Ask a Pipe Guy

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by MrTamborineMan

...I keep reading about you guys well...doing stuff to the tobacco...

Nothing of an overt sexual nature if that's what you mean.

What they said, above. Get a Missouri Meerschaum cob and start smoking some Carter Hall or Prince Albert in it. Learn how to fill the pipe correctly (very slight resistance when loaded) and how/when to tamp it down gently and swab with a pipe cleaner. A cob and some burley (Carter Hall, etc.) is a classic combo, not some low-rent kiddie deal, BTW.

After ribbon cuts (which are easiest to fill, tamp and keep burning - Carter Hall, for instance) there follows a world of great stuff, some of which needs rubbing, crumbling, etc. For me, none of that stuff in those jars that smells like cookies and peaches and stuff is to my taste but you might want to experiment with it (an ounce at a time) if you like the cob/burley.

[MrTamborineMan]

alrighty a few things.

First and foremost the newer posts are still on the first page with the oldest ones on the last page, what's the deal with that?

Secondly I made some mistakes, which I tend to do a lot rushing into things, it's a bit of a habit.

mistake 1) not getting a cob, but getting a pretty cheap briar? is that what you called them? anyhow, it seems fine, but still.

Mistakes 2 and 3) being a complete idot and not getting a tool or a pipe cleaner, how are you supposed to clean a pipe without a pipe cleaner!??!?!?! I'm stuipid.

Mistake 4) Well not really a mistake, I picked two tobaccos that seemed like popular choices, smoked them both (the guy wasn't there today but a woman was and she was also very knowledgeable/experienced, and helped a lot). I really like one, don't like the other so much, no big deal, she gave me one for free so I'll just imagine I got the one I didn't like for free.

O, I would've read these responses but couldn't get on the forum earlier today, not really sure why.

[David M]

TamborineMan

Each tin I open gets one of these inside.

By DMDM
Your B&M should have 'em.
Humi Puck. Very small. About the size of a quarter.
Its clay wrapped in tin with holes in it.

Shove them into a glass filled with distilled water, let them sit in there for at least a half hour so they soak up with water. Throw them in the tin.
Repeat every few weeks or so.
Thats what each tobacco jar in my B&M has in it.

Make sure to find the proper dryness for your baccy. Too much moisture can lead to tongue bite and a hot smoke. No moisture at all will be a nasty hot as heck smoke and also bitey.
You gotta find what you like best. The proper balance can get rid of 80% of the bite I found. I toast my baccy for 20 seconds in the Oven Toaster before I smoke.

There is so much tobacco out there. Try as much as you can. All the different kinds. Virginia's, Latakia's, Burley's, Cavendish and all the ones mixed up with all of them. There is so much out there. You will eventually find many that you will take to bed with you and you will cuddle up to them at night.

[Alpedhuez55]

I read that the little tin humipucks have been discontinued and may start to get harder to find. But a lot of B&Ms will have still them. So if ytou see them, it might not be a bad idea to pick a few up since all that will be availble may be the little plastic ones.

I like them for containers of tobaccos like my big bail top jars of my favorite daily smoke bulk tobaccos which I am in and out of. I would be careful with small tins. I usually find that open tins are too moist to begin with and need a few days to even weeks to dry out and most 2 oz tins will be gone before the dry out too much, though that can change in the winter when the house is dryer.

[David M]

Originally Posted by Alpedhuez55

I read that the little tin humipucks have been discontinued and may start to get harder to find. But a lot of B&Ms will have still them. So if ytou see them, it might not be a bad idea to pick a few up since all that will be availble may be the little plastic ones.

I like them for containers of tobaccos like my big bail top jars of my favorite daily smoke bulk tobaccos which I am in and out of. I would be careful with small tins. I usually find that open tins are too moist to begin with and need a few days to even weeks to dry out and most 2 oz tins will be gone before the dry out too much, though that can change in the winter when the house is dryer.

Interesting on them being discontinued. I already have about 20. I think I may just get 20 more.

They seem pretty handy. Some guys at my B&M say they have had some for close to a decade. Some type of clay like residue or what not seems to develop on the outside of them after many many moons pass (9 years).

Good point on the 2oz tins. If its all gonna be smoked in a pretty quick time-frame, likely not needed.

[Alpedhuez55]

Originally Posted by David M

Good point on the 2oz tins. If its all gonna be smoked in a pretty quick time-frame, likely not needed.

Just makes no sense to me to add moisture to tobacco and then toast it. It is like cooking a steak and letting it cool to room temperature so you can microwave it. Plus toasting can change the flavor, which I guess could be good sometimes, but would not work with many blends. Drying it out would be best done at a lower temp gradually. Plus too much moisture can lead to mold.

Tins are a little different from manufacturer to manufacturer. I found a half empty 4 oz tin of 2006 Christmas Cheer that I had cracked open two years ago and had mistakenly cellared. When I reopened it, I still needed to let it sit for a bit to dry out. With C&D/GLP tins, I try to open them a week in advance since they always need to dry out a bit and even in the dry winter, tend to remain smokeable for over a month. And round tins like CAO and Dunhill, to me tend to dry slower than square ones like Penzance and Sam Gawith.

For me the only time I would use the pucks in any tin is when a tin is forgotten for a few months and has dried out. Then i would drop one in to try to let the tobacco gain the moisture gradually. Or with bulk tobaccos that I store in a quart sized bailtop or mason jars that are opened often.

[thewileyman]

Okay, noob question:

I just recently discovered (via this board) that it's not recommended to smoke aromatics and non-aromatics in the same pipe, and that it may even be a good idea to dedicate a different pipe to different types of non-aromatics. Only thing is, I'm not sure which types play well together and which don't.

I dedicated my most recent pipe to non-aromatics, and so far I've only smoked Frog Morton on the Town in it. I'm hankering to try some Westminster that I bought at the same time. Will it be a problem to use the same pipe for both blends?

[RJpuffs]

Originally Posted by thewileyman

Okay, noob question:

I just recently discovered (via this board) that it's not recommended to smoke aromatics and non-aromatics in the same pipe, and that it may even be a good idea to dedicate a different pipe to different types of non-aromatics. Only thing is, I'm not sure which types play well together and which don't.

I dedicated my most recent pipe to non-aromatics, and so far I've only smoked Frog Morton on the Town in it. I'm hankering to try some Westminster that I bought at the same time. Will it be a problem to use the same pipe for both blends?

At the very least - keep Latakia (Froggies) in a dedicated pipe. It reeks.

Aromatics too impart their aroma upon the pipe, generally a dedicated aero pipe is recommended.

Perique too can leave a mark behind. Dedication is recommended. For some "superb" VaPers, I prefer uber-dedicated pipes (i.e. for a specific blend ONLY) such as the out-of-this-world (and out of stock) Escudo.

Straight Virginias are usually subtle, so a VA dedicate pipe allows one to savor their delicate flavors and aromas.

The more pipes, the better

[dmkerr]

Originally Posted by thewileyman

I dedicated my most recent pipe to non-aromatics, and so far I've only smoked Frog Morton on the Town in it. I'm hankering to try some Westminster that I bought at the same time. Will it be a problem to use the same pipe for both blends?

It won't be a problem for the Westminster perhaps but it'll definitely be a problem for the Frog, in my opinion. FMOTT is a light balkan blend and is very subtle. Those subtleties will be lost in pipe that also burns a heavy latakia blend. FMOTT has a very creamy taste rather than smoky and despite that fact that it contains some latakia, it's a lighter tasting mixture even though it has some oriental spice. I personally would not smoke those two blends in the same pipe, but then again I'm perhaps overly anal about these kinds of things.

[thewileyman]

Originally Posted by dmkerr

It won't be a problem for the Westminster perhaps but it'll definitely be a problem for the Frog, in my opinion. FMOTT is a light balkan blend and is very subtle. Those subtleties will be lost in pipe that also burns a heavy latakia blend. FMOTT has a very creamy taste rather than smoky and despite that fact that it contains some latakia, it's a lighter tasting mixture even though it has some oriental spice. I personally would not smoke those two blends in the same pipe, but then again I'm perhaps overly anal about these kinds of things.

Ah, that's helpful. Given my very limited experience with pipe tobacco, I wasn't sure if FMOTT fit into the Latakia category or not. I reckon I'll try the Westminster in a cob for now.

Thanks!

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by dmkerr

...despite that fact that it contains some latakia, it's a lighter tasting mixture even though it has some oriental spice. I personally would not smoke those two blends in the same pipe, but then again I'm perhaps overly anal about these kinds of things.

What he said.

Or, in fewer words:

"Canaries pinned under cinder blocks don't sing."

Or, in 17 syllables:

Wood pipe tobak stink
Yes! I brought it on myself
Meers for Lats and VA

Public service announcement 090716MrMoo-1

[Hot Stuff x]

You pipe puffers are some strange doods...

[Hot Stuff x]

Quick question for the pipe guy(s).

I am storing my tobak in sealed ziplocks, inside a spanish cedar cigar box. Any problem with that? I see a lot of people using mason jars for bulk tobacco.

[DSturg369]

Originally Posted by Hot Stuff x

Quick question for the pipe guy(s).

I am storing my tobak in sealed ziplocks, inside a spanish cedar cigar box. Any problem with that? I see a lot of people using mason jars for bulk tobacco.

Ziplocks are fine for short term storage, say a week or 2, but they do allow some moisture and aroma loss. Just smell one to see what I mean. And storing in your above described box will, and probably already has, ruined the box (especially the Spanish Cedar) from ever being used to store cigars as the cedar will absorb the aroma and impart it into anything else you may ever store in it. Even different blends of pipe tobaccos will cross aromas.

The main reason for most people (including myself) using jars for storage is that glass will never absorb or release a tobacco essence and is 100% moisture release proof.

[dmkerr]

Originally Posted by DSturg369

Ziplocks are fine for short term storage, say a week or 2, but they do allow some moisture and aroma loss. Just smell one to see what I mean. And storing in your above described box will, and probably already has, ruined the box (especially the Spanish Cedar) from ever being used to store cigars as the cedar will absorb the aroma and impart it into anything else you may ever store in it. Even different blends of pipe tobaccos will cross aromas.

The main reason for most people (including myself) using jars for storage is that glass will never absorb or release a tobacco essence and is 100% moisture release proof.

What he said. And also your pipe tobacco has probably absorbed some of the cedar scent as well as the cedar absorbing the 'baccy.