New pipe extremely sour

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WarneOut

WarneOut

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I've been snatching up a lot of new pipes lately, and just grabbed a couple Vauens, one with a meerschaum bowl insert, one briar.

I packed a bowl of Carter Hall in the meerschaum lined bowl, and as the bowl burned down the taste became unbearably sour. More sour that anything I've ever had on my tongue, brushing teeth and tongue scraping did nothing to get rid of it, and it lingered for hours. I've been smoking plenty of Carter Hall in the last few days with no problems, so it had to be the pipe.

Anyone have an unpleasant experience with new meerschaum? This is my first time smoking one, I always thought part of the appeal was no break in time.
 
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Never had that experience with any of my meers. Who did you get it from? I would contact them and see about returning it. It's definitely not the tobacco, although just for comparison maybe try a bowl of something else?
 
I just smoked a bowl of Peter Stokkebye English Oriental, and I got a vague hint of the sourness from before, but it seemed mostly like a ghost from the previous bowl, and was masked by the tobacco.

Strange.. and the sourness from the first bowl of CH is still VERY present when inhaling through the empty pipe, even after the second bowl of E Oriental. It coats my mouth with a single light inhale.

I'm not superstitious necessarily, but I won't be putting codger burleys in this meer again for awhile. I really don't know what's going on though.

An internet search found a couple comments from people remarking their new meer had a funny flavor. Some have said salty or oceanic. Mine tastes like eating citric acid powder.
 
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Ranger107 said:
Never had that experience with any of my meers. Who did you get it from? I would contact them and see about returning it. It's definitely not the tobacco, although just for comparison maybe try a bowl of something else?
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Got it from Cgarsltd.

It's very weird, but since I've already smoked it I may as well keep trying, and see if I can get that taste out through successive smokes. Not very incentivizing to pick up off the shelf at the moment though
 
Update: I guess I was wrong. It seems to be the tobacco after all. Did my body pH change overnight or what?

I was smoking nothing but Carter Hall for 2-3 days, quite enjoying it. Nothing changed about my packing or smoking technique. Now today all of a sudden, Carter Hall is creating a highly acidic, acrid taste and potently ghosts any pipe I put it in. So now I have 3 pipes that taste insufferably sour on a dry inhale.. I will not enjoy the deghosting process.

The human body is a complex machine. To say I'm very confused by this would be an understatement. Oh well, life goes on.
 
WarneOut said:
Update: I guess I was wrong. It seems to be the tobacco after all. Did my body pH change overnight or what?

I was smoking nothing but Carter Hall for 2-3 days, quite enjoying it. Nothing changed about my packing or smoking technique. Now today all of a sudden, Carter Hall is creating a highly acidic, acrid taste and potently ghosts any pipe I put it in. So now I have 3 pipes that taste insufferably sour on a dry inhale.. I will not enjoy the deghosting process.

The human body is a complex machine. To say I'm very confused by this would be an understatement. Oh well, life goes on.
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Maybe try the CH in a cob???
 
Blackhorse said:
A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma stuffed into a meer bowl.
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A mystery no longer! I think it's conclusively a case of a mouth pH that is reactive to burley. I had never been a burley smoker before this (started mainly with English blends), and although a rare bowl of burley didn't bother me at first, after puffing away at burleys for 3 straight days, my tongue appears to be creating a super excessively sour taste when in contact with any burley, or even a ghost of Burley.

I had previously loved ODF, the couple bowls I tried of it, but after 3 days of tons of Carter Hall, ODF gives me exactly the same horrible reaction. Prince Albert of course is the same (worse even).

Pipes that have more recently had burleys in them have ghosts that taste commensurately sour. Seems there can be no doubt.

I think I'll have to take a break from burleys for a few days or a week and see if I bounce back. It would be a cruel fate to have enjoyed ODF so much only to never be able to have it again. Luckily still have my English blends.
 
WarneOut said:
A mystery no longer! I think it's conclusively a case of a mouth pH that is reactive to burley. I had never been a burley smoker before this (started mainly with English blends), and although a rare bowl of burley didn't bother me at first, after puffing away at burleys for 3 straight days, my tongue appears to be creating a super excessively sour taste when in contact with any burley, or even a ghost of Burley.

I had previously loved ODF, the couple bowls I tried of it, but after 3 days of tons of Carter Hall, ODF gives me exactly the same horrible reaction. Prince Albert of course is the same (worse even).

Pipes that have more recently had burleys in them have ghosts that taste commensurately sour. Seems there can be no doubt.

I think I'll have to take a break from burleys for a few days or a week and see if I bounce back. It would be a cruel fate to have enjoyed ODF so much only to never be able to have it again. Luckily still have my English blends.
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Hmmm, not nice to have happen but excreta does occur.

Maybe put one of the "infected" pipes aside for a month or three and come back to burley's after that break using that pipe.

My reasoning is a break from burley is good for you and leaving a pipe aside for burleys will be a good thing. In that you're not killing any of your other pipes with burley and you only have to reclaim one pipe afterwards if a break doesn't work for you.

Also as suggested, get a cob for burley blends.
 
Although not exactly a sour taste, I got a very strong mouth burning from C&D perique blends. I chalk it up to an allergy. Allergies can often develop later in life.
Oddly, perique blends from other companies have little to no affect. Given my history with that company and moldy products, I wonder if microbial contamination may be the issue for both of us. CH is made offshore now in facilities of unknown upkeep.
 
I have experienced something like that, not as severe, but somewhat similar from changing things like my mouthwash, toothpaste, medication or even what I eat or drink that day. I get the most consitent pipe experience if I drink milk throughout the day, oddly enough
 
mosin1932 said:
I have experienced something like that, not as severe, but somewhat similar from changing things like my mouthwash, toothpaste, medication or even what I eat or drink that day. I get the most consitent pipe experience if I drink milk throughout the day, oddly enough
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This thread will live on as the most mistitled thread in forum history lol.

It turned out that what happened was that I basically chemically scorched my mouth on searing tobacco juice by relighting the bottom of a bowl way too hot in a meer. I now recall it to have been Prince Albert in the bowl, already a bit of a rough and ready blend. The acrid smoke from that messed up my taste buds for a week or so, and made my tongue recoil at the taste of burley. I'm now back to normal, and can puff away at burleys again with impunity. I cannot, however, stand the taste of Prince Albert anymore!
 
I remember many years ago buying a Jirsa pipe from a local pipe shop in Phoenix that had a very sour taste when I first started to break in no matter what type of blend I put in it. I finally got got the taste out by smoking straight burleys for a good month or so. I finally figured out what happened on another visit to the shop when purchasing some pipe tobacco. One of the newer guys behind the counter was cleaning out new purchases with a rag and cleaner that he was using to clean the glass countertops with. I had to let the owner know of my observations and experience with a new pipe I had purchased. And to clarify I purchased many a pipe from this shop before and after this incident.
 
Mikem said:
I remember many years ago buying a Jirsa pipe from a local pipe shop in Phoenix that had a very sour taste when I first started to break in no matter what type of blend I put in it. I finally got got the taste out by smoking straight burleys for a good month or so. I finally figured out what happened on another visit to the shop when purchasing some pipe tobacco. One of the newer guys behind the counter was cleaning out new purchases with a rag and cleaner that he was using to clean the glass countertops with. I had to let the owner know of my observations and experience with a new pipe I had purchased. And to clarify I purchased many a pipe from this shop before and after this incident.
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Interestingly, the particular new meer I was using had (and still has) a REALLY funky unpleasant sort of oceanic smell to it that still hasn't faded away. I don't know if it was treated with something or not, but it is pretty interesting that I never had a problem smoking my briars before, but the first time I used this meer I got damaged taste buds for a week.

The sour tongue might have been a combination of all the factors; the pipe, the tobacco, and my relighting skills.

I'm disinclined to smoke that meer enough to get rid of the funky taste.. because it's so unpleasant. I mean it really STINKS! Lol. You can catch whiffs of it standing a couple feet away.
 
Try giviing the sour Meerschaum a day in the sun this summer. Position the pipe so there is as little shadow as possible in the tobacco chamber and adjust every hour or two. The heat and light might evaporate whatever is causing the bad smell and taste. If the bowl has any cake you might want to ream it first. I'd take off the stem, it can only get damaged.
 
I know this will sound strange but might be worth a shot. Fill it with coffee, dampen the coffee slightly, not too wet, and let it sit for a day. When I worked for the airlines years ago and someone threw up on the seat or carpet we would wet the area and put coffee grounds on it and let it sit overnight. It did take away the stench.
 
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