My One Pipe That Requires A Filter
ghostsofpompeii
Master
We've had several discussions on the merits and drawbacks of a pipe filter, and for the most part I've sided with those against the use of filters because I feel they restrict the draw and alter the flavor of the tobacco as the filter accumulates moisture and what-ever else that nasty brown stuff is that permeates the spent filter. And for the most part all my filter pipes smoke perfectly well without the use of a paper or charcoal filter. And when the occasion arises and I have a particularly moist aromatic I'll simple toss a few clay Keystones into the bottom of the bowl.
But recently I've discovered one of my favorite pipes to smoke, a beautiful little Butz-Choquin Shorty can really stink afterwards, no matter what tobacco blend I load in it. All pipe bowls (and occasionally the stem) will pick-up the burnt tobacco smell after a time requiring a thorough cleaning and a bit of pipe freshener swabbed around in the bowl. Something to exorcise that dirty ash tray smell that can quickly stink up the area where your pipe rack sits. But that kind of stink usually occurs after a few weeks of smoking. But this little B.C. Shorty will stink like that after each smoke. So to keep from stinkifying the area around the end table where my pipe rack is sitting, I have to give the pipe an immediate cleaning and swab out the bowl with Decatur Stem Freshener. The same applies to the stem which also holds the odor. This only happens with the B.C. Shorty and no other pipe.
So the only way to alleviate the smell afterwards is to use a filter, then dispose of the filter it immediately afterwards. One filter per smoke - then discard. And believe it or not it seems to work. But all the reasons I choose not to use a filter are ever present ... restricted filter and slightly altering the flavor. Yet I love the pipe and it's one I tend to gravitate towards ... especially when going out for a walk. It's the perfect size to carry in your pocket ... and I'm not usually a clencher - more of a holder, but it's light and rests comfortably in my jaw.
And it got me wondering if anyone else has a similar problem with one or more of their pipes? And if so, maybe one of you pipe makers can offer a suggestion as to why this occurs to some pipes and not others? Is it because the briar wasn't aged properly and retains some moisture? Is it that the pipe is shorter (just a tad longer than a nose warmer)? It's a beautiful little well made pipe, and from what I've read Butz-Choquin is a respectable manufacture, and after scanning through various comments and critiques I haven't read anything to make me believe they use inferior materials. So I'm at a loss as to what seems to be the problem. Like I said, using a filter seems to help - but I really don't like using a filter. If this is the only way I can smoke it ... I will. But if anyone has any other suggestions they would be greatly appreciated.
Comments
I remember reading about this subject in Dr. Fred Hanna's book "The Perfect Smoke."
He related an experience, I think it was with a Castello pipe, if I'm not mistaken. He said that the pipe was a gorgeous straight grain that he really wanted to enjoy smoking, but no matter what blend he tried, he experienced a foul taste. I think he ended up selling the pipe after giving up on it.
If I'm not mistaken, he chalked the experience up to a poor briar block, which a pipe carver usually has no way of identifying. Based on my personal experience, I would think that these types of briar blocks are a rarity.
Being that briar is porus, I have had good luck dedicating pipes to particular blends. It seems to me that the more residue of the same blend a pipe absorbs, the better it tastes over the long run.
You will see some pipe carvers advertising that all their briar is aged in excess of 10 years, or that they boil their blocks in oil, in order to remove sap and impurities.
Here is a link to Dunhill's original oil curing patent, for those who are interested.
http://www.google.com/patents/US1383193?dq="dunhill"
Not sure about the science behind it, but the theory is that the acid in the coffee ground will soften the cake and then the coffee will absorb the ghost of the old tobacco. It is double effective at sweetening a pipe if you do the salt/alcohol treatment first and then the coffee treatment. After 24 hours, you dump the grounds and wipe out the bowl. I also rinse out the bowl with running tap water and then let it dry for 24 hours. (Briar is wood. It won't absorb the running water and it won't hurt the pipe as long as you are not soaking the pipe in it.)
I have used the coffee grounds in meerschaum pipes also but skip the water rinse.
And next took the stem out while it was still hot, now Savinelli has character
thanks for the help
I have taken the stem out of a pipe immediately after smoking and have not done any damage to them. The key is to not force it. If you pull or twist and it feels stuck, don't keep trying to pull it out, let it cool first. I don't recommend taking the stem out while you are still smoking the pipe.
No. You're not over cleaning. You are just cleaning it more than I do.
Cleaning is a personal preference kind of thing. I knew a pipe smoker who didn't even dump the ash and dottle out of the bowl after smoking. He would just let it sit until he was ready to smoke it again. He was almost 70 and only smoked one blend. I also knew a guy who gave his pipes a good cleaning once a week but he was OCD. He also had decided that cake build-up in a briar prevented you from tasting the tobacco you were smoking. I've known pipe smokers all across the board between those two.
Keep doing what you are doing.