Do different strains of tobacco burn at different rates?

mfresa

OK experts, put your scientific caps on.  I have a theory that different types of tobacco burn at different rates.  Can't say for sure which ones are faster than others, but in any given blend, it is possible that some portions of the mix take longer to "fire" than others.  That possibility leads me to conclude that "sipping" your pipe encourages the slower burning leaves to catch fire and contribute their flavors to the overall experience more than if one puffs fairly heavily on a blend.
What do you guys think?  Have any of you found a difference in taste (within the same blend) depending on the cadence and frequency of your puffing?
Inquiring minds want to know....lol....

Woodsman

The "Round" Slices like PS Lux Bulls Eye and Newminster Superior Round Slices have Virginias on the outside and Black Cavendish or Stoved Kentucky on the inside, The Virginias seem to burn first and they ignite the centers. Both are sweet smokes and last me a long time and DG very well. I usually break them up before some before smoking.

xDutchx

If I remember correctly, the top leaves of a tobacco plant are the most potent and rigid, because they are exposed to direct sunlight. The lower leaves (Volvado) in turn tend to be more tender, and the top leaves (Ligero) end up being the most potent.

It would stand to reason, that even after the tobacco is dried and processed, that it would still retain some of the differences between the top, middle, and bottom leaves. I don't know for certain though, I  am just making an uneducated guess.

PappyJoe

If I read the question they way I think you meant it, the answer is yes. Some types of tobacco burn faster than others depending on things like moisture content and processing. Virginias will burn faster than Perique for example because the Virginias are drier than the Perique.

mfresa

@PappyJoe, yes, that is what I was getting at.  Maybe slower draw will allow the perique to catch from the virginias in a more "uniform" way?  I'd like to see a study done on it, but one would probably have to film a coal (of some blend) in a glass bowl/pipe, and watch the flame spread through the mix.  Maybe after I retire.....

Philip

Another huge factor is the form the tobacco is in. What I mean is if you take a dense flake like HH Old Dark Fired, it burns so slow and perfect. Not sure of the exact ingredients so I won't speculate and have to backtrack, but even when you rub the flake out it still burns very evenly and slow despite the different tobaccos. 

How you pack must also play a role. I'd have to really think about the relationship because at first I may think the denser the tobacco would negate the different moisture characteristics but how much oxygen gets to the "fuel" has a huge role. 

And finally (you can tell I've been thinking about this) is the rate you smoke. As the ember moves and the tobacco heats up, before it catches fire, it's drying out. Moisture is also coming out of the tobacco as it burns.. So if you are smoking really fast and the tobacco is moist to begin with you are moving the moisture down without giving it time to dry out. Throw in the different types of tobacco and you really have a lot going on. 

mfresa

@Philip, well said.

judandhispipe

Seems like everybody's got it covered. It would seem that part of the art of blending would be getting the blend to burn well.

Philip

We probably should get some empirical data to really nail this thing down. Of course you need a large sample size to get reliable results. I think about 5,000 bowls each should do it. Report back here in ten years and we will compare notes. I have begun my part already . . . so nice. 

HEY, it's for science!!!

mfresa

Me too!! Had a bowl of latakia this afternoon, it burned perfectly but will have to repeat the process to validate the findings :-)

PappyJoe

I've consulted a couple of pipe smokers who I considered to be experts in the field. Won't name them, but one is a tobacconist blender, one is a someone who's been smoking a pipe since the 1960s and one used to grow tobacco.

The consensus is that the processing and the cut of the tobacco has more to do with the burn rate than the species of tobacco itself. As I was told, "tobacco that is unprocessed except for drying will burn about the same no matter what species of leaf it is. Most people confuse the tobacco itself - Virginia, Burley, etc - with a process - Cavendish, Perique, etc.

motie2

@PappyJoe -- Thank you for passing this info along. I have indeed noticed that  many folks do confuse individual kinds of tobacco with "processes," as you have indicated, above..