Time to salt and alcohol

[Pipe Smoker]

After year, I find a time to begin this process.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Barbie approves.

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

OUT FOUL DEMON!!!

 

[Mr. Doody]

are you saying you do the treatment annually?

doody.

 

[Pipe Smoker]

are you saying you do the treatment annually?

doody.

In fact, every 6 months...

 

[gravel]

I've never done that treatment.

 

[Pipe Smoker]

I've never done that treatment.

Why? This does is remove any tars, oils, and other yucky stuff from the inside of the pipe.

 

[kaiser83]

I hit all my estates with the treatment...at least once. I use vodka in the bowls the first time and then vary it dependent on what I have on hand for the second treatment in a row.

 

[Pipe Smoker]

I hit all my estates with the treatment...at least once. I use vodka in the bowls the first time and then vary it dependent on what I have on hand for the second treatment in a row.

So, Vodka can also replace alcohol?

 

[kaiser83]

Yep, worked perfectly for me. I had an estate Boswell that was absolutely disgusting after a couple salt treatments it was good as new. I also bought a pipe retort and supposedly they work awesome, but I can't vouch for that myself yet.

 

[monbla256]

In all my years of smoking ( Kyle knows how long that is :twisted: ) I've never done a "treatment" on any of my pipes. Never felt the need for it as I have smoked pretty much the same "flavor" of 'bacs over the years and always let each pipe rest well btwn smokings ( that's what almost 90 pipes will let you do ) and kept 'em reamed and clean on a regular basis. And I've bought most of 'em new ( except about a dozen I have now which used to belong to others) so have been able to control their progress through the smoking life they've led But then I'm an "old codger" so probably don't have as discerning a palate as you guys :twisted: ( certainly not as discerning as Kyles :twisted: ) .

 

[Pipe Smoker]

Yep, worked perfectly for me. I had an estate Boswell that was absolutely disgusting after a couple salt treatments it was good as new. I also bought a pipe retort and supposedly they work awesome, but I can't vouch for that myself yet.

kaiser, thanks for useful info! I have 2 bottles of Vodka home. :drunken:

 

[gravel]

I've never done that treatment.

Why? This does is remove any tars, oils, and other yucky stuff from the inside of the pipe.

I usually give my pipes a swabbing with a pipe cleaner/pipe sweetener after each smoke unless I'm breaking it in. I rarely remove the stem.

If my pipes required a more thorough treatment I'd consider S&A or a retort.

 

[MisterE]

Alcohol is handy stuff for cleaning. It's terrific for stems and getting the buildup off of rims. The only drawback is that it can sometimes have the opposite effect when used for leeching out the bowl. It can actually soak the crud deeper into the wood and prolong the exorcism ritual.

The rare times I do give a bowl an alcohol soak, I prefer to use cotton balls as opposed to salt. The salt has a way of getting into the wood and imparting, well, a salty taste.

LL felt that using a drill bit the same sice as the bore would better remove the gunk and leave less residue.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Monbla will be happy to know that in honor of his eons of smoking, I don't alcohol-treat my bowls either. The only time I do is when I find some Lakeland or Perique residue in an estate pipe, and it works alright. I usually smoke the remaining 5% out with really strong stuff or Latakia. No, my spoiled tongue doesn't like it, but I can tell it to deal with it and just do something else to get my mind off it. :lol:

I suppose there's nothing wrong with doing a salt/alcohol treatment every six months, but it seems a bit excessive...not to mention, threatening any nice finish pipes may have a bit too often. For me, the tobacco cleans the bowl itself from any undesirables, and a good scrubby pipe cleaner ever-so-damp with Everclear makes the draft this side of perfect. Sometimes I'll only fully clean my pipes every 10th smoke...oh noes! :lol: *shrug* Just a quick run with a dry pipe cleaner. Peterson pipes I've noticed, provided the sump isn't too damp, can go quite a while before a take-apart cleaning is needed.

I used to keep pipes meticulously clean, every day cleaning yesterday's cooled-off selection before I pick up a clean one...now I'm a bit more "meh" about it. Haven't noticed anything one way or the other.

The same-size drill bit really port-n-polishes the shank works nicely, I do that about once every six months, roughly. Good point, E.

 

[Anonymous]

Any time you're discussing two divergent realities, using the same terms, you have a problem.

Kosher Salt-&-Alcohol is moderately effective. But its play value is enormous.

If you live in the States, sending it off to Walker Briar Works (whoever the new guy is) with $5 & return postage for an ozone decontamination is highly effective and nearly effortless.

Depends on your motivation 8) :lol:

:face:

 

[kaiser83]

I can't say I would do it ever 6 months, or even yearly, but when I buy estates off eBay and at estate sales I definitely treat them. The key is wiping them out extremely well after and then giving them a sweetening with eh JD, Cpt Morgan, something you enjoy but is going to burn out after a smoke or 2 anyhow.