Only center is burning

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Nathan_S

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When I smoke my pipe it seems that only the center burns then it eventually goes out after 15 minutes or so. If I were to knock the ash out I would see a conical cavity with the center burning much more then the outer edge of the tobacco. How can I keep this from happening? It seems to happen no matter how I pack it and how long I let the tobacco dry. What am I doing wrong?
 
Nathan_S":v1kmlbiw said:
When I smoke my pipe it seems that only the center burns then it eventually goes out after 15 minutes or so. If I were to knock the ash out I would see a conical cavity with the center burning much more then the outer edge of the tobacco. How can I keep this from happening? It seems to happen no matter how I pack it and how long I let the tobacco dry. What am I doing wrong?
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Your'e not getting a complete char light all around the bowl. You will have to get flame ALL AROUND the bowl to get it to light and smoke completely. I had a friend who had the same problem as he did not want to "burn the outer edges of the rim so he used a pipe lighter and aimed it only at the center of the bowl. Once he switched to matches and got over his dislike for getting the rim blackened his problem went away !! Try it if you haven't yet, you find your "problem" is no more !!  :twisted: 
 
I thought I was but for tomorrows bowl I will make an extra effort to get the char light on the exterior.
 
I agree with mon. I get this sometimes at the first light but carefully tamp the sides in when I apply the second match. Seems to always work for me.


Cheers,

RR
 
A technique used in slow smoking competitions is to tamp around the bowl, putting the tamping pressure at the edge of the bowl, as if you're pressing the tobacco from the edge to the center. In other words, don't tamp the center of the bowl, work instead from the edges. Try that and see if it works for your problem.
 
Some pipers load the pipe, leaving a scraggly top surface for the charring light. Then they smooth it down with the tamper and relight. Better to gently use your thumb to even and flatten the tobacco surface of the loaded pipe. Then light the surface and proceed with very light tamping as needed. (Which it often is not.) Another thought is that you might be drawing the flame too deeply into the pipe bowl. A good description of proper lighting is to allow the flame to dance nimbly all about the tobacco surface and then commence with gentle to moderate sips.
 
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