Cake, Water Cleaning and a Mistake

[sablebrush52]

I procrastinated for a year before, in one of those "Oh fuck it" moments, grabbing an expensive pipe that wasn't performing that well and subjecting it to a warm water flush. Worked like a charm. That pipe livened up quite a bit. I find that pipes treated this way just smoker "fresher".
I start by scrubbing out the airway with bristle brushes to remove as much crap as I can before turning on the tap. Next I disassemble the pipe. I set the warm water to run at a trickle, such that it fills to the rim of the bowl while pouring out the end of the shank. I let it run for a minute or so then wipe the chamber walls with a wad or two of paper toweling, followed by more scrubbing of the airway with bristle brushes and a clean out of the mortise with a fluffy or two that I've doubled over a couple of times to make a block.
Warm water doesn't play well with the old vulcanite stems that my old Britwood has. Both Sasieni and Charatan did not use the best quality vulcanite and warm water can bring out the sulfur content or make the vulcanite go gray, I use alcohol to clean out vulcanite stems and use water with unscented dish washing gel to clean out acrylic stems.
I leave everything to dry out for about 30 minutes before reassembling. With some pipes I need to wait longer, like an hour or so before reassembling. I have yet to experience any issue with the mortise/tenon fit.
I may refresh the finish with some Halcyon or Paragon wax.

 

[PipeIT]

Baby product are great for repurposing. Micro bottle brushes clean airways and mortises better than bristle pipe cleaners, and lanolin is great for cork rings in a gourd calabash. I always have the wipes on hand for estate cleanups.

I’m starting to realize now, once a cake thickness has been achieved, wipe the chamber out right after smoking to hopefully remove excess buildup, so there is never a need for a reamer in the future... ?

 

[Chasing Embers]

I’m starting to realize now, once a cake thickness has been achieved, wipe the chamber out right after smoking to hopefully remove excess buildup, so there is never a need for a reamer in the future... ?

You got it.? This one's been with me since '92 and has never needed reaming nor oxidation removed.

 

[logs]

. Oh, want to hear another mistake? I washed my stems with warm water as well. My acrylic stems are as good as new, but apparently vulcanite doesn't love warm water.

So my question to the ones that use water cleaning method; do I need to wash my pipe again after smoking it? Do you just run warm water through the pipe for a few seconds and not touch the bowl?

I wouldn't worry about removing all the cake. I do it all the time... don't worry it will grow back
You're right however about vulcanite, the warm water will discolor it.

 

[PipeIT]

You got it.? This one's been with me since '92 and has never needed reaming nor oxidation removed.

View attachment 56104

Honey, please check the Baby Wipe prices on Amazon, while I’m here on the forum typing... LOL

Oooh thanks Honey, natural ones too from Seventh Generation! ?

https://www.amazon.com/Seventh-Generation-Baby-Wipes-Count/dp/B00D5397S0/ref=asc_df_B00D5397S0/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=475771803560&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=18399344652545955405&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=t&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9032772&hvtargid=pla-845957522091&psc=1

 

[jpmcwjr]

jv- Your bowl will be hotter as you've removed some serious cake which provides some insulation. I keep my cake thin, and it has no ash in it.

Water on vulcanite will display what oxidation is already there, but a quick wipe with a half drop of mineral oil and it'll be back to where it was, perhaps a touch better.

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

On meers and cobs I use unscented baby wipes in the chamber to remove all buildup, but never a briar.

Why no wipes on briar? Do the wipes leave a ghost?

 

[PipeIT]

Why no wipes on briar? Do the wipes leave a ghost?

@chasingembers

I’m lost, I thought when you showed the pic of the pipe, that was a Briar you mentioned you had since 92, I thought you were wiping the chamber with baby wipes?

 

[Chasing Embers]

Why no wipes on briar? Do the wipes leave a ghost?

No need, they'll remove carbon.

 

[Chasing Embers]

@chasingembers

I’m lost, I thought when you showed the pic of the pipe, that was a Briar you mentioned you had since 92, I thought you were wiping the chamber with baby wipes?

I only wipe the chambers of meers and cobs with baby wipes as they need no carbon layer. I use dry paper towels on briars.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Water on vulcanite will display what oxidation is already there

Hot water will oxidize it though.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Hot water will oxidize it though.

In my experience, very hot water doesn't oxidize vulcanite. It merely exposes what is there. I've repeated this several hundred times.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I’m not understanding the reasoning for running water through a pipe?

I assume, you have a layer of cake that you want to maintain, so always stay on top of it, never letting it get to thick, and ream it down when needed.

Anything else, just run a cleaner through the steam and shank.

Now you have a clean pipe, what am I missing here?

To me, water and wood don’t equal a good combination, so I would never feel comfortable running water through an expensive pipe.

Hmm ?

Reasoning is it works and does so for many members here. What you're missing is the best method I've found for cleaning a smoking pipe. I believe it was @jpmcwjr who I first read post about it here a couple of years ago. I proceeded cautiously but it wasn't long I was doing it with every pipe. After nearly two years of cleaning this way, I wouldn't consider going back.

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

Water Flush 2020!

 

[Ebarber]

You got it.? This one's been with me since '92 and has never needed reaming nor oxidation removed.

View attachment 56104

Wow that is a beautiful pipe!

 

[captainsousie]

I'm one of those evil doubters who does not endorse the water method. After my last experience of being pilloried for saying it might not be a good idea, I tried it on a few pipes I didn't plan on keeping and had bad results like the pipe having worse flavor and smoking hotter. However we all know that the water method is perfect and people like me who don't like it are evil ********s. So, ignore that you or I might not have good results with it as we are terrible people and most likely eat kittens for breakfast, toasted with some baby seal blubber.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I'm one of those evil doubters who does not endorse the water method. After my last experience of being pilloried for saying it might not be a good idea, I tried it on a few pipes I didn't plan on keeping and had bad results like the pipe having worse flavor and smoking hotter. However we all know that the water method is perfect and people like me who don't like it are evil ********s. So, ignore that you or I might not have good results with it as we are terrible people and most likely eat kittens for breakfast, toasted with some baby seal blubber.

I'm not sure why you're post that. I can't speak for everyone but I could care less how you choose to clean your puppies. I don't care if you're vehemently against it. Your pipes, your choice.

 

[captainsousie]

I'm not sure why you're post that. I can't speak for everyone but I could care less how you choose to clean your puppies. I don't care if you're vehemently against it. Your pipes, your choice.

Because of the absolutely stupid responses I got to saying I was a doubter. That's why. It causes me to add the addendum that I am a terrible person for not liking it. If not I'll probably get more of the like. As long as I make sure everyone knows I am a terrible person for not liking the water method, I'll hopefully get fewer nasty responses.

 

[karam]

Here comes my mistake, I started scraping the walls of the bowl until I reached the briar. You can't even imagine how much cake I removed from the bowl. All the time, I was thinking that I had a very thin layer of carbon deposits. I applied the same technique to all of my briar pipes, They are all clean and fresh as new right now.

So my question to the ones that use water cleaning method; do I need to wash my pipe again after smoking it? Do you just run warm water through the pipe for a few seconds and not touch the bowl?

Where's the mistake? I do the water cleaning every couple of weeks or so, with scalding hot water and an old toothbrush, really going at it until I can scrub without any black/brown water coming out.
Then I let the pipes air for a day or two before smoking, but that first smoke after a good wash is like caviar.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Because of the absolutely stupid responses I got to saying I was a doubter.

I remember those threads of being condemned as a squeamish luddite and seeing water cleaned pipes with oxidized stems. ?