Pipe Sweetening

[wintermute]

I was reading the article on the PRofessor's Pipe Sweetening Treatment on pipes.org (the one involving salt and pure ethanol). Living in a state that has outlawed everclear, can I get away with something like Wild Turkey Rare Breed (usually somewhere around 107 proof)? And if so, how should I modify the procedure?

 

[jhuggett]

I've always used 151 rum being I can't get Everclear in my state. It adds flavor to the first few smokes but I actually kind of like it. I would think bourbon would be a little more noticeable but should quickly dissipate.

 

[woody]

Hi Wintermute,

I've always gone another direction. Cotton balls and Isopropyl alcohol 99% both of which you can get at the drug store. If I clean a pipe I'll use some rum and a pipe cleaner. But if you want to remove ghosts and really clean a pipe I'd ream, then stuff with cotton balls. Double a pipe cleaner and insert into the shank. Drizzle the 99% in the cotton balls being careful not to get any on the outside of the pipe. I use an eyedropper. Let that stand overnight and then remove the cotton balls - let the pipe dry out. You can do it twice if you wish. Gunk will be in the cotton balls.

I've not used salt because I've found too much on cracked bowls with the s/a method. If you want to go with salt you can still use the 99% Isp. Hope that helps.
woodrow

 

[Anonymous]

Woody, don't you mean 91% isopropyl alcohol ?

 

[Justpipes]

EverClear is 190 proof pure grain alcohol but as Jason pointed out Bacardis 151 will do the job and leave a pleasant taste to boot. Fortunately EverClear is still legal here in the Old North State.

 

[Buck]

EverClear is 190 proof pure grain alcohol but as Jason pointed out Bacardis 151 will do the job and leave a pleasant taste to boot. Fortunately EverClear is still legal here in the Old North State.

Yep, I've used whatever Burbon or Rum I had on hand for decades to sweeten
my pipes. I also know it one hell'va lot safer than using the known poison.....
isopropyl alcohol!! :affraid:

Only a fool would use isopropyl alcohol in/on anything that will come in contact
with the lips, mouth, etc. :roll:

 

[woody]

99% isopropyl available at my drug store; there's a 75% as well. Use it on all my pipes - soak the stems - learned it from a referb guy. Yup - its poisonous if you drink it. You know when you get a needle - that's the stuff. Works very well if you want clean that shank really good with a shank brush.

 

[Kapnismologist]

I use 99% isopropyl alcohol all the time, and it works like a charm. It drys/disappears very quickly and unlike some of the 'high octane' drinking spirits mentioned above, I have yet to find it to leave behind a trace of any sort - plus it is very inexpensive. If one cannot find the 99% preparation, however, I would not use it simply for the fact that the lower concentrations (91%, 75%, etc.) contain way too much water to do an effective job.

 

[woody]

I use 99% isopropyl alcohol all the time, and it works like a charm. It drys/disappears very quickly and unlike some of the 'high octane' drinking spirits mentioned above, I have yet to find it to leave behind a trace of any sort - plus it is very inexpensive. If one cannot find the 99% preparation, however, I would not use it simply for the fact that the lower concentrations (91%, 75%, etc.) contain way too much water to do an effective job.

Hey Buck and Kap - I like to run a pipe cleaner thru with some spirits every three days before I rest the pipe. You can only get 40% in Canada and that led me to the 99% ISP. I realize one can be reluctant to use it but when you're dealing with some very dirty estates from the Bay I highly recommend it. Don't let the poison part throw you. 99% is rubbing alcohol used on the body - and you'd be amazed what it does for the inside and the shank of a pipe. I don't have a buffer so I clean with the 99% ISP until there is no coloration on the pipe cleaners - then I use the kit from Walker Briar Works on the stem - then carnuba on the stem and the briar. A little Olive oil doesn't hurt from time to time as well.

If the spirits work for you - great. I just find the ISP really does a sanitary job. Incidentally it works great for Meers as well. The cautionary note is not to get it on the outside finish of the briar or Meer. I've got a couple I cleaned for Sasquatch and am looking forward to their arrival in Alberta.

 

[Mister Moo]

A cotton ball and:
190-proof Everclear (5% water) sure dries out fast
91% (unscented, 9% water) iso-alky dries out not quite as fast
70% iso (30% water) dries out slower
80-100 proof booze (50-60% water) dries slower still

It all seems to sweeten a pipe. I like Everclear 'cause it's cheap, available, neutral and dries quickest. I leave a fluffy sticking out the shank when I treat a bowl; it speeds the cleaning, reduces time that water is in the chamber and wicks grunge up the pipe cleaner. When they show brown coming out the shank I pull it out and stick in a new one, blah blah, blah.

 

[woody]

If I could - I'd use a real good brand of booze 8)

 

[Anonymous]

99% isopropyl available at my drug store; there's a 75% as well. Use it on all my pipes - soak the stems - learned it from a referb guy. Yup - its poisonous if you drink it. You know when you get a needle - that's the stuff. Works very well if you want clean that shank really good with a shank brush.

I have not seen 99% in the drug stores around here only 91% which works well for me, and of course, I am not cleaning up estate pipes either.