Factors affecting a good or bad smoke

[MarkOfThePipe]

I'm sure most of this has been answered in posts here ...

I am wondering what are the aspects of a good or not so good smoke.

I feel like some days my pipes smoke great, and all my blends taste fantastic.

Then some days, not so much. My pipes don't smoke well, and the blends taste, not bad, just bland maybe, not the same, not as pronounced.

On the days when i'm not getting a good smoke out of anything, I find myself wondering what the cause might be. How much of it is technique, how much is enviornment.

I beleive I live in a pretty humid area. I cellar my tobacco in the basement of the house where I live. It seems ,for the most part, that my tobacco doesn't dry out quickly in the containers in which I store my blends.I stopped smoking moist tobacco awhile ago, I prefer my tobacco rather dry, with only a few blends being an exception, so I tend to let whatever i'm going to smoke sit out for awhile until i'm comfortable with the moisture level.

As far as smoking technique, I'm still bettering mine, and I do pay quite a bit of attention to my pacing, and the overall heat of the smoke.

I guess the central question I have though is, why does it seem like some days my favorite blends just aren't tasting right? Like I said, not a bad taste, just not as full or nuanced as i've known them to be.

 

[Anonymous]

All I can think of is: How many pipes in the rotation? Pipes can get sour if oversmoked.

If a pipe seems a little off, I use a good bourbon on a cleaner. Folks say the water content isn't good but it sure sweetens things for me. I soak the pipe cleaner and wipe the bowl first and put it in the the airway and let it sit overnight. There are commercial products that are pure alcohol that are recommend but this does it for me.

 

[RDPipes]

I think and I'm no expert by any stretch of the imagination, that it has to do with several things.
Temp of the day, humidity and what you had to eat, how dry is the tobacco, how wet is it? My system is very acidic and can change with even mood. Acidic enough that I use to wear wrist watches but, gave it up for pocket because the acid from my skin would literally eat the metal or leather bands right up to the point a metal band would scratch and gouge my wrist in to bleeding. I think your inner system can also change how things taste.
But, if you find major differences in smokes it could be any number of things you maybe doing wrong. Packing too tight, too loose, smoking to aggressively, tamping to often, etc.
I've done things the same way from the first and being a perfectionist and a creature of habit I hardly ever deviate from the way I pack or smoke but, it's happened and I reckon it happens to all of us. I heard people say "I pack mine correctly every time and have never had a pipe go out on me"
That reminds me of the ole truck driver story, being I'm a 25 year veteran truck driver.
When asked, "when was the last time you missed a gear?" A rookie may answer "NEVER!" An old veteran when asked the same will look at his watch before answering. LOL!
Did I get off the beaten path again, sorry.

 

[MarkOfThePipe]

I have twelve briars in rotation. I don't smoke more than one bowl out of any of them in any given day, most rest for at least a full day, if not more than that.

I've no doubt it could be in packing and smoking technique, as i'm still working on them, to be sure.

I don't tend to tamp at all, unless the draw is really loosened, or I have to knock and relight. I also do my best not to use more than the weight of the tamper to do so.

Is there ever a situation where palatte gets burnt out? Not necessarily tongue or mouth burn or bite, but just that the palatte gets so used to the flavors of what types of blends are being smoked that they taste dull? I have about eight blends in rotation, some of most of which fall into the english/balkan categories closely enough.

Would adding VA's or VaPer's to the mix help?

 

[MisterE]

I definitely think there's a correlation between the ambient humidity and flavor. During the rainy season (both here and in AZ) I have more cases of sour smokes that defy any explanation. I'm pretty good at controlling the contollable factors (technique, tobacco moisture etc) so the increased percentage of misses makes me think "rain".

My guess is it has to do with the pipes themselves. They don't dry out as much between smokes and even at rest are holding more moisture than is usual or optimal.

Just my belief, not a fact.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Humidity, ambient and that in the pipe as it is smoked (which yields further variables with what tobacco is chosen), is very much a factor. In the first stage, it is "basics" thing--hot or cool smoke, heavy "wet" smoke or thin "dry" smoke. In the second stage, it's a matter of what tastes you expect versus what is given. Obviously, idea is to get the best of all variables combined for the overall picture.

I'm sometimes faced with the occasional pipe "malfunction" in the sense of souring, or a familiar tobacco not giving up what I wanted, and it's usually during short periods of what could be called the "wet season" (the month of November and then, March--snow or rain) in Northern Nevada, which is often considered the most arid region of the country. At 5% - 20% humidity as a rule, a simple thunderstorm or cold front bringing that rare treat of precipitation throws my game for a loop, and I have to choose certain tobaccos and briars when those times arise. Pipes also rest faster under normal conditions in my locale.

When I travel to coastal California, for example, my pipes and tobacco are totally different. My smoking method and approach is different. Resting and rotation is more frequent and for longer periods, respectively. Flavors change, nuances flip-flop, but most of it is just re-adjusting the "engine" of how to smoke the pipe. It takes practice, recollection, and can be fun--I like a challenge.

I'm simply used to "dry." :shrug:

 

[monbla256]

I'm sure most of this has been answered in posts here ...

I am wondering what are the aspects of a good or not so good smoke.

I feel like some days my pipes smoke great, and all my blends taste fantastic.

Then some days, not so much. My pipes don't smoke well, and the blends taste, not bad, just bland maybe, not the same, not as pronounced.

On the days when i'm not getting a good smoke out of anything, I find myself wondering what the cause might be. How much of it is technique, how much is enviornment.

I beleive I live in a pretty humid area. I cellar my tobacco in the basement of the house where I live. It seems ,for the most part, that my tobacco doesn't dry out quickly in the containers in which I store my blends.I stopped smoking moist tobacco awhile ago, I prefer my tobacco rather dry, with only a few blends being an exception, so I tend to let whatever i'm going to smoke sit out for awhile until i'm comfortable with the moisture level.

As far as smoking technique, I'm still bettering mine, and I do pay quite a bit of attention to my pacing, and the overall heat of the smoke.

I guess the central question I have though is, why does it seem like some days my favorite blends just aren't tasting right? Like I said, not a bad taste, just not as full or nuanced as i've known them to be.

There are SOOOO many factors involved in your question that I don't think there really is any single answer to it ! In the 40+ years I've been smoking, I to have days and times as you describe and just write it off to "its what it is sometimes" Relax, stay at it as it sounds like you are working your way to being a fine smoker. :twisted: