Packing, lighting, and lighting, and lighting......

[Anthony_Joseph]

Getting kind of frustrated, and my tongue hurts. I've been trying the 3 part pack, and the frank method with little success.

It seems like I relight, hurt my tongue, get a sour taste, Then it goes out. I've tried to lightly tamp while lighting and creating a cole ect........ Works great for a few minutes, same results.

Tobacco is not to dry or damp as far as I can tell.

Any suggestions or ideas or explanations to why I suck at this?

 

[Agentskull]

Could be packing it too tightly

 

[Grrrrr609]

Dry it longer. Spread it out on a paper plate or something and let it air dry. Will help with the burning and the tongue bite.

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[CATom]

Microwave that shit to a crisp! Just make sure the old lady isn't home, it stinks!

 

[K Williams]

Microwave that shit to a crisp! Just make sure the old lady isn't home, it stinks!

Wouldn't cooking it like that alter the tobacco?

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[H3rrington]

It takes time. And practice. I almost gave up on my pipe entirely before I finally figured it out

 

[Skitalets]

Could be packing it too tightly

I don't understand this--if the draw is ok, and the pipe is going out after one or two puffs, that HAS to mean the pack is too loose, right? If air is getting through but the tobacco won't stay lit, then the tobacco isn't in close enough contact with itself to keep burning.

I ask honestly--not trying to criticize your response. I am trying to get back into pipes as well since there's been such an uptick in posting about briar, and I'm finding it frustrating.

 

[Anthony_Joseph]

I don't feel like it's too loose by any means. I anything it's to tight, but at this point I'm going to se it out to dry a bit. I felt like it was okay to smoke out of the jar or tin, but I may be wrong.

 

[CATom]

Microwave that shit to a crisp! Just make sure the old lady isn't home, it stinks!

Wouldn't cooking it like that alter the tobacco?

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I haven't had any problems doing it...

 

[UtahRootBeer]

What was it you were trying?

 

[cgraunke]

One thing I found I was doing was not keeping a flame on it long enough in the initial light. Now I keep flame going two to three times longer than I had initially and I don't have any relights through my 20-30 minute commute. Also, I found I was actually packing it too tight, looking for a similar cigar draw. I've been backing off that and now I'm doing fine. I don't know if this is correct or not, but I was having the same issues and this is what did it for me. Good luck Bro, don't give up. It's a fight worth winning!

 

[Hoshneer]

This is hard to explain because it just comes naturally at a certain point and some people have a really hard time with it. You should be able to draw on it without restrictions and it should make any noise while you are drawing. That's the best advise I got but something is wrong. I don't know if it's the baccy or what but something don't sound right.

It's weird because I know guys that have a ton more experience than I do but constantly relight still. I guess that's why there is an art to it. My only advice is to keep at it.

 

[Anthony_Joseph]

I packed it less tight this morning and it seems to be getting better. The blend was a little on the drier side as well. Mc. Anny.

 

[cgraunke]

I packed it less tight this morning and it seems to be getting better. The blend was a little on the drier side as well. Mc. Anny.

Try giving it a bit of a longer light, too, let me know what happens. I'm still learning all this as well and am curious about your experiences!

 

[Anthony_Joseph]

I hit it with the lighter longer as well. And ass I was drawing after the light, I lightly packed with the tamper to push the cherry down. Only had about 2 relights and I'm half way through the bowl. Much better than previous experiences.

 

[Anthony_Joseph]

I can even smoke through a whole crap without a relight.

 

[cgraunke]

Boy, now we're bonding!
Turn the fan on! 😷💩

 

[Cigary43]

This is the negative side of pipes is learning how to pack w/o having to relight so many times that you get too frustrated with the whole process. A good pipe is worth it's weight in gold and that is half the problem sometimes. The first pack should be very light and then tamp with your little finger..second pack is a bit firmer ( often said that when you pack tobacco...the first one is like shaking a babys hand...the second shaking the Mommas hand and lastly shaking the Daddys hand---this means as you pick up the tobacco with your 3 fingers...and then place inside the bowl.)

On your last pack use your little finger to stuff it into the bowl and then twist the tobacco in a circular motion as this joins the flakes into one another so it helps with the combustion of the tobacco...the more they are conjoined the better the combustion process. As was said you can light a bit longer on your first light...I prefer a good sturdy match so you don't end up burning the rim with a lighter or if using a good pipe lighter keep the flame in the center of the bowl and draw smooth and slowly.

 

[javajunkie]

spend more time with either english blends, or maybe a basic-ass burley like carter hall, MUCH less likely to bite than a virginia-forward blend. if you practice until the point of success on these, you've already taught yourself the basics of smoking speed and packing/lighting, and getting into the virginias will be much less painful. also, some people's bodies DO NOT get along with some blends. it happens.

try this for a simple set up: take a pinch in two fingers and a thumb, roll it into a ball-ish form loosely in between your palms, stuff it lightly into the briar, light it slowly until the entire surface is lit (like a cigar), tamp lightly just until it is at an even surface level, let it go out completely, then light it and go. a chairing light, then true light, helps tremendously, this pack works for me very well on most tobaccos in regard to staying even and in contact with the rest of the tobacco while keeping air channels open, and should draw on the loose side of good. it will probably tighten up as you burn, the tobaccos and oils compacting themselves, with a little help from light tamping.

and, for what it is worth, i went through this shit for fifteen years of starts and stops before i got it. now, at least, you got us to (hopefully) speed things along.

good luck!

 

[rfraser]

Great! Sounds like its getting better. I started smoking pipe back in college a little and then more in the Army and then I had my packing technique pretty down, key is not too tight (or loose of course too). This past spring, while back in Minneapolis for a wedding, I picked up some pipe baccy and I am glad I did and it still took me awhile to get my technique down again. So dont get frustrated with it. One bit of advice I got was, 'pack it looser than you think'. Now this advice, I beleive, is more for people starting out, because most will pack tighter than they thing they have to. And I get a good little coal going and then give it a light (emphasis on light) tamping and maybe another one part way through and it seems to be a pretty good smoke the whole way. Also if you are having issues and the end of the smoke, it can be where the hole is drilled into the bowl. From what I understand, if its not inline with the bottom of the bowl, you wont burn anything below where the hole is drilled. Good Luck.