Rigid Black Char Forcing Harder Tamping Pressure?

[AtlasAirborne]

One consistent take I've seen on tamping is "only compress the ash, only using the weight of the tamper".

I've been finding that often, when my pipe refuses to take/keep a light and I think the bowl is done, I won't have a buildup of ash, as much as 20-30% void, a mottled ash cap at the top, then half a bowl of stiff black charred leaf and 20-30% untouched leaf at the bottom (which may or may not be moist, but in this case was crispy-dry).

I packed a second bowl today and instead tried a pre-relight tamps where I applied just enough pressure to fully crush any char but not compress the remaining tobacco, and found that not only were relights trivially easy, but the bowl smoked all the way to the bottom and the remainder was almost all ash, apart from the bits that get stuck either side of the cob stem.

Here's a full album with some comments.

What gives? Is the presence of rigid char a failure to dry my tobacco enough? I aim for "just audibly crispy". Tobacco is Sutliff Match 759. I came across this post suggesting it could result from exhaling moisture through the bowl, but that seems unavoidable if you're breath-smoking so I don't know what to make of that.

 

[woodsroad]

You are way over thinking this. Relax, enjoying a pipe is not about rules and efficiency.

The annular cling-ons that you speak of are why there is a tiny shovel on your pipe tool. Loosen it up, tamp it down a bit, keep enjoying!

 

[blackpowderpiper]

I agree with @woodsroad. Try to not overthink things. Pipe smoking is meant to be relaxing. I think starting off we are all prone to overthinking. Tamping pressure and frequency will totally depend on the cut of the tobacco, moisture level, how tight the initial pack was, environmental conditions, puffing rate, the pipe being smoked, etc.

The main thing with tamping is to regulate the draw pressure and to keep the tobacco burning nicely, and to NOT over tamp. I think with time you'll become like most of us, just light up and carry on. Sometimes I burn tobacco all the way to ash, most of the time I don't. It's definitely not something I focus on. Good luck and keep on puffing.

 

[woodsroad]

I'll add emphasis to two of @blackpowderpiper points:

1. We were all prone to overthinking when we started.
2. You'll stop thinking about it all after a while.

And

• (c) This should be relaxing.

You'll have down like driving soon. Except that, unlike driving, nobody gets killed if it doesn't work out just right.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I'm going to be the voice of reason here, despite what these others say. I think that you should worry more. Too much laid back, don't give a crap going on these days.
I have a theory, they add stuff to the tobaccos that will keep you from enjoying yourself. But, what exactly is being added depends on the company. Used to, SG company would just drench their tobaccos with water, and that was the good ol' days. Now, since the merger, I am pretty sure that they add asbestos. They are sick and tired of us just buying their product only to burn it.
Sutliff adds chemicals, probably the same ones that the government sprays us with in chem trails.
Danish companies, which don't even make a good raspberry Danish, are trying to convince us that the world is round... I don't know what that has to do with this thread, but I see some ties to the lizard people going on with them.
Tamp more, harder. Really push that tamper down. And, you don't blow back through the stem, let your body just absorb all of that smoke and carbon dioxide. All anyone really needs to do is inhale. Exhaling is just a myth, people get addicted to it at an early age, and find it very hard to stop. But, I like to practice only inhaling at the bottom of the swimming pool. Try it.

Also, use more flame when lighting your pipe. Maybe oxy/propane. It's not called a charring light, unless you lose an eyebrow or two.

Also... Bigfoot. Why do we see so many references to bigfoot in pipe smoking. Sasquatch, bigfoot, yettis. Why? This is stuff that bothers me at night before I go to sleep. The key to a great smoke is figuring out why all of the bigfoot references in pipesmoking. It is tied somehow to the dottle. But, don't just Google it. Google is just stuff that "they" want to you read. For real research, you need to learn the key to proper research. Just one word... Reddit.

I hope this helps.

 

[seanv]

The annular cling-ons that you speak of are why there is a tiny shovel on your pipe tool. Loosen it up, tamp it down a bit, keep enjoying!

This is probably the best advice you'll receive.

 

[AJL67]

The point is not just to tamp it's to gently push things around, down from the walls to the ember etc., smoking a pipe is one time i try not to over think the world, it's a little holder of burning tobacco that i puff on, that's really all it is, it's a mini fire pit that adjust the coals as you go. When i started i bought one of those tobacco journals and i was going to write down what i smoked and tasting notes and all of that, lasted about a day and a half until i figured out smoking a pipe isn't work it should be the opposite.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Years ago the Czech tool packaging labeled the tools as pipe tamper, cigar pick, and snuff spoon.

 

[ThermionicScott]

What gives?

If you're currently just tamping straight down, try angling your tamper a little and making little scraping motions, to create a pile of ash in the center and expose fresh tobacco around the edge. That should help with the relights.

 

[ThermionicScott]

Years ago the Czech tool packaging labeled the tools as pipe tamper, cigar pick, and snuff spoon.

The value per dollar is off the charts with those things.

 

[AtlasAirborne]

Maybe I've given a wrong impression. When I'm posted up in the garden smoking a pipe, it's perfectly relaxing. Occasionally, I'll notice things and get curious about them. Then, when I'm not smoking a pipe, I get excited to think, read or chat about them. That's not anxiety.

After some time the minutiae will no doubt become as tiresome to me as they are for y'all, but in the meantime it's appealing to bounce them back and forth with anyone who knows what might be going and is happy to chat about it.

One wonders why anyone who isn't interested in earnest questions driven by curiosity would be spending much time commenting in

Pipe Smoking Basics & Beginner Questions ​

There’s no such thing as a dumb question. This is the friendliest and most pleasant pipe forum in the world. Ask away!

After all, answers to all the less-involved questions are just a quick search away.

 

[bpinkstaff]

I'm going to be the voice of reason here, despite what these others say. I think that you should worry more. Too much laid back, don't give a crap going on these days.
I have a theory, they add stuff to the tobaccos that will keep you from enjoying yourself. But, what exactly is being added depends on the company. Used to, SG company would just drench their tobaccos with water, and that was the good ol' days. Now, since the merger, I am pretty sure that they add asbestos. They are sick and tired of us just buying their product only to burn it.
Sutliff adds chemicals, probably the same ones that the government sprays us with in chem trails.
Danish companies, which don't even make a good raspberry Danish, are trying to convince us that the world is round... I don't know what that has to do with this thread, but I see some ties to the lizard people going on with them.
Tamp more, harder. Really push that tamper down. And, you don't blow back through the stem, let your body just absorb all of that smoke and carbon dioxide. All anyone really needs to do is inhale. Exhaling is just a myth, people get addicted to it at an early age, and find it very hard to stop. But, I like to practice only inhaling at the bottom of the swimming pool. Try it.

Also, use more flame when lighting your pipe. Maybe oxy/propane. It's not called a charring light, unless you lose an eyebrow or two.

Also... Bigfoot. Why do we see so many references to bigfoot in pipe smoking. Sasquatch, bigfoot, yettis. Why? This is stuff that bothers me at night before I go to sleep. The key to a great smoke is figuring out why all of the bigfoot references in pipesmoking. It is tied somehow to the dottle. But, don't just Google it. Google is just stuff that "they" want to you read. For real research, you need to learn the key to proper research. Just one word... Reddit.

I hope this helps.

Big foot! Sounds like the wrong product in pipe! LOL. That was a fun read!

 

[ThermionicScott]

Maybe I've given a wrong impression.

Don't mind @cosmicfolklore. I think he's got a touch of the spring fever right now. Or he's just "touched."

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Maybe I've given a wrong impression. When I'm posted up in the garden smoking a pipe, it's perfectly relaxing. Occasionally, I'll notice things and get curious about them. Then, when I'm not smoking a pipe, I get excited to think, read or chat about them. That's not anxiety.

After some time the minutiae will no doubt become as tiresome to me as they are for y'all, but in the meantime it's appealing to bounce them back and forth with anyone who knows what might be going and is happy to chat about it.

One wonders why anyone who isn't interested in earnest questions driven by curiosity would be spending much time commenting in

Pipe Smoking Basics & Beginner Questions ​

There’s no such thing as a dumb question. This is the friendliest and most pleasant pipe forum in the world. Ask away!

After all, answers to all the less-involved questions are just a quick search away.

I'm just trying to add some levity to your thread. I tried to make it so that no one would ever read it as serious, because sometimes... you know... dumb people.

I love discussing things like how larger pipes smoke cooler, but them 90% of the comments are all "stop overthinking it." Where is the fun in that.
Having some tobacco left at the end of the smoke is just a part of the nature of the game though. I mean, I don't ever have dottle left over, because I will smoke my pipes till I taste ash, but most here never get that, nor is it safe to keep relighting to try. You will smoke every last thread of tobacco when you just relax and learn to smoke without worry, grasshopper. But, relighting the last little bit of dottle leads to potential in scorching or burning out the small section of wood between the draft and chamber.
I hate to say it, but THIS is one of them "stop overthinking moment." dammit!!!

 

[kcghost]

As the song said "Be Happy, Don't Worry".

 

[mingc]

I'm going to be the voice of reason here, despite what these others say. I think that you should worry more. Too much laid back, don't give a crap going on these days.
I have a theory, they add stuff to the tobaccos that will keep you from enjoying yourself. But, what exactly is being added depends on the company. Used to, SG company would just drench their tobaccos with water, and that was the good ol' days. Now, since the merger, I am pretty sure that they add asbestos. They are sick and tired of us just buying their product only to burn it.
Sutliff adds chemicals, probably the same ones that the government sprays us with in chem trails.
Danish companies, which don't even make a good raspberry Danish, are trying to convince us that the world is round... I don't know what that has to do with this thread, but I see some ties to the lizard people going on with them.
Tamp more, harder. Really push that tamper down. And, you don't blow back through the stem, let your body just absorb all of that smoke and carbon dioxide. All anyone really needs to do is inhale. Exhaling is just a myth, people get addicted to it at an early age, and find it very hard to stop. But, I like to practice only inhaling at the bottom of the swimming pool. Try it.

Also, use more flame when lighting your pipe. Maybe oxy/propane. It's not called a charring light, unless you lose an eyebrow or two.

Also... Bigfoot. Why do we see so many references to bigfoot in pipe smoking. Sasquatch, bigfoot, yettis. Why? This is stuff that bothers me at night before I go to sleep. The key to a great smoke is figuring out why all of the bigfoot references in pipesmoking. It is tied somehow to the dottle. But, don't just Google it. Google is just stuff that "they" want to you read. For real research, you need to learn the key to proper research. Just one word... Reddit.

I hope this helps.

Are you OK?

 

[AJL67]

One wonders why anyone who isn't interested in earnest questions driven by curiosity would be spending much time commenting

YAH @cosmicfolklore !!!!

 

[cosmicfolklore]

YAH @cosmicfolklore !!!!

 

[Hillcrest]

'You gotta wipe your ash' ...

Redd Foxx

 

[jpmcwjr]

Awww, you do get respect.....