How do I tell? I think i'm packing too light but I'm not sure I just know that I tried packing a little harder on my last pipe and it was much easier to smoke till the end where I think I hit a pocket of not/little tobacco but there were times it was hard to smoke. I feel barely get any resistance when I breathe in but other than that is there a way to tell?
Packing too hard or too light
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How do you fill your pipe? One load, 3 fill method, etc?
I think it differs depending on the type of tobacco and the pipe. If your method results in a pipe that burns well for you, and is easy to draw without feeling too easy, you've accomplished your mission. The goal is to enjoy your pipe without having to tend to it very often.
I think it differs depending on the type of tobacco and the pipe. If your method results in a pipe that burns well for you, and is easy to draw without feeling too easy, you've accomplished your mission. The goal is to enjoy your pipe without having to tend to it very often.
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How are you filling it? It's pretty hard to back the bowl too lightly, unless you never tamp the ash. Sometimes I'll gravity feed the bowl till it's full and then smoke for a couple minutes and it'll tamp down to half a bowl and smoke fine from then on. Sometimes it help to give just the top layer a little stir or poke with the pointy part of the tamper to loosen things up and then tamp down.
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There's your problem right there. I have NEVER had luck filling a pipe that way with any pipe or any tobacco. It could be because I am a little bit "special" but it's never worked for me. Have you tried the Frank Method? I don't use it all the time but with ribbon cut tobaccos it's what works the best for me.
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the chances of packng too lightly are slim. If you feel like youre sucking air, then its probably too lighty.
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I dunno. I started out packing a bit too lightly, as I remembered the trap of the heavy handed pack from my first go 'round. On the other hand, a light tamp can fix that with no problem.
And the three-fill method is hardly a problem; believe it or not, it's time tested and effective, it just has to be mastered.
And the three-fill method is hardly a problem; believe it or not, it's time tested and effective, it just has to be mastered.
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what are you doing to your pipe when you hit these 'pockets' of no tobacco? were you tamping it? stirring it around? smoking a pipe takes a lot of practice.
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When you fill the bowl, no matter what method, take a test draw and stop pushing down when it "feels right". Note that flakes tend to expand when heated, so leave those a bit looser.
There is no reason to mess with the bowl once lit, avoid the temptation of prodding, tamping, dumping. Its not a cigar, you don't need to dump ash. When necessary, and only when necessary (it goes out, or uneven burn), tamp AROUND not down, the weight of the tamper will collapse the ash and level the surface for relights. You don't have to smoke it all the way down, quit when you're satiated so you don't char your tongue or suck in ashes.
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This may not apply to everyone nor to every situation but what I've discovered is that too loose a pack and the burn is uneven and too tightly results in lots more relights. A lot of variables come into play, I realize this, but this theory works well for me as I like all my tobaccos near the same moisture level, which in on the dry side. Truly however, it's all about practice.
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I find that a pipe cleaner (folded or not) inserted in the bowl while filling the pipe helps to consistently get a good draw.
YouTube - Little tip for getting a nice draw
YouTube - Little tip for getting a nice draw
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Will give this a try in my next bowl, thanks for the link.
I just started using the frank fill method and what a difference. More smoke, easier to stay lit, stays lit longer and burns cooler. Thanks to RJPuffs for the morning bayou, had a bowl of that today and I will certainly be ordering a tin of it or more.
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