Smoking in a vacuum

[Growley]

Ok, don't hurt me for this topic.

About 100% of the time I smoke by myself. I have for years. That's what I get for having mostly conservative friends I guess.

So, here I am and have been for years, smoking in a vacuum, meaning no one to compare with. I'm wondering (and I'll seriously try to avoid about a million innuendos that could be inserted here) what your ash looks like when you've smoked a bowl to it's fullest. How do you know when you've gotten the very best out of your bowl? Should it all look like the ash on top, more white and grey?

I often think I try to get too much out of my bowl lighting over and over near the end to make sure I smoked it all.

Any pro out there care to submit a pic of a perfectly smoked bowl?

Brian.


PS. Think you can respond devoid of innuendo? :suspect: It's a challenge for sure.

 

[dougc905]

Sorry. No pic. However, you shouldn't worry about smoking the bowl to the bottom. Chances are, if you're relighting a lot trying to, then you're also burning your tongue.

Anyway, the ash at the bottom would look the same as ash at the top. And that depends upon the tobacco that you are smoking in terms of colouring.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Oh noes, not the "...burns to a fine, white ash..." thing.

I've had amazing smokes that left quite a bit of dottle, black crap, mottled ash and even tannish ash.

I've had smokes that I couldn't wait to wrap up that were in the cold, gurgling like a drunk hooker drowning in her own chunder, biting like a crazed marmoset, and made the pipe too hot to hold--that had the revered "fine white ash."

:scratch:

Hey, at least I had some amazing smokes--those are the ones I remembered the most!

8)

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

Once I charred the ever living hell out of my tongue a few times, and once to the point where I had to put the pipe down for a good 4 days, my motto has been to leave well enough alone.

Dottle is a-okay. It may seem like a bit of a waste at first, but a lot of times that bottom clot of tobacco is just too moist to stay lit. Not to mention the fact that it's been used as a filter for the rest of the smoke so it's going to taste nasty anyway. Think of it as spent tea leaves or coffee grounds. Could you make more coffee or tea from those? Sure. By why would you?

Now if you happen to have that magical burn to the bottom bowl smoke here and there. Awesome! If not, no worries.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

...I dunno, there's some magic in certain blends/mixtures that I sure like to conjure up by smoking to the heel of the bowl... :twisted: Penzance is one, Union Square is another and Storm Front is yet another... our friend Billy Budd seemed to enjoy that as well.

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

...I dunno, there's some magic in certain blends/mixtures that I sure like to conjure up by smoking to the heel of the bowl... :twisted: Penzance is one, Union Square is another and Storm Front is yet another... our friend Billy Budd seemed to enjoy that as well.

Billy Budd is definitely a bottom of the bowl kind of ride. Both times I purchased BB it was fairly dry, but in a good way, definitely not desiccated. I find that most flakes do well too. Long Golden, Aged Burley Flake, Silver Flake all consistently deliver in this department.

 

[taharris]

It's funny, but when I'm having a really good smoke I find that the last 10 minutes of a bowl are the best part of the whole bowl. I get lots of nice, thick, flavorful smoke, and then It's over...

Todd

 

[Ocelot55]

I'm confused. How do you light your pipe in a vacuum. There's not supposed to be any oxygen, right? I think I missed something. :scratch:

 

[taharris]

And how does Sponge Bob have a camp fire under water?

These questions keep me up at night. :clown:

 

[Sloppy Joe Hemingway]

I've had smokes that I couldn't wait to wrap up that were in the cold, gurgling like a drunk hooker drowning in her own chunder, biting like a crazed marmoset, and made the pipe too hot to hold--that had the revered "fine white ash."


8)

Well, I can close up shop. That's the funniest thing I've heard all day!

Now that I've veered even further off-topic, let me get back to the point. I usually have a bit of dottle left at the bottom, no matter how delicious the smoke is. I'm still new-ish and getting a feel for my pipes, but by the time I'm done with a smoke (either because I'm tired of trying another re-light or my pipe just tells me "NO!" :lol: ), there is always a little something more than just ash at the bottom of the bowl.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

...there is always a little something more than just ash at the bottom of the bowl.

Usually it's called "briar." :lol: