Bite, Bite, Bite!

[Corncobcon]

I opened up a new tin of Sutliff's County Cork today. The aroma was mild and I didn't
smell any Irish liquor scent, just some mild tobacco. Maybe because it was still in a cold freeze from being out at the mailbox this morning. So I loaded up a Sasieni Dublin and began to smoke it. Boy oh boy did it bite! I tried to slow my puffing down to a minimum, but it was still biting the sides of my tonque. After a few puffs, the bite was still there, but I noticed a very nice room note. It's supposed to be Irish liquor, and it was very fragrant. I enjoyed the smell, but didn't enjoy the bite. The Virginia and Burleys seemed to meld together well. Neither one took over the other. There wasn't any grassy or hay taste either, but some good tobacco taste. Too bad there was such a bite. This definitely detracted from the smoke. Hopefully, once this ages a while it will calm down and that bite will go away. On a scale of 1 to 10 puffs, 10 being the highest, I'll give it 3 puffs for now.

 

[huffelpuff]

Conrad, if the issue is one of body chemistry nothing you do will matter. Except that your body chemistry might change over the years. If the problem is steam or just plain heat you have a number of options. Fisrt would be a churchwarden. The extra length does wonders at taming flamethrower blends. After the cw you might try some of the filtered pipes. I know the 9mm filters have options such as charcoal and even meerschaum chips for filter material. There are also little clay doodads that you can stick in the bottom of your bowl that will absorb extra moisture and help prevent bite. Of course a good drying of the tobacco might help. The gourd calabash and the "reverse calabash" are also options for bitey blends.

Hope this helps
Jim

 

[Old Nate]

I would start with drying the tobacco out a bit... right now I'm going through a tin of McClelland Blackwoods Flake from 2009 and if I don't dry each bowl out approx. 30mins (give or take) I know I'm in for an inferior smoke. That little bit of drying makes for a bowl I don't have to monitor as closely, less lights, more flavor, a dryer smoke and def less bite... but every once in a while she'll bite you no matter what.

 

[Corncobcon]

I would start with drying the tobacco out a bit... right now I'm going through a tin of McClelland Blackwoods Flake from 2009 and if I don't dry each bowl out approx. 30mins (give or take) I know I'm in for an inferior smoke. That little bit of drying makes for a bowl I don't have to monitor as closely, less lights, more flavor, a dryer smoke and def less bite... but every once in a while she'll bite you no matter what.

Yeah, I dried the County Cork out for about 30 minutes this morning and tried to smoke it again, this time in a MM Mark Twain. Same results- plenty of tongue bite. I am beginning to think there is something in that tobacco that does not sit well with my tongue!
Funny thing, you mentioned you had tongue bite from Blackwoods Flake. I have some BF and I don't get any tongue bite at all. Maybe I'm holding my tongue wrong! :lol: Anyway, Nate, thanks for your input. I think I'll just put the CC aside for a long time and maybe try it again some day.

 

[Blackhorse]

I’ve always heard that more than heat...more than steam...more than one’s body chemistry...bite is a function of the alkaline components of the tobacco smoke. Maybe it develops more with a higher heat burn.

Here’s what I would do. If a certain blend bites...I’d move on. Plenty of smooth blends out there.

 

[cigrmaster]

I have an allergy to red virginia tobacco. If I smoke a blend that has them , I get an acid burn on my tongue as soon as the smoke hits it.

Have you any experience with other blends that bite like this? I am not sure if the blend you are trying to smoke has red's, but it might be something to investigate.

 

[Blackhorse]

I have an allergy to red virginia tobacco. If I smoke a blend that has them , I get an acid burn on my tongue as soon as the smoke hits it.

The burn is from alkali compounds, not acid. But the result is the same.

 

[monbla256]

I have an allergy to red virginia tobacco. If I smoke a blend that has them , I get an acid burn on my tongue as soon as the smoke hits it.

Have you any experience with other blends that bite like this? I am not sure if the blend you are trying to smoke has red's, but it might be something to investigate.

I'm the same way only with blends with Burley in them !! :twisted: :twisted:

 

[Old Nate]

Yeah, Burley heavy blends rip me up too. I’m suspecting that’s the culprit for corncobcon

 

[Corncobcon]

I smoke a lot of burleys. Carter Hall almost every day, John Patton's Moe's Confetti, Sutliff's Mark Twain, just to name a few. I don't have any problem with them. I'm wondering if the Irish Cream flavoring in the County Cork has something to do with it. I don't know, but, I'll just put it away and let it sit for a while.

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

Blends topped with liquor derived flavorings usually do me wrong. I can think of only a handful that don’t. Like you said, Might be the Irish Cream topping

 

[nogbert]

i always find that having a semi acidic bev. on hand helps stave off any unpleasantness on the tongue. my drink of choice in life is diet coke and it creates enough acidity in the mouth to eliminate any alkaline effects for me. even just a sip or two during a bowl.

YMMV of course, also i wouldn't advise doing this with any vulcanite stemmed pipes, especially cheaper ones. Acid will turn those gross in short order.

 

[Brewdude]

Fortunately I haven't had the dreaded bite for many years. Used to get it regularly when I first took up the pipe seriously some 18+ yrs ago. Some episodes were so severe that my tongue was literally fried for days after! It's a wonder that I persevered. :!:

It wasn't until after I found this forum that I started learning what I had been doing wrong all this time and began having consistently better experiences.

Have only had the "bite" once or so in recent memory. And that was very probably down to over-enthusiastic puffing as I'd had that particular blend before with no issues. Lesson learned.

I feel fortunate that my body chemistry does not seem to contribute to any untoward effects depending on a particular blend or varietal.

Now that I've typed this boasting, the 'baccy Gods will surely smite me the next bowl or two. And then I'll have foot planted firmly in mouth!!




Cheers,

RR

 

[Ozark Wizard]

One that bit me hard was Solani White and Black. It sounded nice, and Syrian Lat. I got a sample, and it was very nice. So I got a tin from Timbo...

Tore me up so badly I thought I had been puffing on glass shards and hydrochloric acid. Totally different critter than the sample.

Never again. And to date still have not been burnt that badly by other blends, even very young and dry Ginnies, or straight burley. Though I got close....