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Gavrin

Starting to Get Obsessed
Nov 1, 2021
130
207
Idaho
Having looked on the internet to a question I have, I want to hear from those here that are “learned veterans” ie experienced and have solid information based on that experience. What is meant by saying “smoking your pipe hot”? Are you talking about how warm the outside of the bowl gets? Are you talking about how hot the tobacco smoke you take in is? I also understand some types of tobacco can get a pipe hot when a) a pipe has thinner bowl b) a particular tobacco has a tendency to smoke hot etc. I would like to understand what is meant when someone talks about (and I usually see a "don't" in front of: “smoking a pipe hot”. Thanks in advance.
 

lraisch

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 4, 2011
638
1,257
Granite Falls, Washington state
"Too hot" could mean either the bowl is hot to the touch or the smoke stream is hot.

A bowl with thinner walls will likely feel hotter and tobacco which is too wet, too dry, packed incorrectly or puffed too hard will generate more heat.

Tobacco which is too dry will burn too rapidly and tend to give less flavor. Too wet, and steam will result which is considerably hotter than just tobacco smoke.
 

The Clay King

(Formerly HalfDan)
Oct 2, 2018
5,871
53,626
41
Chesterfield, UK
www.youtube.com
If you get yourself a clay pipe it will teach you just how much you can slow down in order to keep a pipe wall cool...applying the same cadence back to a briar/cob/meer makes for a nice smoke, the opposite of a 'hot pipe'.
@mortonbriar When I got my first clay pipe I thought it might go out; that's the reason for puffing like a steam train in my videos!
But on a still day I was surprised how long I can make a tightly packed clay pipe last. My best time is 45min; I usually get around 15min or less...
 

telescopes

Pipe Dreamer and Star Gazer
Smoking a pipe too hot means the tobacco is receiving too much air and burning too quickly- the result being the actual heat in the chamber is too high. Regulate the air supply by slowing down how often and how strong you puff the pipe. A hot pipe can burn the actual briar and that is a bad thing. You may either burnout the pipe or start burning the inside of the chamber creating an uneven chamber. The flavors of the tobacco will also be negatively impacted as well. As others have said, drying out your tobacco right before you put it in the chamber can improve both the tobacco staying lit without the need to puff so hard as well as improving the flavor of the tobacco by making it more pronounced. Also, stay away from strong drafts. I have found that a high pressured wind can overheat a pipe as well.
 
@mortonbriar When I got my first clay pipe I thought it might go out; that's the reason for puffing like a steam train in my videos!
But on a still day I was surprised how long I can make a tightly packed clay pipe last. My best time is 45min; I usually get around 15min or less...
I think that clay pipes are a great idea for beginners. If you can get to where you smoke a clay pipe slow enough, you'll definitely be able to slow down enough to enjoy a briar.
I definitely do not enjoy smoking fast.
 

Sgetz

Lifer
May 21, 2020
1,382
1,867
74
UK
It's also important to remember that if it gets too hot either to touch or the smoke : stop! Rest till it's cool. Then restart.

Also if tobacco is too wet there will be more steam In the smoke. It may not be hotter but the heat transfer from steam is Huge compared to dry smoke. It will burn you
 

sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
19,892
45,742
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
Smoking a pipe “hot” is simply exactly what it sounds like. The pipe is getting hot to the touch while being smoked.

99.999999999 % of the time that’s caused by operator error.

Occasionally it’s the result of smokers who are addicted to producing great clouds of smoke and who puff like freight trains, destroying their pipes. That’s their style and they’re sticking with it.
 

JOHN72

Lifer
Sep 12, 2020
5,247
52,611
51
Spain - Europe
Smoking a pipe “hot” is simply exactly what it sounds like. The pipe is getting hot to the touch while being smoked.

99.999999999 % of the time that’s caused by operator error.

Occasionally it’s the result of smokers who are addicted to producing great clouds of smoke and who puff like freight trains, destroying their pipes. That’s their style and they’re sticking with it.
Same.
 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,470
The above posts answer the question. Usually, a hot pipe is caused by a person who puffs assiduously and heats up the ember to fireplace heat producing clouds of smoke, in clearly bad technique. Thin bowl walls sometimes cause heat to the touch in some pipes even when smoked very gently, but I have noticed than some thin-walled pipes, like the Kaywoodie Saxon, hardly get warm when smoked properly. Clay pipes confuse the issue a little because even when smoked with the gentlest sipping, the bowl usually heats up too hot to hold, so clay pipes are handled by the shank/stem; you just don't hold the bowl. Cadence matters. Don't even sip too often, just enough to keep the ember going, to get the best flavor out of any blend.
 
May 2, 2018
3,908
30,071
Bucks County, PA
We’ve all thought some questions were dumb, and it prohibited us from asking…this is a mistake. Sometimes it’s best to throw yourself at the mercy of the court & get it over with…that’s what I did. ?‍♂️

When I started, my first 6 months of smoking was almost assuredly ?. I did everything wrong. Occasionally, I’d get a good smoking experience, but I’m sure that it was the gift of Providence.

Just when I was thinking about giving it up…I began seeking advice & listening to folks that were decades more experienced than I was. Those “masters”were, and still are so very generous with their advice And,I’m so very grateful to those that have helped me learn & most importantly enjoy.

Smoking a pipe gives me such joy & rounds out my days. I wear it with pride, that with the help of all of you, especially during these tough/interesting times…I am a pipe smoker & ? lover.

God bless you all & this forum. ?☕
 

sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
19,892
45,742
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
@cosmicfolklore Same here, I only smoked too fast because I thought it might go out:)
So what if your pipe goes out? Are the piping Nazi's going to come and confiscate your pipes and tobaccos and inter you? Will groups of women look at you with amused scorn and whisper unflattering remarks about your manhood to each other?
If your pipe goes out, relight the thing. Simple. Some blends do not burn as readily as others and require a relight or two.
People have their theories on how to best smoke a pipe. I know what works best for me through years of trial and error. That may not work best for someone else.
 
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JOHN72

Lifer
Sep 12, 2020
5,247
52,611
51
Spain - Europe
So what if your pipe goes out? Are the piping Nazi's going to come and confiscate your pipes and tobaccos and inter you? Will groups of women look at you with amused scorn and whisper unflattering remarks about your manhood to each other?
If your pipe goes out, relight the thing. Simple. Some blends do not burn as readily as others and require a relight or two.
People have their theories on how to best smoke a pipe. I know what works best for me through years of trial and error. That may not work best for someone else.
Sable, I don't understand the message. Are you sure it was addressed to me? ?
 
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