Thread: Pipe of the Day

I do my real cleanings pretty sporadically. I'll ream my pipes when the carbon build up is getting a little too thick and pipe capacity is starting to get compromised.

If a pipe starts to "sour" it's time to clean. If your in a state that you can get a half pint of Everclear, that is the best. If not, and like me, I use Bicardi 151. I buy Everclear when I can, when traveling. Was asked for my prescription in Ohio, once. What do you tell the doctor to get one.

Wiping out, after cooling with a paper towel certainly will not hurt, may hinder proper carbon build up if still hot.

Originally Posted by Razorfaust

So I have been thinking. At what point or about how many bowls do most of you guys give your pipes a thorough cleaning? I use pipe cleaners after every smoke but I'm curious more about alcohol and or salt treatments and cleaning. What indicates when this is necessary? Also am wondering about the carbon build up in the bowl is this burnt tobacco or burnt wood? I usually twist a paper towel in there after smoking to get some of the tobacco and carbon debris out, is this bad? Lol Sorry for the broad spectrum question.

Depending on the style of pipe, but a wipe through with a pipe cleaner after every bowl (A twist of paper towel in the moisture trap of the Peterson every couple of bowls). A ream out with a reaming tool when the carbon becomes too thick in the bowl. And lastly, a salt and alcohol [insert drinking spirit of choice] treatment once, maybe twice, a year depending on need.


Mick

Originally Posted by Razorfaust

So I have been thinking. At what point or about how many bowls do most of you guys give your pipes a thorough cleaning? I use pipe cleaners after every smoke but I'm curious more about alcohol and or salt treatments and cleaning. What indicates when this is necessary? Also am wondering about the carbon build up in the bowl is this burnt tobacco or burnt wood? I usually twist a paper towel in there after smoking to get some of the tobacco and carbon debris out, is this bad? Lol Sorry for the broad spectrum question.

I clean after every bowl with a pipe cleaner and quick paper towel wipe out of the bowl. The cake on your pipes takes a long time to build up before it's time to be reamed. It should be a the thickness of a dime basically and when it gets thicker than that then it's time to ream. And after you clean with a pipe cleaner, it's wise to keep a clean pipe cleaner in the pipe all the way up to where bowl and stem meet.This absorbs excess moisture and helps keep the pipe from souring. Also... to answer your question,the cake is burnt tobacco not wood that has carbonized. If you start burning your wood your probably drawing and puffing too hard and that is not good as you could burn out your bowl.

Hey guys, about to try my first bowl of Black House.

Had a question, how many bowls can I smoke out of the same briar pipe a day before I compromise flavor? I usually smoke 1-2 bowls a day, I have 2 pipes I smoke latakia blends through and 2 for virginia based. What brought this question up is I smoked 4 yesterday and smoked 2 bowls through each of my latakia pipes. Didn't see to compromise flavor on the second bowl of each pipe but I always hear about rotating pipes for sake of moisture and that they tend to get sour (so I hear). I suppose I should just smoke one pipe all day to figure it out but I'd rather not hurt one of my precious, and expensive to me pipes. I don't use filters.

I very often (most of the time) smoke one pipe all day. As long as your not smoking wet, or let it rest a couple days after if you do, all is well. As I said in an earlier post, I smoked the same pipe for a month. Smoked dry and could go numerous bowls without a cleaner.

But do what works for you, not what works for me and not what works for others. Experiment with others advice but then do it your way, that is the right way.

Originally Posted by jfk742

Hey guys, about to try my first bowl of Black House.

Had a question, how many bowls can I smoke out of the same briar pipe a day before I compromise flavor? I usually smoke 1-2 bowls a day, I have 2 pipes I smoke latakia blends through and 2 for virginia based. What brought this question up is I smoked 4 yesterday and smoked 2 bowls through each of my latakia pipes. Didn't see to compromise flavor on the second bowl of each pipe but I always hear about rotating pipes for sake of moisture and that they tend to get sour (so I hear). I suppose I should just smoke one pipe all day to figure it out but I'd rather not hurt one of my precious, and expensive to me pipes. I don't use filters.

This is why, other than PAD , most of us have a rotation of pipes. I never smoke the same bowl twice in a day giving it at least one days rest....that's just my two farthings.

Also , dedicate your pipes. Keep your Lat pipes as just that and vice versa with your aromatics and Virginia's but, I will also say that if you smoke say Virginia's and and aromatics in the same pipe your ghosting may be more compatible but your Lat based pipes should stay that way. If you do get ghosting, it can be reversed but at that point I would send the pipe to a professional restoration shop where it will be restored to new condition ,then proceed with smoking.

Lol Nightblade I have been smoking the full spectrum my tobaccos in just my two pipes. Am I gonna be in trouble hehehe. I guess I better get another pipe soon before my pipes start tasting like crap.

Originally Posted by Nightblade

Also , dedicate your pipes. Keep your Lat pipes as just that and vice versa with your aromatics and Virginia's but, I will also say that if you smoke say Virginia's and and aromatics in the same pipe your ghosting may be more compatible but your Lat based pipes should stay that way. If you do get ghosting, it can be reversed but at that point I would send the pipe to a professional restoration shop where it will be restored to new condition ,then proceed with smoking.

I do the whole rotation thing, with an array of pipes ranging from quite cheap ones to extremely cheap ones. I haven't noticed ghosting with any of them, except with cannon plug which seems to have quite an extreme amount of lakeland topping. Most of the tobaccos i smoke are kind of similar to each other to be honest, and not usually aromatics which I gather tend to ghost a bit more. Is that correct? I bought a pipe and a 10g sample of cannon plug on the same order and just being in the same box as the tobacco made the first couple of bowls in the new pipe taste pretty floral. It seemed that the outside of the pipe had a floral smell strong enough to interfere with the taste of the smoke. Fortunately it faded away after a few bowls.

Thanks. I'll definitely do some experimenting.

Moisture has been less problematic with the Latakia blends than the Virginias. I have actually had some trouble with the Virginias and have steered away from them even though I have a 1.5 lbs laying around because of the bite and wet pipes. It is about time to go back to them though as I have been having increasingly better and better smokes over my short career. I'm hoping my technique has gotten to the point that the troubles i formerly experienced with the Virginia blends has lessened.

I have found smoking a pipe far more challenging than I had imagined. It has also made it that much more enjoyable when I get it right.

Thank you for the help.