Breaking in techniques

[WarlockBob]

So, I'm not sure if there's another post in this section about this(I didn't see any over my initial glances), but I had an interesting thought strike me in regards to breaking in a pipe correctly.

I've been smoking now for about 4 years, and I've jumped in to my neck into this hobby, picking up all kinds of stuff on the way, but 95% of my pipes are(were now) new; I picked up that the best way to break in a pipe was to do the 1/4 or 1/3 bowl loading technique, but I always wondered: if we're concerned about the smoke and tar and other particulates gathering on the walls of the bowl to give us a good amount of cake, why not just smoke full bowls slowly? It seems to me that you'd get the same amount of cake out of a pipe that way as you would the more traditional method...

I will also say that I'm currently breaking in a few pipes in this manner, along with a few in the more traditional way, so I can get a good running comparison.

Any thoughts though?

 

[d4klutz]

I have just always packed a full bowl, even in new pipes. However, I have noticed that the bottom of the bowls just don't collect cake when I do so. The main issue is that I often times can't smoke a bowl down to the bottom. It gets too harsh, or just starts to taste nasty. I shall have some new pipes soon, so I will try the 1/4, 1/3 method.

 

[Brewdude]

I've always used full bowls when breaking in new pipes. Never had any issues with this.

YMMV, as always.


Cheers,

RR

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

I too have always just filled full bowls. Also I never worry about bottom cake formation. It will happen eventually with enough use. Also, I am in JP's camp, as I rarely smoke a bowl of tobacco to the bottom. If it happens, great. But I almost always dump a small amount of dottle once it starts tasting bad.

 

[RDPipes]

I just smoke the dad burn thing but, to the bottom of the bowl when possible.

 

[MichaelM]

I'm in the just smoke it camp, but I do tend to make the first few bowls tobacco I know I can smoke to ashes. Other than that I've never thought much about it and never had a problem (where is the knock wood emoticon when I need it).
Mike.

 

[WarlockBob]

Alright, thanks for all the replies! I'm definitely leaning toward the 'just smoke it' camp, from everything I've seen so far in breaking in some pipes; I just didn't know what anyone else really did.

 

[Fr_Tom]

I am late to the party here, but I always just fill them and smoke them. I usually use tobacco that is easy to smoke and burns cool for me like Carter Hall or Natural Dutch Cavendish. I try to be be aware of bowl temp just being paranoid. I do tend to smoke them multiple times a day until the new wears off - a couple of weeks, but that is not an important part of the routine. For that matter I am not sure any of this is important. It's just what I do...

 

[fsu92john]

Like the others, I just fill and smoke slowly, watching the bowl temperature. Never had any problems.

 

[monbla256]

Back when I did some hot rodding/custom car work. we used to say "... break it in hard-n-fast and it'll run hard -n-fast" concerning our engines and I've done my pipes about the same. Always full bowls in the manner that I smoke the blend in a "broken-in" pipe. I prefer a nice Red Va, either flake or ribbon cut as these type of blends/mixtures develop a nice cake easily and don't really ghost a pipe for whatever one might want to smoke in it later. This has worked for me for several decades and will for several more ! :twisted: :twisted:

 

[Ocelot55]

Just fill it up a light!

So, who actually does bother with the extended break in period?

 

[MisterE]

Just smoke the new out of it!

I try to keep it from getting too hot for the first few smokes, but that's a good habit to get into anyway IMHO.

 

[RobJ]

For me it's more about how I smoke the pipe and choice of blend than how far I fill the bowl.

On a new pipe I just fill it with a Virginia or English blend, light it and sip all the way down. After a few bowls, not wiping out the bowl between smokes, I may switch to another blend I think is more suited to that pipe. As already mentioned keeping the pipe from getting too warm is important especially during break in imo.

Of course what works for me may not work for you.

 

[KevinM]

Late to the party here -- I've used the incremental method and the fill it and light it method. Can't honestly say I've noticed a big diff. In the last year I bought two new Sebastien Beos. He doesn't coat the bowl, the walls are are bare. In the smaller one, I tried the old coat the bowl with honey method. Did the coating with a Q-tip, let it dry evenly then filled it and lit 'er up. I'd say the honey was an aid to the early development of a nice, even cake. The second pipe has a large bowl for a SB pipe and I just filled it and smoked it. Excellent! Was like smoking a perfectly broken in pipe from the first. Went to the bottom on the charring light! I like to use an easy-smoking tobak at first. My break in preference is good 'ol Prince Albert. Your results may vary and whatever works for you is right for you. Experimentation is good:-0

 

[Brewdude]

Late to the party here --  I've used the incremental method and the fill it and light it method. Can't honestly say I've noticed a big diff. In the last year I bought two new Sebastien Beos. He doesn't coat the bowl, the walls are are bare. In the smaller one, I tried the old coat the bowl with honey method. Did the coating with a Q-tip, let it dry evenly then filled it and lit 'er up. I'd say the honey was an aid to the early development of a nice, even cake. The second pipe has a large bowl for a SB pipe and I just filled it and smoked it. Excellent! Was like smoking a perfectly broken in pipe from the first. Went to the bottom on the charring light! I like to use an easy-smoking tobak at first. My break in preference is good 'ol Prince Albert.  Your results may vary and whatever works for you is right for you. Experimentation is good:-0

Interesting. I often rely on PA for the break-in myself, regardless of what 'baccy it might be destined for. Good thing I enjoy PA for a codger blend!

:sunny:



Cheers,

RR

 

[Thomas Tkach]

I do try to make sure I smoke all the way down when I first start. Usually I'll go with some half bowls, but I get right into it after a few of those. I think the logic is that (depending on tobacco) the bottom may be too wet or bitter/acrid to finish, so the bottom won't cake properly. Smoking smaller bowls leads to less moisture accumulation.

One thing I do when breaking in a new pipe or one that has been retorted back to bare wood is something when the bowl is DONE. I think I learned this on the pipes.org forum. When finished I'll stir up all the ash and dottle and clamp my palm over the bowl and give it a good shake to coat the bowl evenly all around. I'll do this until i think enough cake has formed, then switch to wiping out the bowl to retard cake development so I don't have to ream as often.

 

[WarlockBob]

Thomas, I've always done something similar, whether it's a pre-carb bowl or not: I smoke the hell out of it, get it all down to ash, and then before dumping it I take my tamper and powder it up, and I use the spoon(for those of us with a Czech tool) and use the back of it to evenly coat and press ash against the walls of the bowl. I do that for the first dozen or two dozen smokes, and then go to a regular cleaning regimen.

Good to know I'm not the only one that thought about using the ash like that!

 

[idbowman]

I've never fussed too, too much with the break in process. I generally go with full bowls right from the jump - if the top 2/3 form a cake faster than the bottom 1/3, I just ream/cut it back from time to time...the bottom eventually catches up.

The only "break in" I'm particular about is with estate pipes (so not so much a break in as it is a "reset."). I ream (if necessary), S/A the bowl, sterilize/clean the stem and bit, and do whatever other little tidying is necessary (I don't buy estates that need to be refurbished, so we're not talking about hand tools or buffer wheels, here). Once it's clean and dry, I ALWAYS smoke 6-10 bowls of Carter Hall before moving on to VAs or Lats - clears away any last bit of a ghost and gives the fresh cake a good head start.