Tamp, tamp, tamp...

[Corncobcon]

After your first light, do you tamp the bowl? I do. How many times do you tamp the bowl during your smoke? I guess that depends if the tobacco goes out. I usually tamp the bowl near the end of the smoke just to get more out of it. Otherwise, I don't like to tamp the bowl of tobacco very often, maybe twice during the smoke. What do you pipers do?

 

[D.L.Ruth]

I temp after the first light every time. While smoking I'll tamp quite a bit, just enough to keep it as tight as i like it. I usually use barely any pressure though, about enough to just crush the ash

 

[Zeno Marx]

A general rule is: light > tamp > re-light > smoke away. I assume they still do this at pipe shows and gatherings, but if not, in the past when doing smoking contests, this is why they give you two matches. First match for that first light. Second match for after that first tamp. Of course, you can do it differently, but my experience was that most guys followed this process.

I don't have to tamp again very often until maybe when I get to the bottom 1/3 of the tobacco. That first 2/3's is basically trouble-free.

 

[Brewdude]

Eggs-ackly what the previous gentlemen said. One gets a feel for it after a while.

8)


Cheers,

RR

 

[huffelpuff]

Yup, light, tamp puff away until it hits probably the halfway or 2/3 point. Just drop the tamp and pull it, relight if necessary.

Jim