Should this be taking so long??

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talrmn35

talrmn35

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Heres a question...How long does an average pipe take to smoke? I have seen some older posts touching on this topic and I am amazed at a lot of guys saying that it only take them 30 - 40 min to smoke a bowl ( 4 or 5 size) down to the bottom?! How is this possible with out making the bowl burst into flames?? Now don't get me wrong, I'm not in a rush to get finished, but it can take me 2 hours to get near the bottom...I have never smoked anything to the bottom. It would just take to long and when I get close to the bottom the baccy gets bitter and nasty.

So am I just packing to much in? Are these guys just full of it? I use the Frank Method and I get consistent results. But If I rush it, I get poor results...ie burn my tongue, pipe gets to hot. Any ideas?? I don't smoke overly wet tobacco and no aros.

I would like to be able to have more than 2 bowls a day on occasion but I would never have the time!

Talk amongst yourselves...
 
Dude, that´s a long time!! Nothing wrong with it though if you´re enjoying it. Think of it this way, your reserves will last you that much longer. :lol:

Oh, as an afterthought, maybe just packing half bowls once in a while. I do that when I dont have a lot of time. I reeeeealy hate dumping out unsmoked tobacco...
 
I have the same problem with sex :D
Ok I'm a liar...

It depends on bowl size, puff rate, tobacco cut and moisture level , air pressure , temp and humidity, packing method... And a few I'm forgetting ..

Dry your baccy a little and try something besides the frank method .
 
30 minutes is common for me. I pack 3-4 layers, very light at the bottom, firmer as I go up, but not really tight even at the top. Often I'll loosen and dump the ashes and relight about 2/3 of the way through the bowl. Works for me most of the time. I'd rather have consistently good short smokes than bothersome long ones.

Steve
 
Takes me two hours on avarage as well.

I've only recently discovered how much more flavours you can get with what would have seemed ridiculously slow pace to me before. Many people seem to be aware that virginias need to be contemplated lest they lose their flavour. I would say the same goes for English blends too. Makes a lot of sense since what gives latakia blends their complexity are virginias and orientals that, on their own, require slow pace to begin with.

I say enjoy the ride! And if you want more bowl just dump the bottoms. I, for one, would never trade complexity for quantity.
 
I'm around 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours depending on size of the bowl.
 
Glad to hear someone else doesn't always smoke the last bit of the bowl. I too find it bitter and far too intense (read Not Good) so I usually dump it. I've felt odd about it for a while, but no longer. If I can make it to the bottom without the irritating bits, I tend to keep going.

That being said, that's an awfully long smoke man, lol. I'm usually looking at 30-45 minutes, sometimes shorter if I'm totally spaced. I'm going to start, with the next bowl, and see if I can slow myself down to the point of fully reaching complexity. I imagine you are getting quite a bit more out of the bowl at the 2 hour mark, taste wise.
 
A full bowl for me is along the 1 ½ hour mark, and I do too smoke it all the way down nowadays. I didn't used to but I've since slowed myself down and as such the dottle isn't as wet and thus smokable. Try slowing down a good bit and try the bottom of the bowl, yes it can be a bit potent, so I suppose its a hit or miss thing. Do what you enjoy!
 
Thanks for all the tips guys. I think I may try something other than the Frank method. I think I may be packing to much into the top. Like I said, I love sitting savoring the pipe, but to smoke a bowl while watching a movie and still not be done (and pitching the rest) is not what I am looking for either. But If I rush, it just gets too hot. Maybe I need pipe lessons LOL. I have watched a ton of vids on youtube and they have been helpful.

I guess the bottom like is I am really enjoying it, so I should keep my bitching to a minimum...
 
Count your blessings, as there are many who aspire one day to be able to milk out a bowl of baccy that long....you might want to consider entering some pipe smoking contests as the world record is over 3 hours long.
 
hobie1dog":8knkv8pk said:
Count your blessings, as there are many who aspire one day to be able to milk out a bowl of baccy that long....you might want to consider entering some pipe smoking contests as the world record is over 3 hours long.
Click to expand...
So, while everyone else is looking to slow things down, I am attempting to speed things up??

I never did flow well with the crowd.
 
Usually 40 minutes tops for me, whether I'm close to the bottom or not. After that, I'll dump the soggy bits. Trying to smoke all the way to that legendary "soft gray ash" at the bottom of the bowl almost always got me in trouble.
 
I'd say that you have achieved the goal which many of us strive for. Don't change a thing. Your technique will evolve as you go. Don't force it.

People who smoke a bowl quickly are missing many of the nuances in the tobacco simply because of high combustion temperatures.

talrmn35":wkfjhjax said:
I'm not in a rush to get finished, but it can take me 2 hours to get near the bottom...I have never smoked anything to the bottom. It would just take to long and when I get close to the bottom the baccy gets bitter and nasty.
Click to expand...
 
My smokes last anywhere between 40 min to 1 1/2 hr in average sized pipes. It depends. If its PA its rather quick...if its a Virgina or English it takes longer.
Also the last 1/5 or so of a bowl is hit or miss with me. Sometimes it reminds me of the very end of a cigar (past the band)...for me the best part of a pipe smoke is the middle. By then it seems like all the various flavors are interacting at a high rate.
 
It obviously depends on the bowl size & the cut, but I probably average about an hour, maybe a bit more. I use the breath method most often. My mate Piet uses gravity packing - i.e. a loose fill & probably averages half an hour.
 
I am firmly committed to slow smoking, and a large bowl lasts me around 2 hours, a small bowl (Pete 303) 1 hr, and that's with a very ordinary pack, not the Frank high density pack.

Smoking real slow, which is to say, smoking fairly cool, yields up all kinds of flavors that are literally burnt up by a hot cherry. Those sweet delicious tastes are long carbon chains and if you burn 'em off..... well all you're left with it smoke, so to speak.

 
It's been said before, but I must advocate the loose pack. SUPER loose pack.
 
Maiser":gufaj0ax said:
It's been said before, but I must advocate the loose pack. SUPER loose pack.
Click to expand...
Can you describe this method? Other than the obvious...does it stay lit well this way?
 
dougc905":w9zaspzr said:
I'd say that you have achieved the goal which many of us strive for. Don't change a thing. Your technique will evolve as you go. Don't force it.

People who smoke a bowl quickly are missing many of the nuances in the tobacco simply because of high combustion temperatures.
Click to expand...

This gentleman said it all. I'm new to the hobby (Nov 2010 1st pipe....Jan 2011 9th pipe), but took to heart all the "sip, sip, sip" advice I was reading. Being a cigar smoker, I've always smoked at a relaxed pace (as evidenced by friends finishing...read "burning through"...before me). Factor $30 for an over the border Cuban, and you damn well want to smoke slowly. And yes, as I shared my Cubans and watched them torched mercilessly, I decided against sharing them in the future.

I've read much about tongue bite, and the one thing I read that stuck w/me the most is (assuming a well-made pipe), with the proper blend (one that doesn't disagree w/body chemistry for some reason), and the proper technique one need not suffer from bite. I have adhered to "sip, sip, sip" since day one, and barring the initial week period of adjusting my mouth to the new invader, I have never had a moments discomfort.

My "ladies" min-warden from Peterson (1/2" high bowl, dublin shaped) can take me 1.5 hrs. to smoke some VA flake. My normal pipes are like a 5-6, and can take 2 hours easily. A normally packed pipe smoked in 30 minutes me would be one hot mess for me....literally.

When I want a short smoke...I pack less baccy. Though I will admit that I'm keeping my eye open for smaller flake pipes...it is nice to pack a bowl completely.

All this and a penny, and you've made yourself a cent.....
 
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