New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart

[tedrodgerscpa]

I have a question for an old fart...

What's the best way to prep flake tobacco for smoking?

Not sure that 'flake' is the best way to describe it, but I'm talking about something that looks like this...



disclaimer: picture ruthlessly stolen from the internet

I do O.K. with the "Cake" style, but these big ol' flakes confuse me a bit!

[Mister Moo]

Note: terms of thread to be an old fart with a reply are:

"you must have a minimum two years pipe smoking experience."

This is not complicated. You know who you are, Scott.

ps - nothing says your old-fart answers have to be right, either. This thread is strictly "caveat emptor".

[Neuromancer]

Originally Posted by schnell987

OK, I'll go first....

1) Is it really necessary to rest the pipe for a day or two to let it "dry out" before using it again? If you don't do this, what will happen?

2) Do you need to have a separate pipe(s) for aromatic tobaccos or can you scrape the bowl to get the ash off and then smoke the Virginia or English tobaccos without the aromatic flavor bleeding over?

Thanks in advance for your input.

Kevin

Number one was well answered...just a quick thought on your second question...you DO NOT want to scrape off the carbon that your bowl will begin filling with...that's cake and that's good as long as it's not too thick...if it gets to be about the thickness of a nickel use a reamer to take it back down to the thickness of a dime...that cake will help cool the smoke and will greatly reduce tongue bite (as will smoking slowly)...your pipe should always be almost on the verge of going out more or less...and if you have to relight a few times it's no biggie..btw, I have my pipes separated into three categories...one for English/Balkan mixtures, one for aromatics and one for Virginia's and Va/Pers...

Originally Posted by tedrodgerscpa

I have a question for an old fart...

What's the best way to prep flake tobacco for smoking?

Not sure that 'flake' is the best way to describe it, but I'm talking about something that looks like this...

I do O.K. with the "Cake" style, but these big ol' flakes confuse me a bit!

Flake...fold it length-wise first then width-wise and stuff it in..that's basically it...I find flake smokes better in pipes with narrower chambers that take about one flake...and you need to leave a little room in the bowl as flake will expand...or you can take a flake and ball it up in between your palms and rub it out so it's more ribbon like and then use any filling method you normally use...

Originally Posted by dunng

What's the best way to get started? Cheap starter pipes? Basic tobacco? Necessary tools? Thanks!

Greg (A.K.A Reformed Poddie)

Corncob pipe, Czech pipe tool, pipe cleaners and maybe a simple burley that won't bite too much...stay away from gloppy drugstore aromatics like Cherry Blend as they're loaded with PG solution to keep them moist and bite like hell...other drugstore stuff like Prince Albert may be a good starting point...

[dunng]

Originally Posted by Neuromancer

Corncob pipe, Czech pipe tool, pipe cleaners and maybe a simple burley that won't bite too much...stay away from gloppy drugstore aromatics like Cherry Blend as they're loaded with PG solution to keep them moist and bite like hell...other drugstore stuff like Prince Albert may be a good starting point...

Thanks!

[schnell987]

The wise old farts have stated that: "Ghost can be banished with salt and Everclear in 24 hours."

Could you explain how to do this process?

Thanks in advance.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by schnell987

The wise old farts have stated that: "Ghost can be banished with salt and Everclear in 24 hours."

Could you explain how to do this process?

Thanks in advance.

Precise methods vary. Mine:
1. remove and clean stem with bristle and booze
2. put a fluffy pipecleaner down the shank and into the bowl; bend the protruding end upward with an eye to preventing wicking booze from touching the shanks finish
3. secure the briar, tipped, to level out the end of the shank and and bowl lip
4. fill bowl with coarse deiodized (kosher) salt (alternatively, a cotton ball or two)
5. add Everclear to bowl, slowly and carefully to prevent a finish-stripping overflow or popped bubble, with an eyedropper; some folks like to use rum, bourbon, scotch, 91% rubbing alcohol etc.
6. STOP adding Everclear before the bowl (or shank) overfills
7. watch salt turn brown and watch alky and grunge wick up the pipecleaner over hours
8. when dried out, maybe add some more Everclear or remove/replace dirty pipe cleaner and salt; repeat until all is clean/sweet - once or twice usually does it.

All this jazz and more is discussed in the ASP FAQ, too. Excellent resource. You can now cross-check the ASP experts against the CA Old Farts for total pipe security. In fact, without being an Old Fart yourself you can now deodorize your briar, read the ASP FAQ and consider yourself fully qualified to refer other people to the FAQ for very good information. Congratulations.

Now go do a photo essay, clean your pipe and stop bothering me.

[elderboy02]

Originally Posted by Mister Moo

...
All this jazz and more is discussed in the ASP FAQ, too. Excellent resource. ...

Thanks for this link. It answered about 10 of my questions

Originally Posted by schnell987

The wise old farts have stated that: "Ghost can be banished with salt and Everclear in 24 hours."

Could you explain how to do this process?

Thanks in advance.

Give me a bottle of Everclear and 24 hrs. and I'll banish damn near anything.

Im having trouble keeping my pipe lite. I puff every 10-15 seconds or so, but not constantly, but never more than 30 seconds between puffs. But I seem to be losing my light 8 or 9 times per bowl, and in my pipe a bowl only lasts about 20 minutes. Is this common? or is this indicitive of something else?

thanks!

Brad

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by darb85

Im having trouble keeping my pipe lite. I puff every 10-15 seconds or so, but not constantly, but never more than 30 seconds between puffs. But I seem to be losing my light 8 or 9 times per bowl, and in my pipe a bowl only lasts about 20 minutes. Is this common? or is this indicitive of something else?

thanks!

Brad

Probably a simple case of gooey aromatic tobacco or perhaps "frozen flame" that affects so many in Traverse City in December. Can you light a match and then break the flame in half with your fingers? If not...

Most of staying-lighted problems are resolved with practice, patience and half-filled bowls. Follow the tried and true advice about a bowl-filling method that always allows only the slightest airflow restriction, only tamp lightly to keep the burning embers in contact with one-anotherand avoid using an overly moist tobak. Since this is more qualitative than quantitative it means, "keep trying" and it'll all fall into place.

Pipes with crappy enough airflow do prevent a decent smoke do exist but they are far less of a problem than improper pipe-filling technique. Mostly, new-to-pipe people tend to fill the bowl too tightly and tamp too firmly. Also, relights happen. Maybe not a dozen per bowl - but relights may be part of the deal according to the pipe, the tobak and the experience level.

Want a develop a steady burn? Use a cob (or your preferred briar), a proper 1-2-3 fill and some Carter Hall or Prince Albert.

[Sr Mike]

Originally Posted by tedrodgerscpa

I have a question for an old fart...

What's the best way to prep flake tobacco for smoking?

Not sure that 'flake' is the best way to describe it, but I'm talking about something that looks like this...



disclaimer: picture ruthlessly stolen from the internet

I do O.K. with the "Cake" style, but these big ol' flakes confuse me a bit!

There are a few different ways to work with flake tobacco. From my experience, folding flake over on itself and then filling the bowl is easy to start out with, but it can be a bit difficult to light or keep lit. So to aid the start, I will take a bit of extra flake and rub it between my palm and first two fingers until the flake is broken up and shag looking. Setting this shag on the top of the bowl, it lights up easily and gets the flake burning nicely. I have found that smoking flake folded over on itself will burn for a much longer duration than a bowl of loose tobacco. Tamping will be a bit different as the flake really does not tamp like loose tobacco and pack, gentle tamping at first so not to put out the ember, practice is the best way to learn with flake.

Another method it to rub the flake in the palm so it is more ribbon like, or if you really want to get a lot into the bowl, the flake can be rubbed into all shag and packed into the bowl like loose tobacco. Rubbed out flake used by a lot of new smokers, this will give the new flake smoker an idea of how flake tobacco feels when tamped without getting over zealous and put out the ember. The first time I smoked flake I remember thinking the tobacco was not packing down and just crunching.

IMHO, I personally like flake to be folded on itself for smoking rather than rubbed out. I have found that just taking the time to learn to smoke flake in this manner makes the flake far more enjoyable. I tend too think that companies nowadays layer tobacco to be smoked folded over, this gives the smoker the taste of all the layered tobacco at the same time. I could be wrong as flake was originally used as a way to store tobacco.

I have read that one can cut up the flake into smaller pieces, with a knife or scissors, and fill the bowl with what was cut. I have not tried this method so I cannot accurately give any advice with this method.

Try both methods, you may notice a difference between the two methods with one tin of flake. Also, remember that flake tobacco can have more moisture than loose tobacco, so a flake from a new tin will most likely need to be allowed to dry before smoking.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by Sr Mike

...I have found that just taking the time to learn to smoke flake in this manner makes the flake far more enjoyable. ... remember that flake tobacco can have more moisture than loose tobacco, so a flake from a new tin will most likely need to be allowed to dry before smoking.

I really botched my first few rounds with various flakes (and pressed cakes like Krumble Kake and Penzance in particular) and it scared me off for a while. I had no sense for the expansion that occurs with many flakes and ended up with very uneven burns and plugged bowls; as air blockage developed I would suck harder, try using the needle-tool to open up airflow and keep trying to relight - worn out tongue and overall bad experience. Very frustrating.

What Sr Mike says - take the time to figure it out. Great stuff out there in Flakeville. Fold it, break it, rub it out, whatever - just don't PACK it into a bowl - let it breath easy and then tamp (gently) if you must, to keep it burning evenly. What Sr Mike says about a sprinkle of crumbs atop is a key to getting an easy, even burn going with many flakes.

(And, speaking as a highly qualified Old Fart, I think from the foto that ted'pa is trying to smoke dried corned beef, but WTH. Whatever. Kids? Who can understand 'em?)

[Mister Moo]

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