A New "Old" Trick for curing a stinky pipe

PappyJoe

Even an old dog like me can learn a new trick - even if it is apparently an old trick.

I was following a discussion on a different forum where they were talking about how to clean and freshen a estate pipe bowl. Like many others, I have always relied on the rock salt and Everclear method and often had to repeat it two or three times to get the pipe to smell good. 

Well, I was stunned to learn there is another older, well kept secret to remove the ghost of bad tobacco. Use damp coffee grounds. 

I have a old Linkeman that I have been tinkering with for the past couple of months but I just couldn't make it pass my smell test. A Linkeman is the predecessor to the Dr. Grabow pipe line by the way. 

Anyway, on Sunday morning I took one of my used K-cups and packed the slightly damp coffee grounds into the bowl and put it on the shelf. I checked it this afternoon and the grounds felt dry so I dumped them, wiped the bowl out with a damp cloth and let it dry some more. 

It smells good. The coffee grounds seems to have worked.  And no, putting water in a briar pipe doesn't damage it.

drac2485

@pappyjoe does it now smell like coffee?

PappyJoe

@drac2485 - very faint but much more preferable than the old stale tobacco it had smelled like. Interestingly enough, I just rolled up a tissue and ran it around the inside of the bowl and it came out clean.

drac2485

@pappyjoe very interesting, I will have to try that on a couple pipes I can't seem to get that odor out of.  Now to find a coffee drinker to get grounds from, lol

PappyJoe

@drac2485 find a friend with one of the Keurig type coffee maker and have you save a couple of the used cups. If the grounds are dry just put about a teaspoon of wate in them

drac2485

@pappyjoe I'll keep that in mind as we have on in the office I work in

Wolf41035

Wow nice trick, going to have to try that, I have purchased a few old pipes in the past and they still not how I want them, thought after cleaning them I could let them sit for a long long while and they might be better, NOT SO MUCH....lol

CretinDan

This is a wonderful idea! I have two estates incoming this week, and I think ill try this with the one that, according to the pictures, has not been cleaned in a WHILE.

PappyJoe

For what it's worth, after letting the pipe air out for a day, I decided to test smoke it. I sniffed the bowl first and did pick up a faint coffee aroma. Loaded it with some Sutliff Days End and lit her off. I did pick up coffee for a couple of moments but then it just disappeared into a flavorful smoke. I guess I should have picked something I was more familiar with but it did taste just like it did when I smoked it in a Kaywoodie yesterday. Now I just have to figure out how to realign the stem.

judandhispipe

Interesting - glad it worked for you, @pappyjoe.

PappyJoe

I usually do the salt and everclear treatment now this is another method in the books.

drac2485

@pappyjoe can you explain the salt and everclear method.  I have only heard of it and trying to do it scares me.

PappyJoe

@drac - Fill the bowl of the pipe with kosher rock salt or ice cream salt. Fill with Everclear which is 100 proof grain alcohol. You should find a way to plug the airway so the alcohol don't leak out. Let it sit for 24 hours and the rock salt should turn brown. Dump and repeat. 

Wolf41035

Cleaned ALL my pipes yesterday and on some of the older ones I am trying the coffee grounds to see how it works, I had some I just didn't like the smell they had.
I will comment later this week and let you know how they turn out. 

mhajec

@PappyJoe got any ideas for stems? I have some all briar pipes (one piece pipes) and the stems smell and taste horrible. The inside and outside of them. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. 

PappyJoe

@mhajec You got me on that one. I've never seen an all briar pipe.

Woodsman

I've used the salt method which did work but it seemed to me that the stems felt looser after doing it.  Could be that the tar residue that soaks into the briar after long use was dissolved by the alcohol.

I've also tried ozone and after 24 hrs. the pipe went from bitter to the pleasant smell you get in a pipe that  has sat for a month or two. 

thebadgerpiper

That is a neat idea @pappyjoe . I have a few pipes that are in desperate need of stink removal. Considering all the cold brew coffee I make, I'll give this a try tomorrow and test it out!

What everclear do you use for cleaning your pipes? I'm looking to try that method as well.

PappyJoe

@thebadgerpipe - As far as I know, there is only one Everclear. There may be other 190% grain alcohols out there, but I've only used Everclear for pipe cleaning (it is also good for making a batch of Purple Jesus, but that's another story.)

Watchmaker61

I've used 151 rum in stead of Everclear cause it was not available in my area. Always work for me. And no I never detected any rum notes when smoking.

Bphasty

awesome, I just did a salt/everclear day yesterday on an estate pipe - I'll probably keep using that as round 1 & start using this as round 2 for any residue stank.  thanks Pappy

Woodsman

mhajec Decatur sells a product called Briar-Fresh that works on my Briar mortices.(I don't have an all Briar pipe) It's available in most online sites.

Woodsman

Hey Pappy Joe. Kaywoodies with round stems, heat the aluminum stem fitting until it the adhesive melts, move it till its where you want and let it cool. For a square stem a wrap or two of Teflon Pipe Tape should adjust it. 

PappyJoe

@woodsman - thanks. heating the metal and then screwing it back in until it aligned correctly worked.

falconpipe

I have a seriously old billiard that was a "challenge".  I tried every trick in the book and finally was informed about activated charcoal in the bowl and then place the pipe (the briar) in the stove.  It worked!  The age of this briar is special somehow because it seems to bring out a blend's full flavor.  BTW, this nasty old pipe was a yard sale throw-away.  

RockyMountainBriar

Not to be a stickler,  but..well I guess I am....Everclear is 190 Proof which equates to 95% pure unadulterated good old grain liquor (moonshine) in this case NOT corn though
I am going to try the coffee grounds on a few stinkers I have, sounds like it works well.  My guess is that I shouldn't use "flavored" coffee grounds though...unless I want my pipe to taste like whatever the flavor is...hmmm....that might be interesting????  I think I need to try the activated charcoal sometime as well, it sounds like it really exorcises an "Evil Pipe Poltergeist".

PappyJoe

@rockymountainbriar - I use Maxwell House or Folger's medium roast. Stay away from the flavored ones unless you are going to smoke aromatics.

RockyMountainBriar

I used the spent grounds from my Revell Roasters Coffee, it is a light to medium roast, roasted right here in Montana.  It definitely made an improvement to the smell, I even buried the stem in the grounds as it was a 9mm with a big open chamber that also was pretty stinky.  It worked wonders.  I have yet to smoke it, but plan on running some BCA or Devil's Holiday through it.  It originally had been smoked with a heavy Latakia tobacco, and a lot of it.  Thanks for the trick....now for the treat