the bottom of the bowl, the tobacco below the air hole will collect moisture, and not burn. | ||
| Wayne S Benge Member Username: Wsbenge Post Number: 245 Registered: 05-2005 |
I sometimes stir ash and dottle, and relight. Sometimes the result is outstanding flavor, and sometimes it is a slug of ashes in the mouth. Some tobaccos are worse than others. | ||
| smokey strodtman Member Username: Smokey422 Post Number: 223 Registered: 08-2005 |
Normally I will have a little bit of dottle left in the bottom of the pipe. Sometimes it is burned black (but not to ash) and sometimes there is a little unsmoked tobacco. I don't like the taste of dottle so I dump it. On new pipes I do make an effort to smoke to the bottom for the first few bowls. Old Tartan in an IMP meer smokey | ||
| Dan Davis Member Username: Big_d Post Number: 34 Registered: 04-2005 |
My most recent tobacco is MacBaren Navy Flake and Haddo's Delight. I only smoke two or three bowls a week and always in different pipes. (Several Grabows and a Savinelli and an assortment of cobs) The Cobs have an air hole a bit higher than the bottom of the bowl, and the briar ones seem to hit the center of the bowl at the lowest point. Do i just experiment and risk a mouthful of ash, or are there other telltale signs of finishing a bowl? Also, how dificult is it to scortch the inside of a briar? Thanks for the input! -Dan | ||
| Wayne S Benge Member Username: Wsbenge Post Number: 247 Registered: 05-2005 |
I would say that this risk is not a bad thing.  | ||
| Scott Stambaugh Member Username: Banker Post Number: 34 Registered: 11-2005 |
Usually when I relight and there is very little smoke occuring I know I've reached the bottom. You may also want to time how long each bowl takes to smoke. Then in the future you'll know when the tobacco's about gone by glancing at your watch. Scott S. | ||
| Matt Lowery Member Username: Aphexafx Post Number: 64 Registered: 08-2005 |
I just wanted to pop in and say that the best way to get a mouthfull of ash is to stir up your dottle and relight it! I used to do that and it was a mess - try tamping instead of stirring (since you are at the bottom of your smoke, a little more pressure can be used in the tamp) and you'll still be able to smoke down to the heel, but without the ashiness and bad taste of stirred dottle. Stirred dottle = yuck, I think. | ||
| Steven Ivan Walk Member Username: Rembrandt Post Number: 50 Registered: 08-2005 |
A way i find that i gague how close to the end of a pipe I am is just by feeling what part of the bowl is warm. I find that as i smoke a pipe down, the heat definatly seemts to 'settle' further down in the bowl as the tobacco is consumed. On the pipes i smoke more frequently, I can tell by feel when I am coming close to the bottom. | ||
| Michael Schulz Member Username: Bond815 Post Number: 251 Registered: 01-2005 |
Dan, I found myself getting aggravated at the end of my smokes. I would clean out the remainder of the bowl only to find a good sized ball of good tobacco that I ended up tossing. Hence I just tamp and light until all is consumed. Just one of the many learning experiences. " Happy mortal he who knows the pleasure that a pipe bestows. " | ||
| Israel Member Username: Israel Post Number: 163 Registered: 10-2004 |
Dan, if you can even get Mac Baren's Navy Flake to burn, you're ahead of me. Mine was pretty much fireproof in two different pipes. | ||
| Brian Bertrand Member Username: Bertran Post Number: 53 Registered: 02-2005 |
This from da masta' Jim Beard: "If you're getting down towards the bottom and all the tobacco in the pipe is at least scorched, you're ok" I would take that as gospel and move on. I did, and been happier about getting all the way to the bottom ever since. ------------ Strength guided by honor is wisdom. |