The Root Cause of Tongue Bite

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PipeIT

Lifer
Nov 14, 2020
4,376
26,150
Hawaii
My understanding is people confuse ‘Burn’ & ‘Bite’ as the same thing, and the tobacco experts say they aren’t the same.

Moist tobacco, improper packing, fast smoking cadence, this is a Heat Burn, also the various casings/toppings might lead to this, for people that are sensitive.

A Tongue Bite, according to the tobacco experts I’ve read from, is a chemical reaction, due to the PH Balance of a blend.
 

didimauw

Moderator
Staff member
Jul 28, 2013
9,895
31,635
34
Burlington WI
Tongue bite is a queer thing for me. I've been smoking Sillem's Linea Era Antique which tastes like a better MacBaren: Mixture Scottish Blend to me. Smoking it right out of the tin hasn't burnt me like other aros would a bit moist. I still let most of my smokes dry for about half an hour before hand, but that one never leaves me with the ache.

Now, in comparison, I tried some Old Joe Krantz the other day, and it definitely got my mouth going. As others have stated, the ph of burely must not sit right in my mouth. I came off with an odd feeling that had me dumping the last third after enjoying the first two thirds.

I just chalk this down to myself not taking burley blends well chemically. And it was from a bulk bag i just set asside on a table for a month and a half. Not too crunchy, but definitely dry enough. Funny thing being the Sillem having some burley in it and not affecting me too much.
I get a lot of Burley from Old Joe Krantz. Maybe it's just too much for you. But like all my tobaccos, I don't smoke this untill it's dried atleast over night.
 
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Briar Lee

Lifer
Sep 4, 2021
4,765
13,789
Humansville Missouri
A cigarette or cigar will not cause tongue bite or mouth burn unless smoked in a holder.

And if you look at plastic or wood tipped cigars they’ll have large areas for a plastic tip where the smoke goes through or two large holes in a wood tip.

Look at the slot on a pipe bit.

It’s shallow.

Not far inside the stem, it narrows to a tiny hole the size of a pipe cleaner.

Now, if that wide slot continued aaalll the way to the chamber my bet is that such a pipe would be tongue friendly.
 
Dec 6, 2019
4,296
19,375
33
AL/GA
A cigarette or cigar will not cause tongue bite or mouth burn unless smoked in a holder.

And if you look at plastic or wood tipped cigars they’ll have large areas for a plastic tip where the smoke goes through or two large holes in a wood tip.

Look at the slot on a pipe bit.

It’s shallow.

Not far inside the stem, it narrows to a tiny hole the size of a pipe cleaner.

Now, if that wide slot continued aaalll the way to the chamber my bet is that such a pipe would be tongue friendly.

I've had a little bite from smoking a poorly made cigar with a tight draw.. and when I was a kid I got it from Black and Milds before I knew how to smoke them.

I've never thought of how this relates to the problem of pipe bite until now.. But it does.
 

Briar Lee

Lifer
Sep 4, 2021
4,765
13,789
Humansville Missouri
I've had a little bite from smoking a poorly made cigar with a tight draw.. and when I was a kid I got it from Black and Milds before I knew how to smoke them.

I've never thought of how this relates to the problem of pipe bite until now.. But it does.
I dug out a beautiful birds eye $40 Danish Dansk Club Naturel volcano I own with a 9mm filter. What a beauty!

5DAA8C73-6528-4D7A-8A2D-D7AB113D1CB0.jpeg3BAD58A2-4500-47BB-B1A6-B5DF5679A4E5.jpeg2D85238B-4F5A-49F4-A8FA-58170B36402C.jpeg

The slot in the bit goes way back up in this $40 Danish made pipe to about one inch before a 9mm activated charcoal filter.

I think it needs a good bowl full of Virginia No. 1, don’t you?

Should be easy on my tongue as anything I own.
 

PipeIT

Lifer
Nov 14, 2020
4,376
26,150
Hawaii
I dug out a beautiful birds eye $40 Danish Dansk Club Naturel volcano I own with a 9mm filter. What a beauty!

View attachment 161525View attachment 161526View attachment 161527

The slot in the bit goes way back up in this $40 Danish made pipe to about one inch before a 9mm activated charcoal filter.

I think it needs a good bowl full of Virginia No. 1, don’t you?

Should be easy on my tongue as anything I own.

You’re confusing the issue between a Tongue Burn and Tongue Bite, so which are you talking about?

Also please try to limit all the big story telling, and please stick to the Topic.

I’ve smoked many a cheap pipe, not even worth a few dollars, and never once experienced Burn or Bite.

The value of a pipe has nothing to do with Burn or Bite.

Burn is simply how one goes about smoking a blend, and the result of possibly burning their tongue.

A tongue bite is a chemical reaction to the PH Balance of tobacco, it’s not voodoo, or an opinion, it’s the science/ facts, of what causes the condition.

So again, people confuse Burn & Bite as the same, they’re not.

P.S. I also, out of respect to you, replied, and gave you information, from respected professionals on the subject matter, and you didn’t respond to that. Instead, you continue to rant on with stories, and that is not being respectful in a community. You really need to learn about Online Etiquette and how to respect a forum community like this, and knock off all the off topic story telling.
 
Last edited:

Val

Starting to Get Obsessed
Sep 18, 2019
141
331
I'm no expert, but in my experience I can load and smoke two different tobaccos the exact same way and one will bite me and one will not. So it's either certain tobacco's or my personal chemistry, or both. I never get bit from Burleys, and luckily those are my favorite so I'm okay.
Nice profile photo! Just noticed it’s Pierre Georgio Frassatti.
 

Briar Lee

Lifer
Sep 4, 2021
4,765
13,789
Humansville Missouri
You’re confusing the issue between a Tongue Burn and Tongue Bite, so which are you talking about?

Also please try to limit all the big story telling, and please stick to the Topic.

I’ve smoked many a cheap pipe, not even worth a few dollars, and never once experienced Burn or Bite.

The value of a pipe has nothing to do with Burn or Bite.

Burn is simply how one goes about smoking a blend, and the result of possibly burning their tongue.

A tongue bite is a chemical reaction to the PH Balance of tobacco, it’s not voodoo, or an opinion, it’s the science/ facts, of what causes the condition.

So again, people confuse Burn & Bite as the same, they’re not.

P.S. I also, out of respect to you, replied, and gave you information, from respected professionals on the subject matter, and you didn’t respond to that. Instead, you continue to rant on with stories, and that is not being respectful in a community. You really need to learn about Online Etiquette and how to respect a forum community like this, and knock off all the off topic story telling.
Sorry I offended you.

I meant no disrespect.

Tongue bite and mouth burn are different things.

I’ve read it’s steam (heat) and allergic reaction to tobacco, and alkalinity or acidity, or simply hot smoke.

My point is, only pipe smokers complain about it.

I think it’s mainly due to the concentrated stream of smoke going through a hole many, many times less in area than larger cigarettes and cigars.

Or else, they’d complain about it too.
 
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PipeIT

Lifer
Nov 14, 2020
4,376
26,150
Hawaii
Sorry I offended you.

I meant no disrespect.

Tongue bite and mouth burn are different things.

I’ve read it’s steam (heat) and allergic reaction to tobacco, and alkalinity or acidity, or simply hot smoke.

My point is, only pipe smokers complain about it.

I think it’s mainly due to the concentrated stream of smoke going through a hole many, many times less in area than larger cigarettes and cigars.

Or else, they’d complain about it too.

And what I was trying to do, is make the distinction between the two, Burn or Bite.

I’m still not sure if you are either not understanding the difference between the two, or you are simply asking about one or the other?

Burn = heat
Bite = PH chemical reaction

The problem is that a lot of people aren’t aware, or understanding the differences, like between smoking the pipe to hot, causing to much heat, and irritation this way, as in heat/burn.

When compared to smoking VAs, getting Tongue Bite, and then scratching their heads, thinking the same sort of problem is going on.
 
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Briar Lee

Lifer
Sep 4, 2021
4,765
13,789
Humansville Missouri
And what I was trying to do, is make the distinction between the two, Burn or Bite.

I’m still not sure if you are either not understanding the difference between the two, or you are simply asking about one or the other?

Burn = heat
Bite = PH chemical reaction

The problem is that a lot of people aren’t aware, or understanding the differences, like between smoking the pipe to hot, causing to much heat, and irritation this way, as in heat/burn.

When compared to smoking VAs, getting Tongue Bite, and then scratching their heads, thinking the same sort of problem is going on.
It’s been so long since I’ve had either tongue bite or mouth burn it’s hard for me to remember when it quit being a problem for me.

But in my case, sometimes I’d get my tongue bit, and if I kept smoking then my mouth would burn, too.

I’d smoke cigarettes a few days to heal up.

I remember brushing my teeth hurt my tongue and sometimes my entire mouth.

Whatever the scientific explanation it’s been the cause of lots of men trying a pipe and quitting in favor of cigarettes.

A lot of men smoked a lot of pipe for hundreds of years and lung cancer and COPD and other such lung diseases didn’t make medical journals until modern cigarettes.

Increasing acidity make deep inhalation easier and releases more nicotine.

If lowering acidity eliminated tongue bite and mouth burn thd tobacco merchants would have developed strains of tobacco that don’t hurt your mouth when a beginner smokes a pipe.

Maybe acid and alkaline balance is part of the equation, but it’s not a worry to a cigarette smoker.
 
Mar 13, 2020
2,752
26,763
missouri
Sorry I offended you.

I meant no disrespect.

Tongue bite and mouth burn are different things.

I’ve read it’s steam (heat) and allergic reaction to tobacco, and alkalinity or acidity, or simply hot smoke.

My point is, only pipe smokers complain about it.

I think it’s mainly due to the concentrated stream of smoke going through a hole many, many times less in area than larger cigarettes and cigars.

Or else, they’d complain about it too.
I enjoy your story telling. I mean it's your thread, tell what you like.
 

PipeIT

Lifer
Nov 14, 2020
4,376
26,150
Hawaii
Comparing cigarettes and pipes, the VAs cigarettes are bone dry, that’s the best remedy to avoid bite smoking VAs, crispy, and the problem with pipe blends, VAs can be moist, people don’t dry them enough, pack them to tight, and smoke to fast.

Blenders did come up with and find an alternative to the Bite, it’s called Burley, it’s why smokers enjoy it, because it’s more PH Neutral.
 
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mav

Starting to Get Obsessed
Nov 14, 2021
252
1,575
48
Chicago
Nice profile photo! Just noticed it’s Pierre Georgio Frassatti.
Thanks! I wasn't sure if anybody would know who that was. I guess he's kind of my patron saint of pipe smoking, along with Padre Pio ?
 
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Smokebacca

Lurker
Aug 7, 2022
29
33
Texas
I've always felt that people who complain about a tobacco or a pipe being "bad" or of getting tongue bite from either are not considering all the things that could cause them to have a bad smoking experience. I rarely blame the tobacco or the pipe before ruling out as many variables as I can. The variables that can effect our smoking experience are numerous and deserve consideration: the pipe materials, bowl size, bowl depth, airway turbulence, the type of tobacco, the cut of the tobacco, toppings, additives, packing method, lighting method, how you draw, your cadence, weather, humidity, season, indoors, outdoors, full stomach, empty stomach, paired beverage, mood, health, stress, even the company you keep, not to mention your level of experience and palate range. All that to say, who knows what combination causes tongue bite? You can say "both", but it could easily be "all" or any unbalanced combination of variables. Personally, I think it is a combination of mouth chemistry and how they smoke more than anything.
 
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Dec 3, 2021
4,792
40,305
Pennsylvania & New York
Simplest answer : create big smoke clouds and you'll burn a hole in you pipe and your tongue. Clouds are for cigarettes, cigars, hookahs, and vapers. Wisps are for pipes.
I would contend clouds are not really for cigars either—one or two puffs per minute to keep it lit and for enjoyment of full flavour without roasting the tobacco is ideal and not dissimilar to sipping pipes.
 

Twasson81

Lurker
Aug 22, 2022
35
154
If I smoke all day, I am sure to get some bite. Red Virginia really whacks out my mouth. I enjoy Sutliff 515 RC and have jars of it aging. They are aging because I am afraid to smoke them, LOL. I agree that some drinks can certainly make it worse.
@Pipenwheels has a similar experience. Believes it's his mouth chemistry. Interestingly, Sutliff supplies tobacco to other blenders he loves. I, personally, haven't had much of an issue with tongue bite.