Still learning

[KevH]

So it’s a little over a year and a half I’ve been smoking pipes off and on. I got off to quite a rocky start and am still learning. I started off smoking only outside, but where I live is right off of a bay and quite windy. I smoked too hot and probably way too fast (average bowl was lasting 20 minutes) and it would seem most of the time I would end up with a yucky burnt aftertaste after smoking and a sore tongue.

Even after my multitude of bad smokes I have stuck with it. Every now and then I would smoke a bowl and find bliss and I think that is what kept me coming back. Probably the memory of wen it was all just…right.

I watched some youtube videos and discovered this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-D1quo_NURk

I followed his directions last week (after a particularly bad weekend at work) with a Stanwell pipe and some Orlik Golden Slice. I smoked it inside my shed in the backyard so I didn’t have to fight the wind. Pure bliss!

I was left a little queasy from the nicotine, but everything just felt right, bowl lasted about 50 min and I didn’t have any aftertaste. I finally felt like I cracked the code.

I went out there today and tried again. I ended up going a bit too fast and took too deep of draws. Bowl lasted about 40 min this time, I’m still queasy and I’ve got a little aftertaste (and a slightly sore tongue). So I’ve taken two steps forward and one step back.

Until the next smoke!

 

[RDPipes]

Just remember to take your time, relax and enjoy, I think your getting the hang of it but, it takes a bit of time to get it all down some times. And remember we don't all have bowls of bliss every time, sometimes it just not in the cards. Humidity too high, it's to hot, tobacco too wet or too dry, ya screwed up packing just right, any number of things, No ones perfect. I find the first bowl of the morning, which is the important one for me, is the best of the day most the time. It gets hotter outside where I smoke and it does affect the smoke so my noon day smoke fails quite often depending on the tobacco I'm smoking but, after supper if it's cooled down I'm back to almost bliss again.
Stick with it and take it slow and you'll do just fine I think.  

 

[Brewdude]

What Cart said!



Cheers,

RR

 

[huffelpuff]

Sounds like you're headed in the right direction. Stick with it eventually the pieces will fall into place more often than not. Just remember to enjoy the journey!

Jim

 

[monbla256]

Cart summed it up quite well and another thing, if you are a former ( or still current) cig smoker, you will have to distinguish between the two VERY DIFFERENT methods of smoking!! There are lot's of former pipe smokers who came from the ranks of cig smokers who didn't and sadly gave up the pipe !!  :twisted: :twisted: 

 

[idbowman]

You're definitely starting to get the hang of it...just remember, the fastest way to get discouraged or to start to feel like what should be a pleasurable hobby is becoming a frustrating chore is to worry about the numbers. Don't worry too much about the minutes on the clock, the number of relights, the number of pipe cleaners, etc. Let your palate, your tongue, and your sense of enjoyment be your guide. Remember - 50 minutes of OGS in a Stanwell is ONLY better than 40 minutes of the same blend in the same pipe if you enjoy it more.

There's a lot of science going on in and around that bowl - but I still believe, at the heart of it, pipe smoking is an art. Keep on keeping on!

 

[KevH]

Well, today was one step closer to bliss. I smoked a bowl of Squadron Leader in a Dunhill Group 3 billiard estate (the first decent pipe I had bought). I took it really slow, let it go out a few times and was rewarded. Almost no (just a little) aftertaste and when I started to get a tad queasy I stopped.

A question as an aside, I had opened the tin a few months ago. I remember it being darn near damp when I opened it. Now it had dried and stuck together (easy enough to crumble apart though). How long is it ok to keep tobacco in a tin once the seal is broken?

 

[monbla256]

Well, today was one step closer to bliss. I smoked a bowl of Squadron Leader in a Dunhill Group 3 billiard estate (the first decent pipe I had bought). I took it really slow, let it go out a few times and was rewarded. Almost no (just a little) aftertaste and when I started to get a tad queasy I stopped.

A question as an aside, I had opened the tin a few months ago. I remember it being darn near damp when I opened it. Now it had dried and stuck together (easy enough to crumble apart though). How long is it ok to keep tobacco in a tin once the seal is broken?

Basically, you open the tin, you smoke it! They are not meant for long term storage after being opened. If you want to store it for longer times (over 30 days) transfer the contents to another re-sealable container. Don't open anymore tins than you can smoke at one time. I only have at most, 3 tins open at one time. Done it this way for over 40 years now and had enjoyable smoking.  :twisted: :twisted:

 

[RDPipes]

Well, today was one step closer to bliss. I smoked a bowl of Squadron Leader in a Dunhill Group 3 billiard estate (the first decent pipe I had bought). I took it really slow, let it go out a few times and was rewarded. Almost no (just a little) aftertaste and when I started to get a tad queasy I stopped.

A question as an aside, I had opened the tin a few months ago. I remember it being darn near damp when I opened it. Now it had dried and stuck together (easy enough to crumble apart though). How long is it ok to keep tobacco in a tin once the seal is broken?

Well being Squadron Leader is in one of those square tins I would jar it up to keep it from drying out too much. Any tobacco that's in a round twist on lid I leave it in it and of course baggies get put in jars immediately.   

 

[Brewdude]

Well, today was one step closer to bliss. I smoked a bowl of Squadron Leader in a Dunhill Group 3 billiard estate (the first decent pipe I had bought). I took it really slow, let it go out a few times and was rewarded. Almost no (just a little) aftertaste and when I started to get a tad queasy I stopped.

A question as an aside, I had opened the tin a few months ago. I remember it being darn near damp when I opened it. Now it had dried and stuck together (easy enough to crumble apart though). How long is it ok to keep tobacco in a tin once the seal is broken?

Basically, you open the tin, you smoke it! They are not meant for long term storage after being opened. If you want to store it for longer times (over 30 days) transfer the contents to another re-sealable container. Don't open anymore tins than you can smoke at one time. I only have at most, 3 tins open at one time. Done it this way for over 40 years now and had enjoyable smoking.  :twisted: :twisted:

This.

Get you some Mason jars of various sizes and jar up anything you won't finish within a few weeks. And this depends on the R/H in your area.

I pretty much jar up any tin that's been opened for a week or two. And that also depends on the moisture of the 'baccy. Sam Gawith's line seems to come at a much higher moisture level so they will require more drying.

Just remember that it's better to jar it up at a slightly higher moisture level than to let it dry out too much before jarring. Otherwise you'll lose the aromatic components. You can always dry it down a bit more just before smoking.

HTH


Cheers,

RR