What's the secret to smoking to the bottom?

[Big D KC]

Originally Posted by Piper

But the smoking to the bottom idea seems to be pretty universal. I wonder why that is?

My guess would be it has to do with the need/desire to build an even cake all the way to the heal of a pipe to protect it from burnout, to help it with absorbing excess moisture, and to help in providing a cool smoke. Without a carbon cake build up in the heal of the pipe it would be open to all of the above. The only way to get that even cake in the heal of the pipe is to smoke it all the way to the bottom..

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by Hydrated

My secret when it comes to smoking all the way to the bottom: Don't smoke all the way to the bottom! I know that this is heresy to many pipers, but so what?

I drink my press coffee right to the sludge, then swish, gulp and chew. I ride my motorcycle 'til there's just fumes in the tank and I eat apple cores, gulp down cereal packaging when the Cheerios are gone and nub good cigars. I upend the last shot outta the Russian Standard bottle and shake the cocktail shaker to the last drop of Bombay Dry Gin. When the mojito is "finished" I eat the mint leaves and ice cubes. I watch the credit at the end of a movie and don't throw out a pair of jeans until you can read a newspaper through the backside (that scares the neighborhood children away - another plus). My Mercedes has over 600,000 miles on the ticker and Jeep is closing on 300,000 with no end in sight. I lick out cakepans and pudding bowls.

The idea of not smoking a pipe until a big fat shot of burning embers is glued to the roof of my mouth never ocurred to me. Heresy? Ha!



Inconceivable!

(In fact, at smokes end, I enjoy tapping a pipe gently on the side and pouring out a half-thimble of perfect talc-like grey dust. It happens. But I really don't enjoy that little gulp of powder and ember which is sometimes the price - it does diminish the thrill of the chase.

This weeks smokes included several rounds of folded/stuffed Escudo which, in the pipes-de-jour, ended up with a little clot of crunchy dottle at the bottom. Nonetheless, and with no particular effort or attention to an all-ash conclusion, a few bowls of MacBarens Navy Flake (also folded and stuffed) ended quietly and cleanly with nothing but ash. In the end, Hydrated has it covered (as usual) - smoke what tastes and works best for you. It's a journey, not a destination, right? )

[Smarvy]

Originally Posted by Mister Moo

But I really don't enjoy that little gulp of powder and ember which is sometimes the price - it does diminish the thrill of the chase.

If there were no consequences for failure, it wouldn't be worth doing.

[Hydrated]

I can see your point, Moo... but...

Originally Posted by Mister Moo

Inconceivable!

I do not think that means what you think it means.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by Hydrated

I do not think that means what you think it means.

You mean, you'll put down your rock and I'll put down my sword, and we'll try and kill each other like civilized people?

[selleri]

Originally Posted by Big D KC

My guess would be it has to do with the need/desire to build an even cake all the way to the heal of a pipe to protect it from burnout,

No burnouts in the bottom if you are not smoking all the way there, cake or not

Pipe that's not smoked all the way gets sour easier, that's the reason I'm usually trying to smoke all the way. But if the taste gets foul, I'm throwing the rest of the bowl away in blink of an eye.

[emh]

" What's the secret to smoking to the bottom"


Theres an off colored joke here somewhere!

[Hermit]

A new pipe should be smoked to the bitter end.
Once it is broken in, feel free to dump it when
it no longer tastes good.

[atlacatl]

I still haven't figured out how to smoke until the bottom of the bowl cause it never stays dry for me. I too dump the tobac about 3/4 of the way. I don't like the taste at the bottom and by that time its all wet anyways.

[andrew]

I had a really bad case today, when I was smoking my penzance. Everything was going fine when about 1/2 way through I noticed that the draw was getting tighter and tighter. Eventually it got to where I could hardly draw at all. I wasnt tamping so I figured it must have been cause of the moisture. I dumped the tobacco and noticed that it was extremely moist. Now, I thought I'd let it dry out long enough but apparently not. I'm going to need to watch it next time.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by andrew

I had a really bad case today, when I was smoking my penzance. Everything was going fine when about 1/2 way through I noticed that the draw was getting tighter and tighter. Eventually it got to where I could hardly draw at all. I wasnt tamping so I figured it must have been cause of the moisture. I dumped the tobacco and noticed that it was extremely moist. Now, I thought I'd let it dry out long enough but apparently not. I'm going to need to watch it next time.

Pez expands quite a bit during a smoke and can plug a pipe 100% if the fill was a bit to snug. Pez is, for me, a standout smoke in the bottom 1/3 of the bowl - one I really like taking to the end.

[Bent Stem]

I have my best success with the tamp/stir/re-pack method mentioned earlier. Not sure if this is the "right way" but it works for me.

[imperial Stout]

Originally Posted by Hermit

A new pipe should be smoked to the bitter end.
Once it is broken in, feel free to dump it when
it no longer tastes good.

Originally Posted by selleri

No burnouts in the bottom if you are not smoking all the way there, cake or not

Pipe that's not smoked all the way gets sour easier, that's the reason I'm usually trying to smoke all the way. But if the taste gets foul, I'm throwing the rest of the bowl away in blink of an eye.

...I need to start smoking half bowls to make sure I get to the bottom - better late than never I suppose.

[Piper]

Update on my original post: tried Mad Hatter's advice of raking the tobacco towards the airhole and lighting the other side -- and it worked. Stirring the embers though resulted in a mouthful of ash. I'll keep working on it. Maybe I stirred too vigorously.

[Piper]

Trying to do further research on techniques for smoking to the bottom of the bowl I read that the Frank Method for filling a pipe makes it easy and enjoyable to do. I tried the Frank Method a few times but abandoned it after scorching a couple of pipes with the torch lighter he recommends. "Frankly," I can't see why a soft-flame lighter or wooden match wouldn't work almost as well as a torch without the danger of damaging your pipe.

Do others find the Frank Method works using a soft flame and does it allow you to smoke to the bottom of the bowl?