ashing

[CBR310]

Being relatively new to smoking. How often do you guys scrape the top layer of ash out. I'm still not best at packing but getting better. I scrape about 3-4 times/bowl.

 

[hopzilla]

I tend to not ash out at all during a bowl. I just tamp it down lightly.

 

[CBR310]

Even if you have to re light? I find to be re lighting a half dozen times or so.

 

[hopzilla]

Yup. I just relight with the ash still there. It doesn't seem to bother me at all. I have no idea if that's normal or weird.

 

[smokinbrew]

i pack a bowl. initial light, tamp once, relight. then i have a good night and i smoke down half way, sometimes i have to relight before the halfway point but not usually. then i dump the ash and repeat the initial light, initial tamp and the relight and smoke the rest of the way. most important thing for pipe smoking is to make sure you smoke the bottom of the bowl to get the tar even. biggest mistake you can make when new to piping is an uneven build up. so make sure you smoke all the way down to the bottom of your bowl.

 

[rdomfoto]

Yup. I just relight with the ash still there. It doesn't seem to bother me at all. I have no idea if that's normal or weird.

Same here - in fact, if I stir or dump the ash, I sometimes get it in my mouth on the next couple of draws.

 

[danmdevries]

I rarely dump unless I had an uneven pack or the baccy was too wet, or the flake not rubbed out enough, causing an uneven burn.

Then I scrape, dump, stir, tamp, relight.

Most of the time I can finish on my initial light/tamp/relight.

Basically only dump the ash if I'm risking it breaking through to the stem.

 

[thedismaltrade]

Depends on the blend for me. Some blends I've found produce a think fluffy ash that effects a relight. Those I gently dump and relight. Most of the time I don't find it necessary.

 

[Sirspanksalot]

I do what others have already mentioned. Just tamp it down as I go along

 

[JustTroItIn]

I only dump the ash mid smoke if I'm having a hard time keeping the tobacco lit. Other than that, a light tamp works just fine.

 

[HillbillyPyro]

i pack a bowl. initial light, tamp once, relight. then i have a good night and i smoke down half way, sometimes i have to relight before the halfway point but not usually. then i dump the ash and repeat the initial light, initial tamp and the relight and smoke the rest of the way. most important thing for pipe smoking is to make sure you smoke the bottom of the bowl to get the tar even. biggest mistake you can make when new to piping is an uneven build up. so make sure you smoke all the way down to the bottom of your bowl.

I found this helpful. I haven't been smoking all the way down. Gotta change that.

 

[plumber1965]

Good to know I am with the majority of just lightly tamping it down

 

[HillbillyPyro]

Sometimes a light tamp is nice, sometime you just gotta tamp it on in there like you mean it!!